Breakdown of the Current ACC 2020 College Football Recruiting Status
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
As the old saying goes, “Time waits for no man”, and a handful of ACC programs are taking the words of wisdom to heart jumping out on the 2020 college football recruiting trail in full-force. Even with seven months left until the early signing period, Clemson, Miami, Florida State, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech have double-digit verbal commitments laying a strong foundation to add to the second half of their recruiting haul. While some have flourished, other high-achieving programs have been slow bringing in the bedrock pieces to the future of their program.
The following gives detail to each ACC program’s 2020 recruiting class to date – the good, the bad, and the ugly, in order of their current team rankings.
Clemson Tigers – No. 1 Nationally
Not only is Clemson atop the ACC standings in recruiting but they are also No. 1 in the nation outdistancing No. 2 LSU with four-five star commits to two for the other Tigers. Clemson seems bound for the top spot wire-to-wire with commitments from their five-star recruits along with 10 four-star players. Two of the four-stars, safety RJ Mickens and defensive tackle Demonte Capehart are borderline five-stars as is and could see a bump up once the summer camp sessions are completed.
The beauty of Clemson’s class thus far, it is well-balanced with an emphasis on the trenches. Of the 14 commits, eight are scheduled to play on the line once on campus.
Top Recruits
DT Bryan Breese – Damascus (MD)
QB Dj Uiagalelei – St. John Bosco (CA)
RB Demarkcus Bowman – Lakeland (FL)
CB Fred Davis II – Trinity Christian (FL)
*After this article went to post, the Tigers added yet another five-star recruit in DE Myles Murphy from Hillgrove (GA)
Miami Hurricanes – No. 4 Nationally
The excitement new Miami head coach Manny Diaz is creating on the recruiting trail is paying off in the rankings. After a disappointing national ranking at No. 28 in the 2019 class with just 17 commitments, including seven four-stars, the Canes already have 10 four-star players verbally attached to the 2020 haul. The glaring noticeable trend in the group, Miami has made it a mission to reclaim their home turf with 12 of the 14 from the Sunshine State and the vast majority being from south Florida.
Miami has added speed and talent at the skill positions early in the process with four secondary players and four for the offensive side of the ball. One thing the commitment of four-star quarterback Tyler Van Dyke brings (Suffield Academy, CT) is hope that Miami has found their missing field general who can win games with his arm.
Top Recruits
RB Don Chaney Jr. – Belen Jesuit Prep (FL)
WR Bryan Robinson – Palm Beach Central (FL)
SDE Samuel Anaele – Miami Carol (FL)
WR Marcus Fleming – Northwestern (FL)
Florida State – No. 6 Nationally
Seminole fans are accustomed to being in the Top 10 in recruiting year after year which made the slide to No. 11 in the 2018 class and No. 19 in the 2019 a bitter pill to swallow. Head coach Willie Taggert is entering his second season in Tallahassee and knows wins are aided by having top talent on the field. The early enthusiasm has brought about eight verbal commitments from four-star players with four three-stars coming onboard.
Of the 12 commitments, nine are defensive players. Expect an evening out between offense and defense when all is said and done, but one can see where the early focus has been with this coaching staff. Much like Miami, FSU is doing their best to wrap up all the in-state talents on their board. Just one commit, four-star corner Isaiah Dunson hails from another state, Georgia.
Top Recruits
CB Demorie Tate – Freedom (FL)
SS Jadarius McKnight – Dunbar (FL)
WR Malachi Wideman – Riverview (FL)
OLB Keyshawn Greene – Wakulla (FL)
North Carolina – No. 9 Nationally
Mack Brown’s return to the Tar Heels is bringing talent to campus. North Carolina has 13 early commitments with a mix of five four-stars and eight three-stars. UNC’s early focus has been all about the skill positions bringing wanted speed to the roster. So far, there are just two linemen, guard Malik McGowan and tackle Trey Zimmerman added. The addition of four-star Texas quarterback Malik Hornsby (Missouri City) helps streamline Coach Brown’s vision for the future even more.
The Tar Heels’ staff has worked the east coast hard getting commitments from five different states; North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina, and Texas.
Top Recruits
SS Cameron Roseman-Sinclair – Myers Park (NC)
WR Josh Downs – North Gwinnett (GA)
LB Ethan West – Cosby (VA)
WR Ray Grier – South Point (NC)
Georgia Tech – No. 13 Nationally
Fans of the Yellow Jackets will need to take their heart medicine seeing their beloved program in the Top 15 in recruiting nationally. New head coach Geoff Collins is making vast changes and the new look is bringing a different flavor of skill to Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets ended the 2019 recruiting haul ranked No. 51 nationally, three spots better than the year prior; but a change is coming with more time to get the message out.
The prized recruit for Collins and company in the 2019 class was their lone four-star, running back Jamious Griffin. With 12 commits, and room to add more top prospects, Georgia Tech already has one four-star coming to campus in corner Miles Brooks.
Top Recruits
CB Miles Brooks – Trinity Christian (FL)
WR Ryan King – Grayson (GA)
LB Tyson Meiguez (GA)
CB Jalen Huff (GA)
North Carolina State – No. 23 Nationally
The break in double-digit commits to date happens with the Wolfpack, but this is yet another ACC program looking to get over the proverbial hump and it looks like it is about to happen. The faithful in Raleigh have been patient with head coach Dave Doeren and that patience is showing dividends. The Wolfpack have posted back-to-back nine win seasons and had a strong showing with the 2019 recruiting haul finishing 29th in the nation, fifth in the ACC.
The cornerstone of most recruiting classes is landing a quarterback, and N.C. State has their signal caller in Arizona’s Ben Finley. Finley’s presence can help bring in other four-star recruits like receiver Porter Rooks.
Top Recruits
WR Porter Rooks – Myers Park (NC)
OT Austin Blaske – South Effingham (GA)
WR Nate McCollum – Dutchtown (GA)
DT Jalen Smith – Hertford County (NC)
Wake Forest – No. 30 Nationally
The Demon Deacons scratched and clawed their way to a 7-6 season in 2018 getting momentum into the spring off a 37-34 bowl win over Memphis. The winning season is further attracting recruits serious about Power 5 Conference football. Wake has eight total commits with five scattered from up-and-down the coastline.
Five of the commits are offensive minded players. Wake has their quarterback in dual-threat Mitch Griffs.
Top Recruits
OC Luke Petitbon – Gonzaga (DC)
LB Shane Whitter – Walter Williams (NC)
QB Mitch Griffs – Broad Run (VA)
DE Malik Puryear (NC)
Duke – No. 33 Nationally
The Blue Devils are out to a great start with a class ranked No. 33 nationally comprised of six three-star players. The 2019 haul ended up 47th in the country with one four-star in cornerback Tony Davis. The early effect of landing three-star California quarterback Luca Diamont has seemingly already helped shape this haul with two receivers and offensive tackle Graham Barton pledging.
Top Recruits
QB Luca Diamont – Venice (CA)
WR Malik Bowen – Mount Juliet (TN)
WR Nicky Dalmolin – North Forsyth (GA)
LB Christian Hood – Hightower (TX)
Boston College – No. 38 Nationally
The Eagles posted a 7-5 (4-4 ACC) record in 2018, but their showing in the NFL Draft has to be capitalized upon. Boston College had three overall picks with guard Christopher Lindstrom (Falcons) going in the first round, safety William Harris (Lions), and tight end Thomas Sweeny in the seventh (Bills). There is a possibility of at least two more, end Wyatt Ray and safety Lukas Denis, making their way to an Opening Day NFL roster.
The haul so far is small, with just five commits, but landing four-star tackle Kevin Pyne adds a lot of luster.
Top Recruits
OT Kevin Pyne – Milford (MA)
LB Korey Smith – Peddie School (NJ)
TE Charlie Gordinier – Red Bank Catholic (NJ)
WR Seth Jones – St. Pius X (TX)
Virginia – No. 47 Nationally
Virginia fans may not be happy now with a national ranking at 47th, but as head coach Bronco Mendenhall has proven, this group will improve over time. Last year’s haul ended as the 34th best in the nation. The staff worked hard getting commitments from players in the D.C. area, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and as far away as Germany (Kariem Al Soufi).
The 2020 class is anchored by four-star offensive tackle Jimmy Christ. The four verbal commits look a lot like last year’s class – from all over the country.
Top Recruits
OT Jimmy Christ – Dominion (VA)
SS Bud Clark – Alexandria (LA)
DT Jahmeer Carter – Archbishop Spalding (MD)
OC Jestus Johnson – Gonzaga (DC)
Virginia Tech – No. 63 Nationally
Given the rich history of the final four ACC teams to cover in this recruiting update, it is shocking to see all four each with just three commitments – but there is a lot of time left on the clock. The Hokies rallied to finish 26th in the 2019 with seven four-star recruits. The class added speed and skill with a heavy emphasis on the offensive line. The early look at 2020 are all offensive guys and each three-star recruits.
Top Recruits
WR Jalin Hyatt – Dutch Fork (SC)
ATH Tyreem Powell – Vineland South (NJ)
QB Noah Kim – Chantilly (VA)
Louisville – No. 67 Nationally
Given the chaos during the 2018 season with the firing of Bobby Petrino after a 2-8 start, to the interim work under Lorenzo Ward, and then the hiring of former Appalachian State head coach Scott Satterfield, the Cardinals may need a little time to re-establish their footing with top recruits. Despite Petrino’s success as an offensive whiz, he never was a good recruiter nor consistent. Satterfield and staff have a lot of ground to cover to restock the proverbial shelves with talent.
Given the late start towards the 2019 class, Louisville finished last in-conference in recruiting signing 14 players, ranked No. 72 overall, but did get four-star Georgia defensive end Ja’Darien Boykin’s signature on Signing Day.
Top Recruits
QB Tee Webb – Cartersville (GA)
LB Kameron Wilson – Mount Zion (GA)
FS Ronald Delancy III – Miami Northwestern (FL)
Pittsburgh – No. 68 Nationally
There is nothing wrong with signing a class fully made up of three-star recruits, as long as the staff knows they can develop the talent on-hand. The 2019 grouping was all three-stars but had guys like quarterback Davis Beville, running back Daniel Carter, and safety Brandon Hill that were borderline four-star caliber, per 24/7 Sports. Given the limited number of current commits, hard to tell how the 2020 class will end up.
Top Recruits
OT Michael Statham – St. Francis Academy (MD)
ATH Jaylon Barden – Westside (GA)
WDE Samuel Williams – Calvary Christian Academy (FL)
Syracuse – No. 69 Nationally
The current ranking for the Orange is a surprise, especially given they are coming off a 10-3 season with a resounding 34-18 win over then- No. 15 West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl. Much like Pitt, the Cuse signed an entire class of three-star players in 2019 finishing 50th overall, but had some highly valued players sign in linebackers Lee Kpogba, Geoff Cantin, and Mikel Jones, along with safety Cornelius Nunn. With the right coaching, the Orange can continue to play at a high level regardless of recruiting stars. Again, much like Pitt and Virginia Tech, currently just three commitments.
Top Recruits
RB Sean Tucker – Calvert Hall (MD)
DE Kevin Lemieux – Governors Academy (MA)
RB Marlowe Wax – Mt. Saint Joseph (MD)
In Closing
While Boston College, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Pitt, and Syracuse are not lighting it up on the trail thus far, they are outperforming other Power 5 programs in Illinois (No. 73), Rutgers (75), Texas Tech (79), Arizona (80), and Utah at No. 95 with just one commitment.