Inside the ACC: Takeaways from Each Team From ACC Media Days
Another year in Charlotte for ACC Football Kickoff, and all eyes were on the Atlantic Coast Conference as they prepared for a new season of football.
There were some electric moments at the podium, as well as some that were just going through the motions of another media day. Here are some key quotes and views after this year's media days:
Clemson
Clemson is a dark horse contender this season, and everyone will have Cade Klubnik on their watch list. He is one of, is not, the best quarterbacks in the country, and he is confident in the offense this season.
We've been through the fire. We've been through it, and we've stuck together. That's the biggest thing is we've stuck together and come out the other side and just continually trying to persevere and go be the best we can be. In terms of our offense, we've got a lot coming back. That's really exciting. I know somebody hit on it earlier, but we've been a young team, I feel like, every year I've been here. We're a veteran team and very experienced, got a lot of guys that have played a lot of ball. That's really exciting, but we've got to go do it. We've got to go do it and take advantage of every opportunity we get.
SMU
It was the Rhett Lashlee show for SMU as the confident head coach made a number of comments about the level of football the ACC is playing. He might have come under fire for some of these comments, but he knows that all he has to do is back it up like last season and continue to improve.
When it comes to the ACC, there's no question our league has separated itself as one of the top three leagues in America. The data speaks for itself, whether it's the revenue generation that we did this past year. I know the commissioner spoke to three leagues how to network. Our network five years in is thriving and does a great job covering us.
Three leagues had multiple CFP participants this year. We were one of them. I think sometimes -- you know, I was fortunate to win a National Championship in 2010 when I was at Auburn, and since then, over the last 14 seasons, one league's won eight championships and two other leagues, us and the Big Ten, have won three National Championships, and another league hasn't won any. I think that just shows you where our league has been on the national stage and where we think we'll continue to be and where we belong.
Miami
Carson Beck is healthy and is first time speaking to the media as a Hurricane was a nice thing to see. He is confident and knows that he can play at the highest level. Mario Cristobal knows this as well and praised the quarterback for his work this offseason.
Carson has as good an experience as a quarterback as you can have. He's played in monster games, and he's played at a high level. He is ultra competitive, and his football IQ is off the charts. It didn't take long to realize that he's a team player and that his work ethic is also through the roof.
North Carolina
All eyes were on the new head coach of the ACC as Bill Belichick attended his first ACC media day in his young college coaching career. All eyes were on him and what he could do in a league that already has question marks about its football programs.
The support's been overwhelmingly tremendous. Not only supportive, but engaged and very excited. We want to match that excitement and put that on the field. Mike and I have worked together for a long time, going all the way back to the start of Cleveland. Mike in the general manager role and myself in the head coaching role, we have a lot of experience in dealing with kind of what the college football landscape is now, similar.
Louisville
Louisville is looking to return the the ACC Championship game and be one of the many teams to upset several people this season. New quarterback Miller Moss is excited about the opportunity with the Cardinals, but knows more work still has to be done.
I think there were very specific things that I was looking for in a school and an opportunity, and I think Coach Brohm and the University of Louisville, which, obviously, includes the program, offered a ton of that.
I think the opportunity to win and compete at a high level was certainly a part of that, and I think we absolutely have that opportunity this year. I think the ability to develop within a pro-style offense, like Chris touched on previously, was important to me. And I think just being around good and decent human beings. I think that can kind of get lost on us a lot in terms of the era of NIL and transferring and all that kind of stuff, but in sitting with Coach Brohm and meeting Chris and coming on my visit, I wanted to be surrounded by good and decent human beings that cared about the right things and cared about one another, and I think I've absolutely found that within the program.
NC State
Being thrown into the fire either makes you a diamond or you flame out. CJ Bailey looks to turn this season into one of the best the Wolfpack has seen as the man under center this season. He played well for his limited time after the massive injury to Grayson McCall last season and prepares for a full season of starting under his belt.
I learned a lot, especially from Grayson McCall. He was a great leader for me, great mentor for me even when he was done. I learned how to every day be the same person, try to be more vocal than what I was before. So at the end of last year, that's what I was working towards, was just being a more vocal leader. You'll see some of those flashes in the spring ball that we just had, I was very -- still is a very vocal leader. But overall, the type of leader I am, I'm an energetic guy, and that's what I bring to the table.
Duke
Manny Diaz is returning for his second year as the head coach of the Blue Devils, but this time he has one of the most talented quarterbacks in the country. Darian Mensah is ready for the task after transferring from Tulane to play in the Power Four with his sights set on winning and improving.
I think just the opportunity to compete at an elite conference like the ACC, an elite head coach with Manny, and an offense where you spread people out and throw the ball vertically. I think those were some of the key factors that, including a defense where we've got Chan and Wes, V.J., we've got an elite defense, too. That's the pieces that went into my decision.
Cal
One of the many storylines that went under the radar this offseason was another former NFL head coach joining the ranks of the ACC. Head coach Justin Wilcox added Ron Rivera to the coaching staff, and his mind has been an amazing experience for the entire Cal program.
It's been awesome. It really has. The thing that makes it so unique is he's a Cal Bear through and through, and he will tell you that. He will carry that flag. He obviously carries a lot of weight with our donor group and our campus and just who he is as a person, his experience, what he's accomplished in his life. It's just been awesome. For me personally, for our coaching staff, for our players, for our donor base, for our university. It's just been an incredible addition and advocate for Cal football.
Florida State
After going 2-10 last season, the only way is up for the Seminoles; however, they face Alabama in the first game of the season the new QB, Thomas Castellanos, has been vocal about how he feels about his team and what they can do.
We stand on what I said. But there's no disrespect between that team or anything like that. It's just the confidence that I have in my teammates and the way we've been preparing and putting this preparation together this off-season, I just feel confident in the guys and the work that we've been putting in. Just feel confident in me and my teammates and Coach Norvell and how he's getting us ready to work and ready to go play.
Pitt
After starting 7-0 last season, the Panthers took a turn that many didn't expect. Now, everyone knows what to expect with their star quarterback entering this season. Fixing the defense was the first issue to handle, and now there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The defense is not okay yet. We still have a long way to go. Got that, Kyle? We can make improvements in every phase of our game. There's three phases -- offense, defense, and special teams -- that are important. We've got to take care of the inches better and finish a lot of different things. Going back to the first part of the question, Eli Holstein had a great off-season. He had an incredible summer with our football team. He went through all of spring ball, got 15 days in. I can't tell you he was completely healthy. He was still banged up from an injury during the season. Took him a little longer than we hoped. But he is back, 224 pounds, ripped up. We're excited about round two with him. We didn't expect -- last year, I sat at this podium talking about a different guy and did not expect him to take the reins like he did a year ago. He is the ultimate competitor.
Boston College
The goal for the Eagles this season is to be over .500 in conference play for the first time since the 2009 season. Bill O'Brien has a lot of turnover to focus on, especially on the defense side of the ball, but he is confident that he can lead this program to where it needs to be.
I think it's a fine line. I think there's a small margin of error for all the teams, and I think we have to figure out how to be on the right side of that margin, whether it's turnovers or missed opportunities on defense, maybe a lack of communication here and there. My point is, it comes down to seven or eight, maybe nine plays in a game that make a big difference. Can we kick better this year? Can we tackle better? Can we take care of the ball better? I think we did a great job last year in the discipline of our team. That has to continue. We decreased, our penalties went down from the year before. We have to continue that.
Wake Forest
A new head coach for the Demon Deacons. There is a lot to like about Jake Dickert, but this is also his first year. Some time for grace and to learn the ACC is going to be his biggest task this season.
I think you have to have stability. I think you've got to be willing to change and adapt with the coming landscape and where we're going and what we're doing, and it takes guys just like this, guys like Demond that put a stake in the ground and said, I want to be here at Wake Forest, not just for the football but the value it creates for me and my life and my future.
Demond is not just defined by his game and his athleticism. It's the man he is and the man that he wants to be in his future, and I think that's always going to be our edge. We've got to know who we are better than most teams in the country. You're not going to come to Wake Forest for the flash. You're going to come here to do something really special in your education. You're going to come here to be built into a great football player, but most importantly a great man, and I think that's the foundation that we stand on at Wake Forest.
Syracuse
The ACC/SEC challenge is not only a basketball-related topic. Fran Brown and his Orange are taking on Tennessee to start the season, and what a start it would be for one of the best rising coaches in the league.
We're blessed to be able to play in such a prestigious venue against the Blue Blood of college football. They've been doing well for years. I've got a cousin who played there, all the way back to Reggie White. So we get a chance to go and play against Tennessee. We're just thankful to be able to play in that venue. We're extremely happy to get a chance to go and play against Tennessee. They do a real good job. Our team is excited and thankful, but the main thing is the main thing. We're trying to focus on, like, today.
Georgia Tech
Year after year, many people overlook the Yellow Jackets, and Brent Key is here to set the record straight. They are one of the best programs in the country, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.
Question I probably get asked the most is why Georgia Tech. I wanted to come up here and just give a few reasons why Georgia Tech is the place it is to me, to these guys here. Some of the things we've accomplished, first back to back winning seasons and bowl appearances in over a decade at our school, 5-0 at home last year, largely in part because of our fan base and the reenergized students in our student section and the how they really are a part of our team on game day.
The last two media days we've come up here we've been picked to finish 12th and 10th in the conference and we've finished fourth, one of only two teams to finish fourth in the league in the last two years, us and Louisville. We had multiple wins last year over top 10 teams for the first time in program history. But on top of that, we had our third consecutive semester of over a 3.0 GPA with a 3.03. It was the highest in the history of the football program, and that's at Georgia Tech.
Virginia
The Cavaliers had the No. 4-rated transfer portal class in the ACC for a reason, as they added 54 new players to the roster this offseason. Head coach Tony Elliott is on a mission, and building the team chemistry first is going to be a start.
Continuity is big for me, and I've been very intentional with creating an environment where I can earn the trust and loyalty of the staff by their belief in the vision that we have and then also the environment that creates a good space for work/life balance. But I think it's important for the student-athletes to hear a consistent voice.
Changeover in this environment, with all the change around them, the last thing they need is a change in the meeting rooms. Then also it brings stability, also it allows us to not have to start over every single year. So when we hit the practice field running, especially when we're bringing in 54 new guys, we know where we're going, we know what we're doing, and that also instills confidence in the guys because they can see the cohesion, the chemistry.
In order for us to have a great team in the locker room, we first have to have a great team in the staff, and for us to have a great team, we've got to have time spent together so that there's trust, there's cohesion, there's chemistry. So it's critical and very important to me and I'm very intentional in making sure that we maintain continuity with our staff.
Virgina Tech
The Hokies are one of the many programs that have added many players to their roster one remained consistent in QB Kyron Drones. He is excited about the season and his ability to grow and learn from last season.
The Hokies are one of the many programs that have added many players to their roster one remained consistent in QB Kyron Drones. He is excited about the season and his ability to grow and learn from last season.
Like Coach said, this is the closest team I've been around for the past two years at Virginia Tech. It reminds me of my first year at Baylor, and then we had a good season there. Yeah, just being a better leader, and then just the advice I'd give myself is just to keep going no matter what and don't really listen to the outside things and don't really care what other people say.
Stanford
Andrew Luck has taken the reins of the program and is pushing towards a new future. That starts with a new head coach he is familiar with, as Frank Reich will be entering his first year as the interim head coach of the Cardinal this season.
Life is full of many journeys and experiences. That's what we're looking for, to grow all the time. When Andrew called and said, would you help us out this year, first I was a little bit hesitant, but then when I came out and I just realized, listen, I've experienced a lot of things in life in the football world, but I get an opportunity to coach Stanford? I mean, this is a unique place. I've been there for three months, and I've drank the Kool-Aid, and it is different. It is different in the best of ways.
Read More ACC:
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related. He also contributes to Boston College On SI.
Follow Justice_News5