Now that the Top 25 has been completed, let’s take a look at how the list broke down (Note: I didn’t consider any of these factors when compiling the list, so it’s news to me, too).
First, by team:
Boston College: 4
Clemson: 1
Duke: 1
Florida State: 3
Georgia Tech: 2
Maryland: 2
Miami: 3
North Carolina: 6
NC State: 1
Virginia: 1
Virginia Tech: 2
Wake Forest: 0
Now, does that mean that Wake Forest is destined for doom and UNC is King of the Coastal? Nope. It just means that the Deacs don’t have any superstars right now and that the Tar Heels should have the best defense in the conference (and a suspect offense). I was a little surprised to see that Boston College had four players who made the cut, but it’s tough to dispute the value of each of those players to the Eagles. The fact that FSU has a defender on there should be good news for the Seminoles, and the fact that Virginia Tech is missing a defensive player says what we already knew -- the Hokies have some rebuilding to do.
Second, by position:
Offense: 12
Defense: 14
OL: 2
QB: 5
RB: 3
WR: 2
DL: 3
LB: 5
DB: 6
It’s tough ranking the quarterbacks in the ACC this year, as there are a lot of veterans who are the heart of their teams. With all of the talented quarterbacks, you’d think there would be more receivers who made the cut, but guys like Leonard Hankerson or Jarrett Boykin could wind up in a postseason ranking. Another position of strength is obviously the defensive backs. There are a lot of talented running backs in the conference, but of the ones that played in 2009, Montel Harris, Ryan Williams and Anthony Allen had the best mix of past performances and future potential.
By recruiting:
The following players were ESPNU 150 recruits:
Marvin Austin
Ryan Williams
Allen Bailey
Quan Sturdivant
Greg Reid
DeAndre McDaniel
Those guys are proof that there is something to be said for scouting high school talent. Still, how many people knew who Luke Kuechly was at this time last year? There's a whole season ahead for a rookie like Kuechly to work his way onto the list -- and for a veteran to be displaced.