Now that spring practice is in the rearview mirror, it's time to take a look at each ACC team by position. Here, we will look at wide receivers and tight ends. It is important to note that we are not ranking the position groups from top to bottom; rather we are looking at the position as a whole on each team. The better the starters, the higher the ranking. But keep in mind, experienced depth also has been considered.
1. Clemson Tigers -- Where do we begin? Artavis Scott caught 93 passes last year and tallied seven total touchdowns. Hunter Renfrow broke out with five touchdowns. Jordan Leggett might be the nation’s top tight end in 2016. Ray-Ray McCloud caught 29 passes last year as a freshman. ESPN300 receiver Deon Cain could return from suspension this fall after a five-touchdown freshman campaign. Oh, and let’s not forget, Clemson gets back a potential first-round talent in 1,000-yard receiver Mike Williams, who missed the final 14 games of 2015 with a neck injury.
2. Florida State Seminoles -- Benjamin, Green, Shaw? Not quite, but FSU is making another title push in 2016 because of its offense, which brings back multiple talented upperclassmen pass-catchers: Travis Rudolph (916 yards and seven touchdowns last season), Bobo Wilson (622 yards, 3 TDs) and Kermit Whitfield (798 yards, 6 TDs). Ryan Izzo returns as starter at tight end, with teammates thinking he could be the next Nick O'Leary. Also worth keeping an eye on: a healthy Auden Tate, a big-body sophomore who can stretch the field.
3. North Carolina Tar Heels -- There are few gamebreakers in college football quite like Ryan Switzer, and not just on special teams. He had 697 receiving yards and eight touchdowns last season, and the combination of Switzer and Mack Hollins (745 yards, 8 TDs last season) should give the Tar Heels another prolific offense. Bug Howard (488 yards, 4 TDs), Austin Proehl (225 yards, TD) and tight end Brandon Fritts (203 yards, 4 TDs) will only help Mitch Trubisky stretch the field next season.
4. Louisville Cardinals -- The Cardinals return a pair of 600-yard receivers from last year’s team in seniors James Quick and Jamari Staples. Ja'Quay Savage is primed for a breakout year after a strong spring. Jaylen Smith had 376 yards last season. And three tight ends who caught three touchdowns apiece last year are all back: Cole Hikutini, Micky Crum and Keith Towbridge.
5. Virginia Tech Hokies -- Isaiah Ford might have been the ACC’s best receiver last season, becoming Virginia Tech’s first-ever 1,000-yard receiver (1,164 yards, 11 TDs). Cam Phillips is a strong No. 2 option, coming off a 582-yard campaign in 2015. And Bucky Hodges should be one of the better tight ends in the country in 2016, having amassed 1,056 yards and 13 touchdowns over the past two seasons.
6. Miami Hurricanes -- Stacy Coley returned to his freshman form in 2015, notching 693 receiving yards and four touchdowns. After Coley, however, there is little in the way of proven talent. Redshirt senior Malcolm Lewis brings three-plus years of experience, and Braxton Berrios is versatile, though neither have tremendous numbers. Tight ends David Njoku and Christopher Herndon IV combined for 39 catches, 599 yards and two touchdowns last season, while Standish Dobard had eight catches and a touchdown last season.
7. NC State Wolfpack -- The Wolfpack return their top six wide receivers from 2015, led by Jumichael Ramos, who had 457 yards and three touchdowns last season. One of those six receivers, Johnathan Alston, has moved to corner. Two of NC State’s top three tight ends are back, too, led by hybrid Jaylen Samuels, a jack of all trades who led the Pack with 597 yards and 16 touchdowns last year.
8. Duke Blue Devils -- T.J. Rahming had a strong freshman year, posting 571 yards, and Anthony Nash's 475 yards were nothing to sneeze at. After that, though, there are several question marks. Ryan Smith and Chris Taylor have experience, while Erich Schneider is the only tight end with extensive playing experience at the position. Tennessee tight end Daniel Helm is eligible this year, however.
9. Syracuse Orange -- Steve Ishmael, Brisly Estime and Alvin Cornelius are all experienced receivers, which will help in new coach Dino Babers' aerial attack. The production, however, has to get much better, as Ishmael’s 570 yards and seven touchdowns last season were by the far the best of the group. The versatile Ervin Philips had a team-high eight touchdowns last season, and he should provide a jolt now as a true receiver, rather than a hybrid rushing/receiving role. All five of Syracuse’s tight ends are fourth- or fifth-year players, albeit without much production aside from Josh Parris.
10. Pittsburgh Panthers -- Who will fill Tyler Boyd's shoes? Dontez Ford (505 yards, two touchdowns) emerged as a reliable second option last season, but there are still plenty of questions behind him. Scott Orndoff was solid as the second tight end last season (244 yards, 5 TDs), but the Panthers need faces like Jester Weah, Zach Challingsworth and Quadree Henderson to do more at receiver this season.
11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons -- The Demon Deacons bring back three of their top four receivers from last season, as third-year players Cortez Lewis, Chuck Wade and Tabari Hines look to take the next step after each notched 30-catch seasons. Most of all, however, the Deacs return Cam Serigne at tight end after a 562-yard, four-touchdown campaign.
12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets -- The narrative that receivers can’t thrive in the triple-option offense is not exactly accurate. The Yellow Jackets, however, do need some pass-catchers to step up after a downtrodden 2015. Ricky Jeune was the only real reliable target, with 520 yards and four touchdowns. The next-leading returning receiver, Brad Stewart, had just seven catches for 93 yards.
13. Virginia Cavaliers -- Canaan Severin and T.J. Thorpe are gone, leaving behind a green receiving corp led by Keeon Johnson. Doni Dowling and Andre Levrone are both looking to break out after earlier injuries in recent years, while Evan Butts is the top returning tight end (182 yards, 3 TDs last season).
14. Boston College Eagles -- BC returns all of its top receivers from last season, but when the most prolific mark was Thadd Smith's 233-yard campaign, there is clearly a lot of room to grow (QB roulette/injuries notwithstanding). Nolan Borgersen and Ben Glines could contribute after injuries forced them to redshirt as freshmen last season. And the tight ends should become a bigger part of the passing game.