Dakota’s Notebook: ACC Offenses on the Rebound

Note: Art Chansky is gone for a few days, so digital content manager Dakota Moyer will be contributing for the Sports Notebook in his absence.

Could offenses in the ACC see a rebound in 2018?

As we discussed yesterday, many teams played great defensive football in 2018. Of course, this in turn led to offenses underperforming as compared to other seasons. Teams like Florida State, Clemson, UNC and Georgia Tech all had disappointing offenses in 2017 when compared to what those teams have produced in years past.

But there’s good reason to think there is a bright future for offenses in the ACC in the coming years.

Florida State hired Willie Taggart, the inventor of the “Gulf Coast offense” that saw success at USF and Oregon. Clemson still has Dabo Swinney and has recruited as well as any elite team in the country.

As for UNC, the Tar Heels endured a plethora of injuries in 2017 that contributed to the Heels’ disappointing 3-9 season. The winner of the quarterback battle will have another offseason under their belt and several blue-chip receivers to throw to.

Here are some names to know for 2018 and beyond for ACC offenses.

Louisville might have lost Lamar Jackson to the NFL, but former four-star recruit Jawon “Puma” Pass is Bobby Petrino’s next project at quarterback. Cam Akers rushed for over 1,000 yards as a freshman at FSU, but could eclipse that mark again en route to a potential Heisman campaign in Taggart’s offense. NC State’s Ryan Finley has been tabbed as potential early draft pick, but can he shoulder the load for the Wolfpack after the team lost several stars on defense?

Finally, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence hasn’t taken a snap for the Tigers yet but has been called the best quarterback prospect coming out of high school in generations.

Assuming he enrolls at UNC, Jordyn Adams is a name for Tar Heel fans to get excited about. He is a dynamic wide receiver and a player that could contribute early in Chapel Hill.

However, Adams is also a top baseball prospect and could get selected early in June’s MLB Draft. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Adams spurn Chapel Hill for a professional baseball career and lucrative signing bonus.

Regardless of Adams’ status, the future is bright for Carolina on offense. Larry Fedora has proven to be able to develop talent and the up-tempo, spread offense that the Tar Heels run is quickly becoming a staple in college football.