ACC coaches talk anonymously about Clemson, division rivals |
Athlon went around the ACC coaching community to dish their (mostly)
unfiltered thoughts on each program anonymously.
For the preseason ACC favorite Tigers, it’s all respect, with glowing praise for the defense and increased expectations for the offense with Trevor Lawrence in town. "There’s not a better example of the vital importance of recruiting than what has gone on at Clemson in the last six or seven years,” one ACC coach said. “Dabo (Swinney) knew from Day 1 it’s not about X’s and O’s, it’s about those Jimmys and Joes. They are so good and so deep and so talented at just about every position...We recruited Trevor Lawrence hard, and trust me when I say this: He’s the real deal. He may not be the starter in the first week of the season, but I’d be shocked if he’s not by the last." “Dabo is not going to put up with an average passing game again,” said another coach comment. Within the division, there was a pointed assessment of what’s gone wrong with Florida State in recent years. “The biggest difference between the FSU that won it all (in 2013) and now is the defense,” one ACC coach said. “They don’t get after the quarterback like they used to, and as important, they don’t cover like they used to. They used to man cover as good or better than anyone in college football. The last couple of years, guys in our league have been running wide open on them.” Another coach commented on the program at NC State and Dave Doeren’s flirtation with Tennessee this offseason. "I wasn’t surprised at all that Dave (Doeren) was taking a hard look at Tennessee,” an ACC coach said. “Let’s be honest, it’s a better job than NC State. The potential to win big is greater there than NC State. I’d much rather deal with the SEC East than the ACC Atlantic."
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