Fall preview: Top 3 position battles to watch in the ACC
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Two of the ACC's best are serious contenders to earn a trip to the national championship, but there's another conference foe who could open some eyes in 2016.
Without any further ado, here are three of the ACC's most important position battles set to be decided before the season:
Clemson - DE
With only three returning starters, Clemson's entire defense is a rebuilding project in 2016, but the holes glare greatest at defensive end, where the Tigers lost both Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd to the NFL. Christian Wilkins is a candidate to move from tackle to end, but that might depend on how comfortable the Tigers are with playing five-star freshman tackle Dexter Lawrence right away. Austin Bryant, Clelin Ferrell, and Chris Register should compete for playing time as well, and one of them - if not more - will have to step up to help hide a significantly depleted secondary.
Boston College - QB
You would've never guessed it based on the 3-9 record, but Boston College actually had the No. 1 total defense in the country last year. Incompetent quarterback play, which resulted in an eight-game losing streak to close the season, led coach Steve Addazio to bring in Kentucky transfer Patrick Towles to help right the ship. His numbers - albeit in the SEC - were hardly any better, though, meaning it's anybody's job to win in fall camp. Darius Wade figures to provide most of the competition, as he walked into last year as the starter before a broken ankle in the third game derailed his season.
Florida State - QB
Whether it's really a battle or more like an assurance test, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher has been noticeably hesitant to name a starting quarterback. Sean Maguire should be the overwhelming favorite given how he looked toward the end of last season, but should is the key word there, as he'll still have to beat out dual-threat freshmen Deondre Francois and Malik Henry before earning Fisher's tab. Maguire has spent most of the Seminoles' offseason program recovering from ankle surgery, so it's conceivable his progress could stunt, while others could take off.