Top 3 position battles to watch in the ACC
Top 3 Position Battles
For some ACC schools, football is nothing more than pre-basketball season. Though, the top of the conference can play with the best in the nation. With a month left until the football season starts, the best teams in the ACC still have starting spots to figure out.
Here’s a look into the top position battles in the ACC as we head into fall camp.
Florida State's quarterback competition
If it wasn't for Ohio State's surplus at the position, this would be the most-watched quarterback competition in the nation. Three months ago Sean Maguire had become the frontrunner to succeed Jameis Winston at Florida State, but Everett Golson's transfer changed everything.
There's no need for a biography on Golson. He played in the national title game, led Notre Dame to its first top 5 finish since the Lou Holtz era, etc. We know what he's done in the past; the question is whether or not he can still do it. After last year's hot start catapulted Notre Dame to the top 5 again, Golson struggled down the stretch. The Irish lost four straight to end the regular season, and Golson only completed 53 percent of his passes in those games.
Maguire had his only career start last season because Winston - in pure Winston fashion - decided to yell an obscenity in the middle of campus. Nevertheless, Maguire threw for 304 yards and led Florida State to a 23-17 overtime victory over an elite Clemson defense. He stood out in Florida State's spring practices, but Golson wasn't at the spring practices.
Golson has more experience and the skill set to be the same dual-threat quarterback Winston was last year, but Maguire already knows this team. Maguire's knowledge of the playbook and his teammates should get him the starting job to start the season, but Golson didn't come to Florida State to be a backup in his last year of eligibility. This battle will go on beyond fall camp.
Louisville's quarterback competition
If there's anything Bobby Petrino loves more than quarterback competitions, it's not telling the media who's winning quarterback competitions. Louisville started three different quarterbacks last season, and all of them will be in the hunt for this year's job.
The quarterbacks in question are Reggie Bonnafon, Kyle Bolin, and Will Gardner. Gardner started seven games for the Cardinals last year before he had season-ending surgery on his left anterior cruciate ligament. For those of you who aren't doctors, he hurt his leg. If it wasn't for the injuries, Gardner would be the favorite - but he was only recently cleared to practice.
After Gardner's injury, Bonnafon and Bolin split snaps. Bonnafon is a mobile quarterback. He ran for five touchdowns in 10 games last year, but only completed 50 percent of his passes. Bolin is a more polished passer, but ran for a whopping negative-15 yards last year.
That's the problem with picking one of these players, you can't really change your mind after the choice is made. Card Chronicle's Mark Ennis explains:
"The complicating factor in the quarterback battle is that each contestant clearly has certain strengths and weaknesses with almost no overlap between them. Playing one means doing things a specific way. Playing another means a significantly different style of attack. … This is, pick a QB, then run his offense."
Petrino said on ESPN last week that Bonnafon would be the starter if the Cardinals were playing right now, which has made him the favorite going into fall camp. In reality, it's a toss-up. It's really anyone's guess who will start Louisville's season opener against Auburn.
Clemson's left tackle competition
Clemson doesn't need a quarterback; ACC Preseason Player of the Year Deshaun Watson has that spot locked up. The Tigers do need someone to protect Watson's blind side, though.
This one isn't much of a competition at the moment, but if you're a Clemson fan you might want it to become one. Mitch Hyatt is a true freshman who was the second best offensive tackle in the 2015 recruiting class. He's got the talent, but doesn't have the experience. Offensive tackle is one of the hardest positions to learn, and do you really want to put your star quarterback at risk while the new kid goes through his growing pains? There are few other options for the Tigers, but Dabo Swinney needs to exercise all of them before naming Hyatt the starter.