ESPN College Football

It is never too early to start talking Heisman.

The folks over at Heisman Pundit are always good to start a debate. That group released its post-spring Heisman watch list with several familiar faces from the ACC included:

• Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson
• Stefon Diggs, WR, Maryland
• Duke Johnson, RB, Miami

It is no real surprise to see these players on the list. Boyd is an absolute contender this season, especially since the Tigers are going to have a shot at making a national title run. We all know that helps any player's cause, especially when you play in a conference that does not get as much respect as some others out there.

Though Diggs and Johnson are going into their sophomore seasons, both are explosive and versatile enough to merit their place on this list. They were not only the top two freshmen in the ACC last season, but two of the top freshmen in the entire country. Their numbers were nearly identical. Diggs ranked No. 8 in the nation in all-purpose yards per game, averaging 172.4; Johnson ranked right behind at No. 9, averaging 171.7 yards per game.

But there is one name missing from this list that I believe should be included.

Sammy Watkins.

Now, there are certain strikes against him. For one, Boyd is on the list and quarterbacks generally get way more publicity than teammates at different positions. It is rare to find teammates on these lists, though certainly we have seen it happen before -- Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush immediately come to mind.

Secondly, Watkins is coming off a subpar season by his own standards. A lot of people do not really know what to expect out of him this year -- the freshman phenom or the inconsistent sophomore?

Here is the thing: There are only two receivers on the list out of 30. Despite what happened last season, Watkins remains one of the most dynamic receivers and returners in the country.

While receiver is generally third on the pecking order behind quarterback and running back, I believe Watkins is in line for a terrific season. That should make Heisman watchers sit up and take notice.

Pitt defensive back K’Waun Williams will be one of the leaders on a veteran Pitt defense that should be the strength of the team this year. He started 11 games last year and finished with 47 tackles, 2.5 TFL, four interceptions and a pass breakup despite missing one game with a shoulder injury. I spoke with Williams on a trip to Pittsburgh this spring to get his take on the defense and the outlook of the team under coach Paul Chryst. Here are the highlights of our conversation:

With nine starters back on defense, how much confidence do you guys have?

K’Waun Williams: There’s definitely confidence. We’ve been playing together for the past two or three years. We can feed off each other. We pretty much know where everybody is going on the field. There’s definitely a lot of confidence within our defense.

What are your expectations for yourself this year?

KW: Just having a great year, just leading our defense and making those big plays so the team can count on me.

How has it been playing under Matt House?

KW: It’s been real good. He was our defensive back coach last year, now he’s the D-coordinator, but his defense is good. Pretty much we’re all going to be playing fast this year, a lot faster than we did last year.

Has he changed a lot?

KW: In his personality or his defense?

Either. Both.

KW: He’s a little bit more exciting, he’s anxious. The defense is different, it’s a lot different. It allows us to do certain things we didn’t do last year.

You like it?

KW: Definitely. Definitely like it.

Do you feel any more pressure because he’s your coordinator and position coach?

KW: Not really. I spent the year with him, so we know each other a little bit.

How much have you had to study the playbook this spring because it’s different?

KW: A little bit more than usual. I’m playing a lot of inside coverages and outside coverages. I had to learn a little bit more, and I’m playing a little bit safety.

So do you expect your role to change in this defense?

KW: I would say change, but definitely I’m going to be a little more versatile.

So how has your career gone to this point compared with your expectations?

KW: I feel like it went good. My sophomore year, I did pretty good. Last year I had a decent season. I had a lot of injuries last year. I’m just trying to stay healthy so I can be the best I can be this year.

How important is it to you to go out with a bang?

KW: It’s very important. We’ve been all over the place the past couple of years with coaching changes, everything that’s been going on. This is the first year I’ve had consecutive same coaches, so I’m expecting some big things.

How difficult is that from a players’ perspective?

KW: It’s difficult. Every coach has their own certain things they want with the team. Just having to adapt to each coach, that’s a change, but football is football.

What’s Paul Chryst done to stabilize things?

KW: He’s just building a family. He’s doing a lot of family-oriented things. We come together as a team all the time and we talk. We do certain projects with the community, just bringing us together as a family.

I’m sure when the Wisconsin job came open you guys were aware of the rumors of him going there. How relieved were you to hear he was sticking around?

KW: At this point? I was pretty happy, but we went through so many coaching changes, I knew anything was possible. I was just like, ‘alright.’ I just let it play out.

What’s still hanging out there for you guys to do in summer camp? Any lingering concerns?

KW: I think just build more as a team, more as a family. I think that’s what we’ve been missing the past couple of years. We need to build a family unit so we can know each other better. It’s definitely going to turn over onto the field, because guys will have something to play for.

Is the leadership on the team different this year? Is there more of it?

KW: Yeah, there’s definitely more leadership. Guys are doing extra work, everyone is willing to get better. That’s the main thing, the leadership.

What are you looking forward to most about playing in the ACC?

KW: Just the competition, just to go up against the best each and every week. It should be exciting.

Have you guys looked at Florida State?

KW: I have. I have looked at them. I haven’t really gotten in-depth, but I’ve looked at them.

What do you think about them?

KW: They’re a real good team. They’ve got team speed, big guys.

Any more sense of urgency in the offseason because you guys know you’re kicking off against them?

KW: I would say so, but there’s always a sense of urgency. Always.

Boston College will have a different look to its uniforms this season.

No, the Eagles will not feature some funky fluorescent jersey combos. Oregon pulls that off best.

But new coach Steve Addazio has decided he is going to strip the names off his players' jerseys. He dropped that little nugget during his ESPN.com chat Tuesday, telling readers he made the decision, "So we stand as one."

Boston College would be the lone ACC school without names on the backs of its jerseys. Maryland did it briefly when coach Randy Edsall came aboard. Pitt also did it briefly last season, when coach Paul Chryst told his players they would get their names back when they started playing together as a team. The names were restored for Pitt's game against Notre Dame.

Addazio's players at Temple the past two seasons did not have their names on their uniforms, either, but that tradition was started by former Owls coach Al Golden when he arrived in 2006.

Only a handful of schools throughout the country go "nameless." Most of them are the more traditional powers like Notre Dame and USC. But you certainly can understand why Addazio made this decision. Boston College has been mired in a losing slump over the past several years, and Addazio knows he has to change the culture around his program.

One of the big ways he has gone about doing that is trying to create better team unity and chemistry. Players praised Addazio this spring for the way he has tried to change the mindset, and they are eager for a fresh start.

There may be no better way to foster that feeling of togetherness than having everybody forget about themselves and come together as one.

For Boston College.

Former Florida State quarterback Clint Trickett has decided to transfer to West Virginia, the player told ESPN's Joe Schad.

Trickett will start classes May 20 and is immediately eligible to compete for the starting job this fall.

Last month, Trickett decided to leave Florida State after it became apparent redshirt freshman Jameis Winston had an edge in the race to become the team's starting quarterback.

In two seasons as the backup to EJ Manuel, Trickett went 66-of-106 for 947 yards and seven touchdowns with four interceptions. At West Virginia, he will enter yet another quarterback competition, this one with Paul Millard and Ford Childress. Trickett has ties to the program, as his father served as an offensive line coach there for seven years.

Happy May!

• Former Clemson defensive end Malliciah Goodman is counting his blessings.
• Former FSU CB Greg Reid needed a second surgery to repair a torn ACL.
• Georgia Tech wasn't the only team that didn't have any draft picks this year.
• The past two recruiting classes have given Maryland coach Randy Edsall hope.
• Virginia is trying to reshape its football program -- and it all seems to start with Jon Oliver.
• Al Golden represented well at the Chick-fil-A Bowl golf challenge.
• Off-field incidents have troubled Pitt coach Paul Chryst lately.
• UNC was ineligible to play in the postseason in 2012 but got some rings anyway.
• Getting a call from the Giants was a huge surprise to former Cuse QB Ryan Nassib.

East regional recruiting coordinator Dave Hooker stops by to talk Elijah Hood’s commitment to Notre Dame and how Virginia and Virginia Tech are battling it out for a very talented group of in-state recruits.

Andrea Adelson discusses whether North Carolina is a sleeper team in the ACC this season.

The Wake Forest coaches are big fans of receiver Michael Campanaro. The Deacs love their top receiver. They know what he can do.

Which is why they didn’t really miss him all too much this spring as Campanaro sat out to recover from ankle surgery.

It was the perfect opportunity for the program to find a complement to “Camp.”

With Campanaro sidelined, receiver Orville Reynolds emerged as a dependable second option for veteran quarterback Tanner Price -- so much so that Reynolds was voted by his teammates as the most improved offensive player this spring. In fact, Reynolds was impressive enough that he actually put the coaches in a bit of a predicament -- now they feel obligated to find a place for him on the field this fall.

“He took advantage of his opportunity,” offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke said. “He made a lot of big plays for us. We’re trying to do more things in the run game with the receivers, kind of like we used to do with Kenny Moore back in the day. He’s really good at that, that’s really his forte, and he’s getting better at doing those slot receiver routes that we do, those balls that Camp catches over the middle and stuff, he’s getting better at those things.

“The biggest problem we have right now is, when Camp comes back, what do we do with Orville?” Lobotzke said. “We’re trying to figure out if we’re in a three receivers set, is Orville good enough to play one of the other positions and not just slot? Can he slide in outside, or put him in the boundary, or whatever? Because right now, he and Camp are overlapping. We want to have two of those guys, but we hate to have two of our faster, better players stacked up behind each other on the depth chart. We’re trying to figure out where Orville fits right now, but he’s got a bright future. After Camp graduates, I think the show will be his at slot.”

Reynolds, a converted running back, is so thrilled to be a part of the offense he’ll play just about anywhere they ask him to lineup.

“I’m just ready to do whatever the coaches want me to do, wherever I have to be on the field,” Reynolds said. “I know that a lot of eyes are going to be on Camp, so maybe I’ll free up somewhere else, but wherever the coaches want me to play, then that’s where I’ll play. I’m just excited that I can be used in the offense.”

Midway through last season, the staff decided to move Reynolds from running back to slot receiver. Lobotzke kindly described Reynolds as a “fish out of water,” getting limited playing time behind superstar Campanaro.

That clearly changed this spring.

“I was a lot more comfortable,” Reynolds said. “It was a lot of work to get the feel for everything. I just thank God I got a shot to show everybody what I have.”

As a former running back, one of Reynolds’ strengths is catching the ball in open space and gaining the yards after the catch. Reynolds said he and Campanaro are good friends, and that Campanaro has given him advice on the position. Despite missing two full games and most of a third last fall, Campanaro still set an ACC single-season record for per-game pass reception average (7.9), making 79 catches for 763 yards and six touchdowns. He had over 12 catches in a game on three different occasions, including an ACC record-tying 16 grabs in the Deacs’ win over Boston College.

This fall, he might be even more productive if Reynolds continues to be another option the defenses must be concerned about.

“He's kind of embraced the slot position,” head coach Jim Grobe said. “Going through spring, as much as we love Camp and we know he can play, I thought it was a perfect scenario for Orville to show whether he could play or not. He had a great spring -- did some good things running the football, catching it. Just a completely different kid from what we've had the past couple of years. So I do think we have a guy that can back-up Campanaro. But what he's done for us is he's probably made us look at having two slots on the field sometimes.”

For the first time since 2005, Georgia Tech was shut out of the NFL draft. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also reported this week that only two players have been drafted in the past three seasons, the fewest since the 2001-2003 drafts.

Don’t panic, Georgia Tech fans, it’s not the offense.

Well, OK, maybe a little of it is, but a better explanation lies in each individual story, making this year’s shutout more of an anomaly. A few things to consider:

• Former receiver Stephen Hill would have been a senior, but he decided to leave early and was chosen in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. Both Hill and former receiver Demaryius Thomas squashed the theory that receivers can’t get to the NFL in the spread option offense.
• A-back Orwin Smith might have been drafted, but his rehab from shoulder surgery prevented him from working out for teams.
• Linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu likely would have been drafted, but he chose to return for his final season. The same could be said for defensive back Jemea Thomas.
• It’s not the first time: Georgia Tech has also gone without any draft picks in 2001 and 1997, not to mention 1981, 1972 and 1970. In 2003, the program’s only draft pick was in the supplemental draft. Can’t blame that on Paul Johnson’s recruiting or his offense.

“I think Paul Johnson takes some unfair heat considering how many games he has won at different spots including Tech,” said ESPN recruiting guru Tom Luginbill, a former Georgia Tech quarterback. “Georgia Tech is a tough place in many ways. You will have spurts of really good periods of NFL-caliber talent and spurts without it, yet the win total with both is often not much different.”

Historically, Georgia Tech has had its share of success in the NFL draft, but much like the ACC’s success on a national level, it’s cyclical. Instead of lamenting this year’s quiet draft, Georgia Tech fans should take solace in the fact that it wouldn’t be far-fetched to see six players drafted in 2014.

Heather Dinich predicts which true freshman in the ACC will have an immediate impact this fall.

Pitt has dismissed tight end Drew Carswell and defensive back Eric Williams from the team, coach Paul Chryst announced in a statement Tuesday.

Carswell, Williams and defensive tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith were suspended indefinitely last week after they were charged with possession of drug paraphenalia. Mosley-Smith remains on indefinite suspension.

In addition, Chryst announced that freshman quarterback Tra'Von Chapman has been indefinitely suspended for a weekend incident away from campus. According to The Associated Press, Chapman was arrested in Ohio over the weekend on charges of assault and unlawful restraint. He has pleaded not guilty.

Florida State set a school record with 11 NFL draft picks over the weekend. That also happened to lead the entire nation, ranking ahead of national champion Alabama, LSU and yes, even Florida.

So what does this say about the Noles as a program? Are they finally back, or just a pack of underachievers? Andrea Adelson and Heather Dinich debate.

Andrea says: The proof is in the picks.

We all know the Seminoles have their detractors, who believe every season must be a perfect season or else it is a complete and utter disappointment. Raising the bar the way this program did in the late 1980s through the mid-2000s means living with the type of expectations reserved for only the most elite programs in the entire country.

Coach Jimbo Fisher lives with these expectations every day. But he also lives in reality. And reality says that Florida State stumbled badly in the final few years under coach Bobby Bowden, and it takes more than snapping your fingers, rolling a Florida State helmet onto a field and planting a spear to get a program back into national championship contention.

It takes time. And it takes talent. And, well, Florida State had a lack of talent. In Bowden’s final four seasons, 2006-09, the Noles had 12 total draft picks -- including one in the 2009 draft. That’s just one more than Florida State had this past weekend. So, Fisher has gotten the talent on par with what Florida State used to produce.

The next step is translating that into a national championship. Should the Seminoles have done that this past season, given the players selected into the pros? Depends on your perspective, of course.

Hindsight says Florida State needed a perfect run to make it into the national title game. But the Seminoles were an imperfect team, even with all those picks. And that imperfect team ended up winning the ACC title, the Orange Bowl and finishing with 12 wins for the first time since 1999. Just about every coach in America will take that, hold his head up high and use it as a sales pitch on the recruiting trail.

Coaches will tell you that it takes more than talent to win a title. It takes a little bit of luck, too. Florida State had its best season in years, with the best talent the school has assembled. That does not mean the Noles fell short. It means they are nearly back to the mountaintop. When’s the last time anybody in Tallahassee could say that?

Heather says: A huge opportunity has been lost.

In 2012, Florida State had the fastest car in the race but not enough gas to finish it.

With a school-record 11 NFL draft picks -- more than national champion Alabama (nine), LSU (nine) and rival Florida (eight) -- FSU coach Jimbo Fisher was driving a machine. There was more NFL talent on that roster than any other program in the nation.

And yet …

There were nine other schools ranked ahead of the Noles in the final Associated Press poll.

There was the fourth-quarter collapse in the loss to NC State. There was the fourth-quarter meltdown against rival Florida, in which FSU’s heralded defense allowed 24 straight points in a span of less than nine minutes. There was the pedestrian performance against Northern Illinois in which FSU was fooled repeatedly by trick plays on special teams en route to a precarious 14-3 lead at the half. There was more than enough evidence throughout the season to conclude that this year’s draft was further proof that the Noles underachieved at 12-2 last season.

Underachieved?? An ACC title and a win in the Discover Orange Bowl and they underachieved?

It was a consolation prize.

When your recruiting classes and expectations are on par with Alabama, LSU and Florida, the on-field product should be on par with the nation’s elite, too. There were too many instances last fall in which Florida State looked vulnerable -- including a 13-point win at South Florida, and a last-minute touchdown needed to beat Virginia Tech -- the worst Virginia Tech team Frank Beamer has coached in 20 years.

Look, Florida State has so many reasons to be proud. It was a banner year for the program, and things are certainly better than they were in the years leading up to Bobby Bowden’s exit. In order to truly join the nation’s elite, though, Florida State has to do more than just look like a national title contender comprised of 11 NFL draft picks -- it has to start playing like one.

NoleNation has more coverage of the Florida State Seminoles:

From Corey Dowlar : ESPN 150 LB Kain Daub doesn't say much about his recruiting, but he's sparing a few words to persuade other prospects to join him at Florida State.

Boston College coach Steve Addazio has made his way across just about every ESPN platform today as he visits the network's headquarters in Connecticut to spread the word about the Eagles.

Earlier today, he stopped in with "Mike & Mike" on ESPN Radio and shared his thoughts on conference realignment, the College Football Playoff, coaching Tim Tebow and what he expects in Year 1.

Now it's your turn. Join Addazio as he chats at 2 p.m. today on ESPN.com. Get your questions in now and be sure to check back to the chat shortly. Addazio is a passionate, high-energy guy. Something tells me BC fans are going to like what he has to say.

Who's ready for the 2014 NFL draft?

• Boston College coach Steve Addazio is at ESPN HQ today.
• The LSU game helped put Clemson's DeAndre Hopkins and Malliciah Goodman on the NFL's radar.
• Top quarterback prospect Deshaun Watson says he's 100 percent solid with Clemson.
• Sports Illustrated catches up with Duke coach David Cutcliffe, an ice cream making maestro.
• Jimbo Fisher, Bobby Bowden and Nick Saban teamed up to raise money for Fanconi anemia.
• Silence is golden for FSU commit Kain Daub.
• Why did Georgia Tech offensive lineman Omoregie Uzzi go undrafted?
• Former Maryland defensive lineman Joe Vellano signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent. A.J. Francis signed with Miami and got engaged on the same day. Congrats!
• Is North Carolina a spring sleeper?
• Pitt picked up a commitment from an offensive lineman for the class of 2014.
• Former Syracuse receiver Marcus Sales faces long odds as he goes to the Falcons' rookie minicamp.
• Video: This is a pretty neat class project focusing on Wake Forest running back Josh Harris and what drives him.
• Athlon Sports asks: Which team is the favorite to win the Coastal?