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Virginia coach Mike London has named senior linebacker Steve Greer a captain for the 2012 season. Greer joins previously announced captains Oday Aboushi, Will Hill, Perry Jones and LaRoy Reynolds.

“I was reviewing the voting for the team captains and noticed that Steve Greer was just one vote shy of being selected by his teammates,” said London. “Steve has meant a lot to our football program over the past four years and I think it is appropriate he serve as one of our team’s captains for his senior season. He and the other captains will do a great job representing our team this fall.”

Greer has lead UVa in tackles in two of his three seasons (2009 and 2011) and enters the 2012 season with 254 career stops. He was recently named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list for the upcoming season.

Now that spring practices are over, it’s time to re-evaluate the ACC pecking order for 2012. There wasn’t much change at the top from the pre-spring power rankings, but Georgia Tech did get a slight bump, along with two teams on Tobacco Road. Here’s a look at the latest ACC power rankings:

1. Florida State: The Noles’ defensive line should be one of the deepest and best in the conference, if not the country, and they’ve got an outstanding quarterback in EJ Manuel. If the young offensive line can mature quickly and the running game improves from 2011, there’s no reason the Seminoles shouldn’t be contending for the ACC title.

2. Clemson: The Tigers could open the season without star receiver Sammy Watkins, who is awaiting his punishment after he was arrested on misdemeanor drug charges, but as long as he’s in the lineup and the offensive line is playing well, Clemson has enough talent to defend its 2011 ACC title.

3. Virginia Tech: It’s hard to forget how the Hokies fared against Clemson in two meetings last season, but they enter this season with the better defense. The question is how quickly the revamped offensive line can come together, and who will emerge as the next star running back.

4. NC State: This team is quietly preparing a championship-caliber roster. Quarterback Mike Glennon is still under the radar, and he’s got an experienced offensive line to work with. This is a team that could surprise some people.

5. Georgia Tech: The Jackets had a promising spring, but the defensive line has to replace two of three starters, and last season’s atrocious special teams still have a lot to prove. One thing is for sure: These guys will be able to run the ball on just about anyone.

6. Wake Forest: Much like the rest of its division, Wake Forest’s success will hinge in part on how quickly the new starters on the offensive line come together. The Demon Deacons have an experienced and much-improved quarterback in Tanner Price, and last year they made a statement that they’re not to be overlooked in the ACC race.

7. North Carolina: The two biggest questions for the Tar Heels are how quickly they can adapt to and execute a new system under first-year coach Larry Fedora, and where they will find their motivation now that the NCAA has banned them from the postseason. This spring revealed a positive outlook for the new offense, which should give quarterback Bryn Renner a chance to shine.

8. Virginia: The ACC’s 2011 Coach of the Year has quickly raised expectations, but they should be tempered because seven starters have to be replaced on defense. Michael Rocco is the undisputed starting quarterback -- unless Alabama transfer Phillip Sims has something to say about it.

9. Miami: With Stephen Morris out this spring with a back injury, quarterback transfer Ryan Williams had a chance to impress the coaches. The position is one of many questions still looming for the Canes, a young team still waiting for closure from an NCAA investigation.

10. Maryland: The Terps had a good spring and were able to move forward with players who wanted to be there. It was a positive vibe, but coach Randy Edsall is still tangled in the shadow of last year’s two-win season. He’ll have to improve upon it without the services of former quarterback Danny O’Brien.

11. Boston College: Several offseason staff changes were embraced this spring, and quarterback Chase Rettig made strides under yet another offensive coordinator, Doug Martin. The Eagles have to find a way to win without two of their most valuable players in running back Montel Harris, who was dismissed from the team, and linebacker Luke Kuechly, who left early for the NFL.

12. Duke: The Blue Devils had a good spring and are still buying into the philosophies of coach David Cutcliffe. They’ve been on the verge of making the postseason before, but fans are looking for them to finally break through in Year 5 under Cutcliffe. Quarterback Sean Renfree can get them there if they minimize the turnovers and play better defense.

The ACC has announced game times and TV networks for all home games for the league in its first three weeks of the season, as well as for all of its 2012 Thursday night games on ESPN and all of national television games confirmed to date.

The 2012 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game, which will be played Dec. 1 in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., will be nationally televised by either ABC, with an 8 p.m. kickoff, or ESPN at 7:45 p.m.

This year's Chick-fil-A Kickoff will feature both NC State and Clemson. NC State faces Tennessee on Friday, Aug.31, in a 7:30 p.m. game which will be nationally televised by ESPNU. Clemson will play Auburn on Saturday, Sept. 1, in a 7 p.m. contest that will be nationally televised by ESPN.

The ACC's full schedule for the first three weeks is as follows:

Here's a look at those who made names for themselves, those who fine-tuned some strengths and those who burst onto the scene this spring in the ACC.

WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson: Hopkins had seven catches for 120 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers' spring game, including five for 100 in the first quarter. Coach Dabo Swinney called him the team's spring MVP, and he and Sammy Watkins could form the top receiver tandem in the nation.

RB Rolandan Finch, Boston College: Finch will have to carry a bigger load with Montel Harris off the team, and he stepped up in the spring game when the three men ahead of him were all banged-up, rushing for 196 yards on 27 carries. He will likely battle with Andre Williams for the top spot this fall, though both figure to see plenty of time.

LT Cameron Erving, FSU: The converted defensive tackle impressed this spring, as the sophomore is one of two new tackles the Seminoles are breaking in on the offensive line, a unit that may just be the deciding factor on whether FSU can return to the national elite this season. Coach Jimbo Fisher has called the 6-foot-5, 304-pound sophomore a future NFL starter.

QB Ryan Williams, Miami: Coach Al Golden said this week that Stephen Morris has been medically cleared, and he will likely enter a full-on quarterback competition with Williams, the Memphis transfer who saw most of the action this spring and played well, despite a sub-par spring game.

TE Jake McGee, Virginia: The converted quarterback caught two passes for 81 yards and figures to be a reliable target this fall after a subpar performance for the Cavaliers' tight ends last season.

CB Demetrious Nicholson, Virginia: Coach Mike London named him the team's most distinguished freshman this spring, but he will have to grow up fast. After playing almost every snap last fall, he is the veteran of the Cavaliers' secondary in 2012.

DT Luther Maddy, Virginia Tech: Maddy was named the Hokies' defensive MVP of this spring. The rising sophomore has said he has adjusted to the speed of the game after a freshman year that featured seven starts, and he figures to be a key on a line that will anchor Virginia Tech's defense this season.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Nothing ratchets up expectations like winning.

So it goes that much more is expected out of Virginia coming off a surprising 8-5 season and appearance in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Coaches always say it is more difficult maintaining success than rebuilding from the bottom up, so this upcoming season will be a huge test for coach Mike London.

"Expectations are always at a point where you want to do well," London said at the ACC spring meetings. "I always make note that we won four games literally on the last play of the game last year. Look at whatever the record was, it could be four games less, two games less, but you want to attract very good student-athletes, guys that value an education. Virginia is the best of both world opportunities. The school’s academic reputation as well as what’s going on athletically, a chance to win, a chance to play, makes Virginia an attractive choice."

London may not have to find extra ways to motivate his team going into the fall. The Cavaliers are going to have enough to worry about with replacing seven starters on defense, as well as their punter, kicker, kickoff specialist and leading receiver. Michael Rocco returns at quarterback, but there may be a competition with Alabama transfer Phillip Sims, depending on his eligibility status.

"We just keep talking about getting better as a team and the experience we had going to a bowl game and those opportunities that were afforded to us," London said. "That work was forged long before the season started. It was last spring, the summer workouts. So we’re hungry. Never satisfied. You’re one game from playing for the conference championship and you can’t sit back on what you did before. Now we have to do everything again, do it over and do it better. The mind-set of the players, particularly a lot of the young ones who played, that’s what they want to do."

Earlier this morning we looked at who in the Atlantic Division has the most to prove. The Coastal Division is up next:

1. Duke coach David Cutcliffe. It’s time for Cutcliffe to prove his program is still heading in the right direction, and the most obvious way for him to do that is to lead the Blue Devils to a bowl game. Cutcliffe will be entering his fifth season in Durham, and while he’s been painfully close to a breakthrough winning season -- losing eight games over the past two years by seven or fewer points -- he will ultimately be judged by the win column.

2. North Carolina. The Tar Heels have to prove they can run Larry Fedora’s new offense. They have to prove they can run defensive coordinator Vic Koenning’s new 4-2-5 scheme. But most of all, they have to prove that once again, they can overcome change and the NCAA. There is no bowl game to play for this year. They’ll have to prove they can find their own motivation.

3. Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Al Groh. It will be the third season in Groh’s 3-4 scheme, and Georgia Tech fans are looking for more improvement from the group. That could be tough to come by, considering the Jackets have to replace two starters up front.

4. Miami quarterback Stephen Morris. We learned this spring that Memphis transfer Ryan Williams can and will challenge Morris. With Morris sidelined this spring with a back injury, Williams had his chance to shine -- much like Morris has had his opportunities at the expense of former starter Jacory Harris. It’s up to Morris to reassert himself as the leader of the offense.

5. Virginia Tech’s offensive line. Yes, all of the hype is around who will be the next great running back after the early departure of David Wilson, but they’ll all be going nowhere fast if the guys up front don’t get it together. The good news for the Hokies is that this group had a good spring. The key now is to build upon that in summer camp.

6. Virginia’s secondary. This group has to replace three starters from a year ago and more than 90 combined career starts. The Hoos will depend on young players this year, and Demetrious Nicholson, who has 13 starts, is now the veteran of the group.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Virginia will soon file all the necessary paperwork to get Alabama transfer quarterback Phillip Sims eligible for the 2012 season.

Whether he gets his hardship waiver approved by the NCAA or not, coach Mike London reiterated Tuesday at the ACC spring meetings that Michael Rocco is his team's starting quarterback.

"Mike is our starting quarterback, and I’ve said that time and time again and I think hopefully we’re at a point in the program where players who come in, not only Phillip Sims, but the incoming freshmen class want to compete for opportunities," London said. "When you have players who want to compete for opportunities, then everybody gets better at that position. The quarterback is a high profile position. We don’t talk about the defensive ends or the corners coming in that are going to be competing for playing time as well. But that’s the mind-set you want to set for the team.

"Every year the team has to be re-formed and re-born. Hopefully, the guys who have been in the system have a comfort level and say,' Hey I don’t care who you bring in. This is my job.' If we have that type of mind-set, I think we’ll be OK."

Sims lost a quarterback competition to AJ McCarron last year at Alabama and spent the season as a backup, seeing time in five games. He decided to transfer closer to home because of an ailing family member, the reason Virginia is seeking a hardship waiver for Sims' immediate eligibility. If that waiver is denied, Sims would have to sit out one year because of NCAA transfer rules. London says he has been given no timetable for an answer from the NCAA.

"When I get back from these meetings, I'll be on the ground for a week and get a chance to find out where we are, how school ended up and see what compliance has turned in and then wait and see what the NCAA will tell us," London said. "Hopefully, things will work out."

Sims was a standout high school player in Virginia, when London was still coaching at Richmond. Virginia currently has two of Sims' former teammates at Oscar Smith High on the roster -- Perry Jones and Tim Smith. Jones' brother, Zack, has committed to sign with the Cavaliers in 2013.

Sims' addition is sure to be a hot topic as the season moves closer because of all the quarterbacks already on the roster. Rocco had a breakout season a year ago, throwing for 2,671 yards 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He has two years of eligibility remaining. Backup quarterback David Watford also returns this fall, along with early enrollee Greyson Lambert. Three-star 2012 recruit Matt Johns also is set to arrive for fall practice.

This just in: Florida State will be in attendance at today's ACC spring meetings in Amelia Island, Fla. The Noles are still a part of the ACC. Jimbo Fisher has been spotted at the posh Ritz-Carlton resort, and he didn't appear to be running toward the Big 12 -- at least not yet.

Thanks, Jimbo, for keeping the expansion talk alive.

Not that today's meetings needed any help. Representatives from Pitt and Syracuse are also in attendance, and Pitt has sued the Big East to leave early and join in 2013.

It's a Monday in May, but there will plenty on the coaches' agenda to talk about at this year's spring meetings. Here are three hot-button issues to keep an eye on:

1. The BCS and current bowl structure. This should be one of the more time-consuming topics on the agenda, as the league aims to find out where the ACC and its coaches stand on the future structure of college football. BCS executive director Bill Hancock will be there.

2. The NCAA. Julie Roe Lach, the NCAA's vice president of enforcement, and Kevin Lennon, the NCAA's vice president of academic and membership affairs, will be there to meet with all groups about enforcement in general and some of the legislation dealing with APR requirements for the postseason. Will the vote on North Carolina come up?

3. Expansion. As mentioned above, Pitt and Syracuse coaches will be there to start their orientation with the league so they are prepared to join when the time comes. Fisher's recent comments about the Big 12 have already made things interesting.

Odds n' ends. As usual, the coaches will also talk about officiating, with a specific focus on any rule changes, and they'll watch film on flagrant hits, etc. The coaches will also meet with ESPN and Raycom executives.

My colleague Andrea Adelson will be there to get the news, so check back for any updates.

Who doesn't love lists or rankings?

And, to take that one step further, who doesn't love lists that include 124 people?

Steve Greenberg and Matt Hayes over at The Sporting News took the unenviable task of rankings every single FBS coach, Nos. 1-124. It should come as no surprise that Alabama's Nick Saban topped all coaches after winning two of the past three national titles.

Frank Beamer tops the ACC contingent, and is the only coach from the conference cracking the top-10, as Virginia Tech's leader is ranked ninth.

The average ranking of the 12 ACC coaches was 45.6, fourth-best among conferences.

Here's how they stacked up:

9. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
19. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
27. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
31. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest
34. Al Golden, Miami
38. Jimbo Fisher, FSU
45. Mike London, Virginia
49. Tom O'Brien, NC State
53. Larry Fedora, UNC
65. Randy Edsall, Maryland
67. David Cutcliffe, Duke
110. Frank Spaziani, BC

Trent Corney (Brookville, Ontario/Thousand Islands) signed a grant-in-aid (GIA) agreement with Virginia for the 2012-13 academic year and will be on the team this fall.

"Originally we talked to Trent about the possibility of attending a prep school before enrolling at the University," Virginia coach Mike London said in a release. "When the opportunity became available for him to enroll this fall he elected that option. We're happy to welcome him to the 2012 recruiting class. He has a lot of natural athletic ability and we expect he will play linebacker at Virginia."

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Corney was the 2011 defensive rookie of the year in the Ontario Junior Football League (CJFL) for the Ottawa Sooners.

Corney's addition to the Cavaliers' 2012 recruiting class gives them 27 commits for this class.

The Sports Business Journal compiled a list of spring game attendance this year for every school in the big-six conferences.

Florida State had the largest spring game attendance of any ACC school, with 40,631. Just a guess here, but I'm thinking the large turnout was because everyone wanted to see the illustrious coaching debuts of Mark Schlabach and Ivan Maisel. Take a bow, colleagues.

The Seminoles' spring game attendance was ninth in the nation. Here's how the rest of the ACC fared. (Figures were not available for Duke.)

• FSU (40,631)
• Clemson (28,000)
• NC State (24,797)
• Georgia Tech (18,125)
• UNC (17,000)
• Miami (10,000)
• Virginia (8,500)
• Wake Forest (5,500)
• Virginia Tech (4,000 ... game ended up being called because of weather)
• Maryland (1,000)
• BC (200)

We've gone over mock drafts, position rankings, draft boards and all the other stuff out there that's fun to predict this far away from the next NFL draft. Today, Mel Kiper does all of that. And, he is very high on Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas.

Kiper ranks Thomas as the No. 4 overall prospect on his 25-man Big Board. NC State's David Amerson (No. 8) and Florida State's Xavier Rhodes (No. 20) are the other ACC players on the board.

Virginia's Oday Aboushi just missed the cut.

Kiper also ranks the top-5 players at each position, this time breaking it down by senior and junior classes. The ACC contingent:

SENIORS
Mike Glennon (NC State), No. 4 QB
Andre Ellington (Clemson), No. 4 RB
Marcus Davis (Virginia Tech), No. 3 WR
Aboushi, No. 2 OT
Jonathan Cooper (UNC), No. 1 OG
Omoregie Uzzi (Georgia Tech), No. 5 OG
Brandon Jenkins (FSU), No. 4 DE
Kevin Reddick (UNC), No. 2 ILB
Ray-Ray Armstrong (Miami), No. 5 S
Dustin Hopkins (FSU), No. 5 K

JUNIORS
Thomas, No. 1 QB
James Hurst (UNC), No. 4 OT
Andrew Miller (Virginia Tech), No. 5 C
Christian Jones (FSU), No. 4 OLB
Amerson, No. 1 CB
Rhodes, No. 2 CB
Chandler Catanzaro (Clemson), No. 5 K
Dalton Botts (Miami), No. 2 P

Tuesday was ACC spring wrap day, as we looked at the storylines following each conference school. RecruitingNation's Corey Long also took a look at recruiting around the conference with spring in the rearview mirror.

It should come as no surprise that Clemson and Florida State, the recent recruiting heavyweights of the ACC, headline what's heating up in conference recruiting with the summer fast approaching.

It doesn't get bigger than the nation's No. 1 prospect, and even though five-star DE Robert Nkemdiche (Loganville, Ga./Grayson) has been a strong Alabama lean for months, it's clear that Clemson has made a big push. The Tigers' chances for the 6-foot-5, 265-pound prospect, along with those of LSU, Georgia and Ole Miss, appear to climb a little more every day that Nkemdiche decides to wait before making his decision.

In the meantime, Clemson isn't standing pat and continues to position itself for a top-rated class. The Tigers are looking strong in Georgia, where they are in good standing for ESPN 150 running back Tyshon Dye (Elberton, Ga./Elbert County) and four-star wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (Fort Valley, Ga./Peach County)

The Seminoles, meanwhile, are in position to add to their already star-studded class.

For the past few years, Florida State has landed splashy commitments early in the recruiting cycle en route to finishing with classes that ranked among the best in the nation. This year the Seminoles have signed eight four-star prospects, including three ESPN 150 prospects, but the best may be yet to come. Florida State is in good standing with five-star CB Mackensie Alexander (Immokalee, Fla./Immokalee), who is No. 6 in the ESPN 150; Matthew Thomas (Miami, Fla./Booker T. Washington), the nation's top OLB who is No. 20 in the 150; Ryan Green (St. Petersburg, Fla./St. Pete Catholic), a top-five RB who is No. 48 in the rankings; Alvin Bailey (Seffner, Fla./Armwood), a top-five athlete who is No. 49 in the ESPN 150; and CB Artie Burns (Miami, Fla./Northwestern), who is No. 67 in the ESPN 150.

Long has plenty of more tidbits in his wrap, including Miami's pursuit of another Olsen, Larry Fedora's in-state plan and the closing of the gap between Virginia Tech and Virginia. Be sure to check it all out here .

Spring practice is in the books for the ACC, so let's look back at the best and worst from the conference's dozen teams.

Best spring game performance: It may have come almost four weeks before Sammy Watkins' arrest, but DeAndre Hopkins' performance in Clemson's Orange and White game had to have eased the concerns of Tigers fans wondering if Watkins could be sitting the first week (or weeks) of the season. Hopkins had seven catches for 120 yards and a touchdown. Five of those catches, for 100 yards, came in the first quarter alone. Coach Dabo Swinney labeled Hopkins the team's spring MVP, and the junior was honored for both his spring improvements as a receiver and for his offseason strength training after putting on nearly 20 pounds since 2011.

Best overall unit: Virginia Tech's offensive line may have its question marks, but going against the defensive line it has faced every day this spring can only help it once live game action begins. The Hokies are stacked up front, and a unit that led the conference in sacks a year ago should be able to go eight- or nine-deep to stay fresh come fall. NC State's secondary, which returns interception king David Amerson and three other starters, gives the Hokies' line a good challenge for this distinction.

Best quarterback battle: There can only really be one, right? Miami's Stephen Morris sat this spring to recover from back surgery and is technically the incumbent, but Memphis transfer Ryan Williams made some strides toward getting on the field in his first eligible season with the Hurricanes, dominating in the team's first spring scrimmage before coming back down to earth a little bit in the team's next scrimmage and subsequent spring game. If Alabama transfer Phillip Sims is granted immediate eligibility, things could get interesting at Virginia between Sims and Mike Rocco.

Biggest surprise: Whenever a potential record-breaking player is booted from his team, it's big shocking (and big) news. Boston College coach Frank Spaziani dismissed Montel Harris from the team for a repeated violation of team rules. Harris is the school's all-time leading rusher and would have entered 2012 less than 1,000 yards away from breaking the ACC career record.

Biggest relief: North Carolina received its NCAA sanctions March 12, two days before the Tar Heels kicked off their first spring practice under new coach Larry Fedora. For a roster that has largely dealt with a cloud of uncertainty for two years, the timing couldn't have been better. Yes, it's rough for the seniors to know that their college careers will end Nov. 24 no matter how they fare this season, but the relief of having this chapter of the program's history in the rearview mirror is invaluable, especially for a new coach installing a new system.

The best quarterback from the Class of 2010 is on his way to the ACC, yet the excitement has been relatively toned-down.

Phillip Sims, who saw action in eight games last season for the defending national champion, announced last week that he would be leaving Alabama for Virginia, where he will team up with a pair of former high school teammates who helped him win a state title at Oscar Frommel Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) four years ago.

The biggest question isn't whether Sims, who transferred to be closer to family, will be eligible to play in 2012. It's whether that will even matter in 2012. Or in the years after, for that matter. The Cavaliers return Michael Rocco, who threw for more than 2,500 yards and led the team to an 8-5 record last season after beating out three others for the starting job. He enters 2012 with two years of eligibility remaining, and Virginia will have three other eligible quarterbacks, excluding Sims, behind him.

It's not that Sims isn't capable of starting and excelling now that he's in the ACC. It's that Virginia, like almost all of its conference brethren, lacked a starting quarterback issue this spring.

Five 3,000-yard passers from 2011 are back this season, as is Duke's Sean Renfree, who was a 3,000-yard passer in 2010. Florida State's EJ Manuel returns for another year. So, too, do Georgia Tech's Tevin Washington and Boston College's Chase Rettig.

On a post-spring conference call with all 12 ACC coaches two weeks ago, 85 questions were asked. Only 14 centered on signal callers, and five of those were directed at Maryland's Randy Edsall, who returns his season-ending starter from 2011 in C.J. Brown. (Brown replaced the injured Danny O'Brien, who has since transferred to Wisconsin.)

Two more of those questions were directed at Duke's David Cutcliffe, and those were about the pro potential of Renfree. For perspective, the Blue Devils have not had a quarterback drafted since 1996.

Manuel and Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas have been projected as potential first-rounders in several early mock drafts. Only Manuel, Renfree, Washington and NC State's Mike Glennon will be seniors this season.

The closest thing to a controversy could be at Miami, as Stephen Morris sat out this spring while recovering from back surgery. Memphis transfer Ryan Williams impressed as the de facto No. 1 and should give Morris a challenge for the starting job come preseason camp.

Brown could eventually face competition at Maryland when its freshman class gets a little more seasoning.

As is the case with anything, marquee names sell. Marquee names come from marquee positions, and no position offers the spotlight more than the quarterback, a position that will offer the ACC more exposure than it's had in recent years. The old saying, when applied to individual teams, is that if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. The transitive property doesn't apply here for conferences, however, and the ACC should be just fine with that as it enters 2012.