ESPN College Football

2011 overall record: 6-6
2011 conference record: 3-5 (T-4th, Coastal)
Returning starters: Offense: 4; defense: 6; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners
WR Allen Hurns, TE Clive Walford, RT Jon Feliciano, RG Brandon Linder, DE Anthony Chickillo, DT Darius Smith, LB James Gaines, LB Denzel Perryman, CB Brandon McGee, S Vaughn Telemaque

Key losses
WR Travis Benjamin, WR Tommy Streeter, LT Brandon Washington, LG Harland Gunn, C Tyler Horn, QB Jacory Harris, RB Lamar Miller, DE Marcus Robinson, DT Adewale Ojomo, LB Sean Spence, CB Mike Williams, S JoJo Nicolas

2011 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Lamar Miller (1,271 yards)
Passing: Jacory Harris (2,486 yards)
Receiving: Tommy Streeter (811 yards)
Tackles: Sean Spence (106)
Sacks: Anthony Chickillo*/Marcus Robinson (5)
Interceptions: JoJo Nicolas (2)

Spring answers

1. Ryan Williams can challenge Stephen Morris: Williams received most of the spring reps with Morris sidelined, and the Memphis transfer should enter preseason camp with a chance to overtake Morris for the No. 1 spot. That's all the Hurricanes can hope for with Morris recovering from back surgery.

2. The defense should be OK: Yes, some of that ugly 7-6 final from the spring game has to be blamed on putrid offense, but the defense deserves plenty of credit for forcing five turnovers. The unit also forced 10 sacks and picked off three passes in the team's March 30 scrimmage. The Canes return six starters from a defense that ranked 17th nationally in scoring in 2011.

3. Running backs stepping up: Al Golden has praised Mike James and Eduardo Clements this spring for both their performances on the field and their leadership off it. A strong showing from the duo will certainly ease the loss of Lamar Miller, but that could depend more on the progress of the offensive line than anything else.

Fall questions

1. What will Morris be like upon return? No one wants to lose his job to injury, and Morris surely noticed the performance of Williams this spring. Morris was able to take reps toward the end of spring without pads, which is certainly encouraging, but how he fares against defenses remains to be seen.

2. How soon can newcomers contribute? Golden landed the nation's No. 8 recruiting class for 2012, and many of the rookies can't get to campus soon enough. Miami lost 30 players this past season and has questions at receiver, in the secondary and along the offensive line. Spots could be there for the taking, so seeing which newcomers step up early will be interesting.

3. About that elephant in the room … Coaches and players will repeat that they only worry about what they can control, but the black cloud from the Nevin Shapiro scandal won't stop looming over the program until the NCAA delivers its ruling. The day that comes will be a welcome relief for the program, dark as that day may be. But if Golden could lure the No. 8 recruiting class despite the scandal, imagine what he could do once it subsides.

Despite a 6-6 season in 2011, Miami led all ACC schools with six players getting selected during this past weekend's NFL draft. The ACC as a whole had 31 players selected, the third most among all conferences, behind the Big Ten (41) and, yes, the SEC (42).

NC State had five players taken, the second most among ACC schools. Neither the Hurricanes nor the Wolfpack had any players taken in the first two rounds. Duke and Maryland both had zero players drafted.

Luke Kuechly, as expected, got the ball rolling for the conference Thursday night, when the Panthers took the former Boston College inside linebacker ninth overall. I was a little surprised to see Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill, projected by many as a late first-rounder, fall all the way to the Jets at No. 43.

Here's a school-by-school breakdown of the draft, followed by a round-by-round breakdown:

Miami: 6
NC State: 5
Clemson: 4
FSU: 4
Wake Forest: 4
Virginia Tech: 3
UNC: 2
Georgia Tech: 1
Virginia: 1
Boston College: 1

FIRST ROUND
No. 9, Panthers: ILB Luke Kuechly, Boston College
No. 16, Jets: DE Quinton Coples, UNC
No. 31, Giants: RB David Wilson, Virginia Tech

SECOND ROUND
No. 38, Jaguars: DE Andre Branch, Clemson
No. 43, Jets: WR Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech
No. 52, Titans: OLB Zach Brown, UNC

THIRD ROUND
No. 64, Colts: TE Dwayne Allen, Clemson
No. 69, Bills: WR TJ Graham, NC State
No. 72, Dolphins: DE Olivier Vernon, Miami
No. 86, Steelers: LB Sean Spence, Miami
No. 93, Bengals: DT Brandon Thompson, Clemson
No. 94, Giants: CB Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech

FOURTH ROUND
No. 96, Rams: WR Chris Givens, Wake Forest
No. 97, Dolphins: RB Lamar Miller, Miami
No. 100, Browns: WR Travis Benjamin, Miami
No. 105, Bills: OLB Nigel Bradham, FSU
No. 113, Cowboys: OLB Kyle Wilber, Wake Forest
No. 115, Titans: CB Coty Sensabaugh, Clemson
No. 117, 49ers: G Joe Looney, Wake Forest

FIFTH ROUND
No. 144, Bills: T Zebrie Sanders, FSU
No. 163, Packers: OLB Terrell Manning, NC State

SIXTH ROUND
No. 152, Cowboys: WR Danny Coale, Virginia Tech
No. 176, Jaguars: CB Mike Harris, FSU
No. 187, Jets: S Josh Bush, Wake Forest
No. 198, Ravens: WR Tommy Streeter, Miami
No. 200, Eagles: G Brandon Washington, Miami

SEVENTH ROUND
No. 210, Vikings: ILB Audie Cole, NC State
No. 225, Seahawks: DE JR Sweezy, NC State
No. 237, 49ers: DE Cam Johnson, Virginia
No. 239, Giants: DT Markus Kuhn, NC State
No. 241, Packers: T Andrew Datko, FSU

It's NFL draft eve, and it's the last Wednesday before the event, meaning one last chance for our team of analysts to predict how this weekend will unfold.

Mel Kiper and Todd McShay reveal their final draft boards, and each has a mock , with McShay and the rest of the Scouts Inc. team going seven rounds full .

Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, naturally, tops the list, going No. 5 to the Buccaneers. North Carolina end Quinton Coples is next off the board at No. 19, to the Bears, with wideout Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech going two spots later to the Bengals.

How do the rest of the ACC's draft-eligible players stand? Let's take a look:

ROUND 2
No. 36, Buccaneers: RB David Wilson (Virginia Tech)
No. 50, Bears: OLB Zach Brown (UNC)
No. 58, Texans: DE Andre Branch (Clemson)
No. 59, Packers: RB Lamar Miller (Miami)

ROUND 3
No. 64, Colts: DT Brandon Thompson (Clemson)
No. 68, Buccaneers: CB Jayron Hosley (Virginia Tech)
No. 72, Dolphins: OT Zebrie Sanders (FSU)
No. 76, Texans: TE Dwayne Allen (Clemson)
No. 80, Cardinals: DE Olivier Vernon (Miami)
No. 82, Titans: WR Chris Givens (Wake Forest)
No. 91, Ravens: G Joe Looney (Wake Forest)
No. 95, Raiders: DE Cam Johnson (Virginia)

ROUND 4
No. 100, Browns: OLB Nigel Bradham (FSU)
No. 124, Bills: OLB Sean Spence (Miami)
No. 125, 49ers: CB Chase Minnifield (Virginia)
No. 128, Vikings: OLB Terrell Manning (NC State)
No. 129, Raiders: OLB Kyle Wilber (Wake Forest)
No. 130, Ravens: WR Danny Coale (Virginia Tech)

ROUND 5
No. 154, Jets: WR Tommy Streeter (Miami)
No. 157, Falcons: WR TJ Graham (NC State)
No. 159, Steelers: G Brandon Washington (Miami)
No. 162, Saints: CB Coty Sensabaugh (Clemson)

ROUND 6
No. 176, Jaguars: DT Marcus Forston (Miami)
No. 178, Bills: ILB Audie Cole (NC State)
No. 188, Broncos: DE Rennie Moore (Clemson)
No. 191, Bengals: WR Travis Benjamin (Miami)
No. 197, Packers: OT Andrew Datko (FSU)
No. 205, Browns: G Antoine McClain (Clemson)

ROUND 7
No. 209, Rams: WR Dwight Jones (UNC)
No. 240, Steelers: DE Matt Conrath (Virginia)
No. 242, Jets: TE George Bryan (NC State)
No. 243, Packers: RB Davin Meggett (Maryland)
No. 245, Browns: DT Markus Kuhn (NC State)
No. 250, Chargers: CB Donnie Fletcher (BC)

Here's a breakdown by school of the 37 ACC players that Scouts Inc. thinks will be drafted:

Miami: 7
Clemson: 6
NC State: 5
Virginia Tech: 3
UNC: 3
Virginia: 3
Wake Forest: 3
FSU: 3
BC: 2
Georgia Tech: 1
Maryland: 1
Duke: 0

Mel Kiper Jr.'s fourth mock draft Wednesday goes two rounds , with Clemson and North Carolina each featuring two players, the most among ACC schools.

Kiper has the Tar Heels' Quinton Coples going 12th to the Seahawks and Zach Brown going 46th to the Eagles. The Tigers have a pair of second-rounders in Andre Branch (42nd, Dolphins) and Dwayne Allen (51st, Eagles).

Boston College's Luke Kuechly is projected to be taken the highest among ACC players, with Kiper slating him for the 11th pick, which belongs to the Chiefs. Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill is the last first-rounder from the ACC (30th, 49ers).

Kiper has the Ravens selecting North Carolina State's Terrell Manning with the 60th pick and the Giants wrapping up the second round by selecting Virginia Tech's David Wilson.

Kuechly and Coples are the only ACC players on Kiper's 25-man Big Board , coming in at Nos. 7 and 13, respectively. Coples and Kuechly are Nos. 9 and 10 on Todd McShay's 32-man draft board , with Branch coming in at No. 29.

Coples and Branch have each dropped from one spot, to Nos. 2 and 5, among defensive ends this week in Kiper's top-5s by position . South Carolina's Mel Ingram has unseated Coples as the top end. Manning dropped from third to fourth among outside linebackers, and Miami's Brandon Washington is no longer among the top guards after coming in at No. 5 a week ago. The rest of the ACC contingent remains unchanged from a week ago.

Quinton Coples remains Mel Kiper's top defensive end prospect , Luke Kuechly is still his top linebacker and Lamar Miller and David Wilson round out the analyst's top running backs available in next month's draft.

Clemson's Andre Branch is once again the No. 4 defensive end, though the pool of top pass-rushers could see some movement in the coming month.

Coples has the best frame to hold up as a 4-3 defensive end among the group, but hasn't run away. [Melvin] Ingram is closing and had a good week in Indy. Branch has the size and athleticism to move to 3-4 outside linebacker. [Nick] Perry has been very good in the draft process, though I can see some teams asking him to stand up as a pass-rusher in a 3-4. It just depends on where he lands.

The rest of the ACC lineup remained unchanged from last week:

• Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill (No. 4 receiver)
• Clemson's Dwayne Allen (No. 2 tight end)
• Miami's Brandon Washington (No. 5 guard)
• North Carolina State's Terrell Manning (No. 3 outside linebacker)
• Florida State's Shawn Powell (No. 3 punter)

Luke Kuechly headlines all ACC players on Mel Kiper's and Todd McShay's draft boards this week, coming in at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively.

The Boston College linebacker jumped two spots on Kiper's 25-man Big Board and one spot on McShay's 32-man draft board , and he is immediately followed by North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples on each board.

Andre Branch jumped six spots on McShay's board, to No. 20.

Both Kuechly and Coples are No. 1 in Kiper's top-5 players by position .

Miami's Lamar Miller and David Wilson of Virginia Tech come in at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, among Kiper's top 5 running backs. In McShay's nickel package , Miller and Wilson are the Nos. 2 and 3 backs, respectively. McShay examines potential destinations for the top running backs in this year's draft class and places a priority on ball security, with Miller checking in very favorably in that department.

As for the rest of the ACC contingent cracking Kiper's position rankings this week ...

• Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill (No. 4 receiver)
• Clemson's Dwayne Allen (No. 2 tight end)
• Miami's Brandon Washington (No. 5 guard)
• Clemson's Andre Branch (No. 4 defensive end)
• North Carolina State's Terrell Manning (No. 3 outside linebacker)
• Florida State's Shawn Powell (No. 3 punter)

The official invite list for the NFL combine is out. Every school but Duke is represented, and there are a total of 43 former players from the conference who will participate, including Miami's entire starting lineup from 2011. Well, ok, not really, but it's a pretty big hit for the Canes. Best of luck to all of these guys at the next level.

Here are your ACC representatives:

BOSTON COLLEGE (1)

• Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

CLEMSON (6)

• Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson
• Andre Branch, DE, Clemson
• Antoine McClain, OG, Clemson
• Rennie Moore, DT, Clemson
• Coty Sensabaugh, DB, Clemson
• Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson

FLORIDA STATE (6)

• Nigel Bradham, LB, Florida State
• Andrew Datko, OT, Florida State
• Mike Harris, CB, Florida State
• Shawn Powell, P, Florida State
• Beau Reliford, TE, Florida State
• Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State

GEORGIA TECH (1)

• Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

MARYLAND (1)

• Davin Meggett, RB, Maryland

MIAMI (8)

• Travis Benjamin, WR, Miami
• Marcus Forston, DT, Miami
• Jacory Harris, QB, Miami
• Lamar Miller, RB, Miami
• Sean Spence, LB, Miami
• Tommy Streeter, WR, Miami
• Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami
• Brandon Washington, OT, Miami

NORTH CAROLINA (6)

• Charles Brown, CB, UNC
• Zach Brown, LB, UNC
• Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
• Dwight Jones, WR, UNC
• Donte Paige-Moss, DE, North Carolina
• Tydreke Powell, DT, UNC

NC STATE (5)

• Audie Cole, LB, NC State
• T.J. Graham, WR, NC State
• Markus Kuhn, DT, NC State
• Terrell Manning, LB, NC State
• J.R. Sweezy, DT, NC State

VIRGINIA TECH (4)

• Jarrett Boykin, WR, Virginia Tech
• Danny Coale, WR, Virginia Tech
• Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech
• David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

VIRGINIA (2)

• Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia
• Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia

WAKE FOREST (4)

• Chris Givens, WR, Wake Forest
• Joe Looney, OG, Wake Forest
• Cyhl Quarles, S, Wake Forest
• Kyle Wilber, LB, Wake Forest

"Everybody hurts, sometimes, everybody cries, and everybody hurts sometimes ... you are not alone ..." - REM

• Injured Virginia Tech defensive end James Gayle thinks he's going to play on Saturday against BC. Injured cornerback Jayron Hosley isn't so sure.
• FSU cornerback Greg Reid spoke for the first time about his puzzling arrest.
• Miami offensive lineman Brandon Washington isn't happy his job is open for competition.
• Maryland's special teams? Not so special. C.J. Brown is no longer a secret for the Terps.
• Georgia Tech might just be a little bit tired from no bye week yet.
• Even if Clemson stays undefeated, the Tigers are a long shot for the national title.
• Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe doesn't want to redshirt everyone.
• Duke's defense gave up at least three too many big plays against FSU.
• Former UNC coach Butch Davis doesn't want to give up his personal cell phone records.
• Can Virginia break its trend of letdowns after big wins?

Leaving today for Tallahassee. Or at least somewhere within a two-hour drive of it.

• Florida State, at least so far, is still happy in the ACC.
• Georgia Tech has also stated its loyalty to the ACC.
• The NCAA was back on North Carolina's campus this week.
• Ryan Williams and David Wilson both had a fumble early in their careers that drove them nuts.
• The ACC has a chance to make some noise this weekend.
• The best-laid coach-in-waiting plans often go awry.
• The Boston College Eagles are a "fragile little group." Not exactly the way fans probably want to hear their team described.
• Clemson and Auburn are on the cutting edge offensively.
• UNC coaches are feeling good about return man T.J. Thorpe, who is off to a fast start.
• Pony up, FSU fans. The campaign for an indoor practice facility is underway.
• Has Wake Forest found the second coming of Alphonso Smith?
• Miami's Brandon Washington could return to a familiar job -- protecting Jacory Harris' blind side.
• Clemson's matchup against Auburn could be bigger for the home Tigers.
• The jury is still out on NC State's loss to Wake Forest, but both coaches seem to agree on this: The Deacs are better than they were last year.
• Virginia had too many passes batted down against IU last weekend.

No. 1. Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

2010 stats: As a sophomore, Kuechly led the nation in tackles (183) and solo stops (110). He has registered 10 or more tackles in 22 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the nation. Last year he had 10.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.

Previous ranking: No. 4

Making the case for Kuechly: He has already made a case for being one of the best defenders in the country, and he did it in just two seasons. Recognized last year as a consensus All-American, Kuechly reached the 200 tackle mark faster than any other player in school history. He is the only player in school history to reach 300 tackles in his first two seasons, and is a candidate for this year’s ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He is more than just a tackle machine, though. He is an instinctive player who finds the ball and continues to put in the work to become even better. He can make game-changing plays and find the ball, and is the heart and face of the Boston College defense.

No. 2 Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

No. 3 Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech

No. 4 Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State

No. 5. Montel Harris, RB, Boston College

No. 6 Donte Paige-Moss, DE, North Carolina

No. 7 Andrew Datko, LT, Florida State

No. 8 Sean Spence, LB, Miami

No. 9 Kenny Tate, LB, Maryland

No. 10 David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

No. 11 Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina

No. 12 Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

No. 13 Brandon Washington, OL, Miami

No. 14 Danny O'Brien, QB, Maryland

No. 15 Sean Renfree, QB, Duke

No. 16 Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia

No. 17 Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia

No. 18 Greg Reid, CB, Florida State

No. 19 Ray-Ray Armstrong, S, Miami

No. 20 Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

No. 21 Conner Vernon, WR, Duke

No. 22 Jarrett Boykin, WR, Virginia Tech

No. 23 Omoregie Uzzi, OG, Georgia Tech

No. 24 Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson

No. 25 EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State

No. 2. Quinton Coples, DE, UNC

2010 stats: He started 12 of the 13 games he played in and ranked third in the league and 16th in the country in sacks per game. He had 10 sacks on the year, which ranked in the top five in the country among defensive tackles. He also ranked seventh in the league with 15.5 tackles for losses. He finished fourth on the team with 59 total tackles and had a team-high 12 quarterback pressures, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.

Previously ranked: No. 13

Making the case for Coples: He was one of the best linemen in the country last year and he was playing out of position. Now that Coples has moved back to his natural end position, he should flourish even more. He has the ability to disrupt the passing game, pressure the quarterback, get into opponents’ backfields and find the ball.

No. 3 Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech

No. 4 Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State

No. 5. Montel Harris, RB, Boston College

No. 6 Donte Paige-Moss, DE, North Carolina

No. 7 Andrew Datko, LT, Florida State

No. 8 Sean Spence, LB, Miami

No. 9 Kenny Tate, LB, Maryland

No. 10 David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

No. 11 Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina

No. 12 Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

No. 13 Brandon Washington, OL, Miami

No. 14 Danny O'Brien, QB, Maryland

No. 15 Sean Renfree, QB, Duke

No. 16 Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia

No. 17 Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia

No. 18 Greg Reid, CB, Florida State

No. 19 Ray-Ray Armstrong, S, Miami

No. 20 Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

No. 21 Conner Vernon, WR, Duke

No. 22 Jarrett Boyk

No. 3. Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech

2010 stats: He started 13 games and finished with 39 tackles, nine interceptions, and eight passes broken up. He also had 19 punt returns for 239 yards and a touchdown, and nine kick returns for 190 yards. He racked up 110 yards on interception returns.

Previous ranking: No. 7

Making the case for Hosley: His numbers make a pretty good case themselves, but here goes: After leading the nation in interceptions last year, Hosley maintained a strong work ethic this offseason and took on a leadership role. He’s a good tackler who is a great ball handler and has great instincts, and he tied a school season record for interceptions that was set in 1967. He’s versatile enough to help the team as a punt returner, and as a DB he takes advantage of almost every opportunity that comes his way.

No. 4 Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State

No. 5. Montel Harris, RB, Boston College

No. 6 Donte Paige-Moss, DE, North Carolina

No. 7 Andrew Datko, LT, Florida State

No. 8 Sean Spence, LB, Miami

No. 9 Kenny Tate, LB, Maryland

No. 10 David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

No. 11 Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina

No. 12 Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

No. 13 Brandon Washington, OL, Miami

No. 14 Danny O'Brien, QB, Maryland

No. 15 Sean Renfree, QB, Duke

No. 16 Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia

No. 17 Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia

No. 18 Greg Reid, CB, Florida State

No. 19 Ray-Ray Armstrong, S, Miami

No. 20 Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

No. 21 Conner Vernon, WR, Duke

No. 22 Jarrett Boykin, WR, Virginia Tech

No. 23 Omoregie Uzzi, OG, Georgia Tech

No. 24 Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson

No. 25 EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State

No. 4. Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State

2010 stats: He ranked sixth nationally in total sacks with 13.5, and was tied for fourth nationally with 21.5 tackles for loss -- the third-best season in FSU history. He also had two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, and finished with 63 total tackles.

Previous ranking: No. 12

Making the case for Jenkins: He had one of the best seasons in school history last year and he was only a true sophomore and first-year starter. He should only be better this fall, and that's scary-good. Jenkins has good instincts, reacts well to the ball, and is a natural pass-rusher. He was the top contributor to Florida State’s nation-leading 48 sacks last year, one of the Noles’ biggest areas of improvement last season. He had two-sack games five times last season, and was recognized as the team’s MVP at the annual football banquet.

No. 5 Montel Harris, RB, Boston College

No. 6 Donte Paige-Moss, DE, North Carolina

No. 7 Andrew Datko, LT, Florida State

No. 8 Sean Spence, LB, Miami

No. 9 Kenny Tate, LB, Maryland

No. 10 David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

No. 11 Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina

No. 12 Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

No. 13 Brandon Washington, OL, Miami

No. 14 Danny O'Brien, QB, Maryland

No. 15 Sean Renfree, QB, Duke

No. 16 Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia

No. 17 Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia

No. 18 Greg Reid, CB, Florida State

No. 19 Ray-Ray Armstrong, S, Miami

No. 20 Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

No. 21 Conner Vernon, WR, Duke

No. 22 Jarrett Boykin, WR, Virginia Tech

No. 23 Omoregie Uzzi, OG, Georgia Tech

No. 24 Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson

No. 25 EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State

No. 5. Montel Harris, RB, Boston College

2010 stats: He started 11 games before injuring his knee against Virginia. Despite the injury, Harris led the ACC and ranked 16th in the country with 103.6 yards per game. He racked up eight 100-yard games and had six in a row before his injury. He finished with 1,243 yards and eight touchdowns on 269 carries. He also caught 18 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.

Previous ranking: No. 17

Making the case for Harris: He is a record-setter who has made his mark as one of the most productive running backs in the ACC. He is the school’s leader in carries (756) and 100-yard games (21) and ranks second at BC in rushing yards (3,600) and is third in touchdowns (27). He holds the ACC record for the most rushing yards through his junior year and enters this season as the ACC’s active leader in rushing yards and carries. What he’s done for the Eagles’ otherwise inept offense can’t be measured. At a program where the quarterback position has been a question in recent years, Harris has easily been the most dependable option on offense.

No. 6 Donte Paige-Moss, DE, North Carolina

No. 7 Andrew Datko, LT, Florida State

No. 8 Sean Spence, LB, Miami

No. 9 Kenny Tate, LB, Maryland

No. 10 David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

No. 11 Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina

No. 12 Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

No. 13 Brandon Washington, OL, Miami

No. 14 Danny O'Brien, QB, Maryland

No. 15 Sean Renfree, QB, Duke

No. 16 Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia

No. 17 Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia

No. 18 Greg Reid, CB, Florida State

No. 19 Ray-Ray Armstrong, S, Miami

No. 20 Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

No. 21 Conner Vernon, WR, Duke

No. 22 Jarrett Boykin, WR, Virginia Tech

No. 23 Omoregie Uzzi, OG, Georgia Tech

No. 24 Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson

No. 25 EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State

No. 6. Donte Paige-Moss, DE, UNC

2010 stats: He started 12 of 13 games he played in last year, and finished the regular season with 49 tackles, 13.5 tackles for losses of 77 yards, 7.0 sacks for 57 yards, and one pass breakup. He ranked second on the team in tackles for loss and sacks and was seventh in the ACC in sacks.

Previously ranked: Not ranked.

Making the case for Paige-Moss: He has the skills to be one of the country’s top pass-rushers this fall. He played exceptionally well in the second half of last season, when he recorded 10.5 of his 13.5 tackles for loss. Carolina fans saw his game-changing potential in the Music City Bowl win over Tennessee when he posted six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one blocked kick. He blocked an extra point in the fourth quarter, which kept Tennessee's lead at three. He was only a sophomore last year and made his first career start when he lined up against LSU in the season opener. Now more experienced, Paige-Moss could be on the brink of a breakout season.

No. 7 Andrew Datko, LT, Florida State

No. 8 Sean Spence, LB, Miami

No. 9 Kenny Tate, LB, Maryland

No. 10 David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

No. 11 Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina

No. 12 Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

No. 13 Brandon Washington, OL, Miami

No. 14 Danny O'Brien, QB, Maryland

No. 15 Sean Renfree, QB, Duke

No. 16 Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia

No. 17 Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia

No. 18 Greg Reid, CB, Florida State

No. 19 Ray-Ray Armstrong, S, Miami

No. 20 Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

No. 21 Conner Vernon, WR, Duke

No. 22 Jarrett Boykin, WR, Virginia Tech

No. 23 Omoregie Uzzi, OG, Georgia Tech

No. 24 Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson

No. 25 EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State