ESPN College Football

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

2011 overall record: 7-6
2011 conference record: 3-5 (T-8th)
Returning starters: Offense: 8; defense: 5; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners
QB Bryn Renner, RB Giovani Bernard, G Jonathan Cooper, G James Hurst, K Casey Barth, KR T.J. Thorpe, DT Sylvester Williams, LB Kevin Reddick, S Tre Boston

Key losses
LB Zach Brown, DE Quinton Coples, T Carl Gaskins, WR Dwight Jones, CB Charles Brown

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Giovani Bernard* (1,253 yards)
Passing: Bryn Renner* (3,086 yards)
Receiving: Dwight Jones (1,196 yards)
Tackles: Zach Brown (105)
Sacks: Quinton Coples (7.5)
Interceptions: Two players (3)

Spring answers

1. Renner fits spread: New North Carolina coach Larry Fedora’s spread offense might not be the perfect fit for quarterback Renner. But Renner ran a spread offense while playing high school football for his father and has adjusted well. Renner set a UNC single-season record with 26 touchdown passes last season while working in a pro-style offense. He completed 23 of 28 passes for 295 yards with two touchdowns in the spring game.

2. Hurry up: Fedora and his staff spent most of the spring teaching their new players how to run a hurry-up offense. The Tar Heels huddled under former coach Butch Davis. Fedora wants the Tar Heels to run about 80 plays per game, meaning they’ll have to be lined up for the next play as soon as an official spots the ball. It will be a big adjustment for the offense, especially for the linemen, but they adapted pretty well in the spring.

3. Barth is back: Senior kicker Casey Barth is a big weapon for the Tar Heels and showed good leg strength after missing most of last season with a groin injury. He was granted a fifth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Barth, who made 41 of 48 field goal attempts over the past three seasons, kicked two field goals in the spring game.

Fall questions

1. Defensive overhaul: The UNC offense isn’t the only thing undergoing a makeover in Chapel Hill. Co-defensive coordinators Dan Disch and Vic Koenning are installing a 4-2-5 scheme, which employs two hybrid positions (bandit and ram). The defense will allow the Tar Heels to have five defensive backs on the field most of the time, which should help them against pass-happy offenses.

2. Wide receiver depth: UNC lost leading receiver Dwight Jones and had only five scholarship receivers during spring practice. Fedora likes to have about 10-12 receivers at his disposal to run in and out of games. There’s some help coming in the incoming freshman class, but the Tar Heels will have to develop some receivers quickly. Senior Erik Highsmith and sophomore T.J. Thorpe are both big playmakers and seniors Jheranie Boyd and Todd Harrelson showed signs of being able to help during the spring.

3. Motivation: The Tar Heels are ineligible to play in a bowl game this coming season because of probation for violations committed during Davis’ tenure. How will Fedora and his staff keep the players motivated this fall? The Tar Heels are saying all the right things, but how will they react when they face adversity this coming season? This team has been through so much the past two seasons, they’ll have plenty of experience in dealing with problems.

Seven players from the ACC are in position to defend the conference's Lott IMPACT Trophy, which went to Boston College's Luke Kuechly last season.

Forty-two players were named Monday to the initial Watch List for the award measuring personal character among the nation's top defensive players. Eighteen linebackers, 13 defensive backs and 11 defensive linemen make up the list, with the ACC having players from each group on it.

CB David Amerson, NC State
CB Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech
LB Steve Greer, Virginia
DE Brandon Jenkins, FSU
LB Kevin Reddick, UNC
DT Joe Vellano, Maryland
DE Bjoern Werner, FSU

Jenkins was a nominee last season as well. The trophy is presented Dec. 9 at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach, Calif.

We are now a week removed from the start of the 2012 NFL draft, which means it is already time to look ahead and wonder who could be in position to make some coin for himself at this time next year.

Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay has delivered his first 2013 mock , and five ACC players make the cut, led by NC State interception machine David Amerson at No. 11.

North Carolina's Jonathan Cooper (No. 16), Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas (No. 17), UNC's Kevin Reddick (No. 26) and Virginia's Oday Aboushi (No. 27) round out the list.

One of the most interesting parts of projecting drafts so far out is seeing the disparity among stocks for some underclassmen.

SI.com's Andrew Perfloff has Amerson going third in his early mock and has Florida State's Xavier Rhodes and Brandon Jenkins at Nos. 7 and 19, respectively. The FSU duo doesn't make Tony Pauline's list on SI.com of the top 32 prospects.

The only Seminole on Bucky Brooks' NFL.com list of the 30-best prospects is FSU QB E.J. Manuel.

Most are in agreement that Amerson, at this point in time, can be a first round pick. He appears at No. 20 on Pauline's list and No. 9 on Brooks'. NFL.com's Chad Reuter has Amerson as the top draft-eligible cornerback, and CBSSports.com has him as the top 2014 corner. (CBS ranks by class; Amerson will be a junior during the 2012 season).

CBSSports.com also has the Tar Heels' Cooper as the top guard, while he is No. 4 on Reuter's list. Pauline has him as the eighth-best overall prospect in the 2013 class. Cooper's UNC teammate, Reddick, is another name frequently popping up on draft lists, with both Brooks and Pauline labeling him as the No. 22 overall prospect and CBS and Reuter calling him the No. 2 and No. 3 inside linebacker prospect, respectively. (At the top of Reuter's list is Alabama underclassman C.J. Mosley, who is grouped with the 2014 class on CBS.)

Reuters also has FSU's Manuel as the No. 3 quarterback prospect on a five-man list that doesn't include the Hokies' Thomas, who is No. 1 among 2014 signal-callers on CBSSports.com' list.

Larry Fedora has walked into a less-than-ideal situation. North Carolina hired Fedora, the former Southern Miss coach, on Dec. 8, nearly two months after the Tar Heels appeared before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions. A ruling came down on March 12, leaving UNC without a total of 15 scholarships over the next three years, during which the program will be on probation.

Fedora kicked off his first spring practice with UNC two days later, the start of a season that will end without a postseason appearance, as well, after the program was given a one-year bowl ban. We caught up with the new coach on Wednesday to get his take on his new squad. The Tar Heels' spring season concludes with their annual spring game April 14.

What have been your impressions so far from spring practice?

Larry Fedora: I can tell you this: Our players have had a tremendous attitude. They're working extremely hard and learning as quickly as they possibly can. And I've seen some early good things out here. But I've seen some really bad things out there. We've got a long way to go to get to where we want to be, but we're gonna get there, because of just the effort they're putting in and their attitudes. You know, when you're installing a new offense, new defense, new special-teams philosophy, it's like trying to teach them a new language, and doing it at a very fast tempo. But as long as they continue to have the attitude they're having, it's gonna be fine.

There's obviously a new staff and new system -- what are you really hoping to accomplish this spring? Is there a slower learning process? How do you go about it?

LF: Well, I mean, the things we wanna accomplish when we come out of spring is for the guys to have a very good understanding of our base offense, our base defense and our base on special teams, in all of our phases of special teams. So when we finish up they have to have a very good understanding of the base. We're not putting in any of the thrills, it's just the base, they've gotta understand the system. And once they understand that, then we can go from there. That's the first objective. The second object is to learn how to practice The Carolina Way -- the tempo, the energy level, the enthusiasm that we expect in practice each and every day. They can learn that. And then the third thing is to find out who are the guys that are gonna make plays for us next year.

Anyone stand out so far who has really caught your attention?

LF: Too early to say. We've got our first full scrimmage today, so I'm gonna have a better feel after that. But we have definitely had guys that have stepped up and shown leadership ability on defense, like Sylvester Williams, and [Kevin] Reddick; on offense, Bryn Renner, Jonathan Cooper, guys like that who have some experience. So they're able to step up and show some leadership. At the same time, they're learning everything for the first time also.

It's been a couple weeks now since the NCAA sanctions came down, that's out of the way. You know what you got and what's coming your way. How much of a relief was that, especially before spring started, to get that out of the way?

LF: I think it was a huge relief, not just for our staff but for our players. Just to get this thing behind them. I think a lot of people overlook the fact that these guys have had this cloud of uncertainty hanging over them for about two years now. And that's difficult for an 18-, 19-, 20-year-old kid. So I think there's just a huge feel of relief that it's over -- "Hey these are the sanctions, these are what they are, it is what it is. Now let's have a plan, let's move forward from here and let's go."

What was the hardest part, in your mind?

LF: I don't know. I just don't look at it that way. I really don't. I just look at it: These are the consequences for the actions. Because it's something that we talk about with our players all the time. Life's about choices, and when you make choices there's consequences to every choice. And a man faces the consequences of his choices. And so that's kind of just the way we've looked at it. "Hey, these are the consequences. Whether we're the reason that we have this consequence or not, it doesn't matter. It is what it is. So we've got to face them, we face them like a man, we keep our head up and we work hard and we move on."

What do you set for them in terms of a carrot that you dangle postseason-wise? Obviously the bowl game's out of the realm of possibility this year. How do you keep them going?

LF: You've been around college football. Not everybody's just playing for a bowl game. You have enough pride within you as a football player and as a person that you want to go out and you want to compete at the highest level and try to win each and every game that you can possibly play. Our goal is not gonna change as far as, we want to be competing for the Coastal Division championship. That's what we want to do. Whether it's recognized or not, we will know.

You mentioned earlier about The Carolina Way and a new beginning. How much of a sense of duty is there from you to kind of restore that and make this a new beginning, and for this program to really take in a new era here?

LF: Well, if you think about it, with all the circumstances that happened, it is a new era. It is a new beginning. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. So that's over with. We started something new. You're talking an entirely new program, basically -- when you talk about a philosophy change, a total coaching change. So the players have to buy into this and they've got to learn this entirely new way. Everything that they've been used to, they've got to change. And it's important that we get going and move forward from here, because there's been so much uncertainty in the last couple years.

You sound like a man with a lot of energy. My colleague Heather Dinich has said you can be a walking advertisement for Red Bull. Where does that energy level come from, and how important is it, especially with this situation and this team?

LF: I'm a high-energy guy, and I'm a very positive guy. The coaches that I have on our staff are very high-energy and they're very positive. I think the team will take on the personality of the coaches. And so it's important when we're moving around and we're fast and we're talking and we're getting after it and we're positive, then I expect our team to practice the same way and also, hopefully, play the same way.

Mel Kiper's latest top 5 players by position is a look ahead at the returning seniors who should be top picks in the 2013 NFL draft. Finally, thanks to NC State's Mike Glennon, the ACC has a quarterback in the mix. Before he even took a collegiate snap, Glennon had drawn comparisons to former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. He'll be under the microscope more as he officially enters the draft spotlight, but he's definitely capable of being one of the best quarterbacks -- if not the best -- in the ACC next season. He's a big reason why Wolfpack fans should be excited about their chances in the Atlantic Division race next season, especially considering NC State returns four starters on the offensive line. Glennon was No. 5 on Kiper's list.

Without Miami's Lamar Miller or Virginia Tech's David Wilson returning, Kiper gave the nod to Clemson's Andre Ellington as the No. 4 running back in next year's draft class. Sounds like it was a smart move for Ellington to return. There are a few other ACC players who made the cut, but one other thing worth noting was the number of North Carolina players who are still on the list. Linebacker Kevin Reddick, defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, and offensive guard Jonathan Cooper are further proof that first-year coach Larry Fedora has plenty to work with in 2012. The question is, will it be enough to finally beat NC State? The No. 5 quarterback on Kiper's list might have something to say about that.

We’ve already taken a look at what the recruiting needs were for the Atlantic Division. Let’s shift our attention to the Coastal Division. Here’s a look at where each school’s biggest holes will be in 2012 or are anticipated to be in the near future:

DUKE


Offensive skill positions: After last year’s rare class that didn’t include either a quarterback or running back, both positions are needed in this group. Quarterback Thomas Sirk -- the MVP of the 57th annual Florida Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-Star Football Classic last December -- has already enrolled in school while Shaquille Powell -- a PARADE All-American running back from Las Vegas -- has committed to the program. In addition, with David Cutcliffe’s offense, wide receivers and tight ends also are a priority.

Kicker: Will Snyderwine, who earned first team All-America honors as a junior before struggling through a sub-par season in 2011, graduated, but Duke has a commitment from Ohio native Ross Martin, considered the No. 2 placekicking prospect in the country by ESPN.com.

Safety: With the transition to a 4-2-5 alignment that utilizes three safeties, this becomes an annual point of emphasis. The Blue Devils lose All-American Matt Daniels to graduation.

GEORGIA TECH


Defensive line: This is the most glaring need in the current class. The Yellow Jackets have to replace senior starters Logan Walls (DT) and Jason Peters (DE), but return Izaan Cross (DE) and solid backups T.J. Barnes (DT), Emmanuel Dieke (DE) and Euclid Cummings (DE). The Jackets are expected to sign about 18 players in this year’s class, and five of them should be defensive linemen.

Wide receiver:This is another glaring need after the departures of Stephen Hill, who decided to leave early for the NFL draft, and Tyler Melton. Darren Waller and Jeff Greene, who both played last season as true freshmen, have lots of potential, but the position still needs depth.


MIAMI

Defensive backs: There’s still a lot of depth with this group, and the return of Ray-Ray Armstrong and Vaughn Telemaque helps, but the Canes have to replace two starters in the secondary and have six commits in the current class to help do that.

Defensive line: The Canes have to replace Adewale Ojomo, Micanor Regis, Andrew Smith and Olivier Vernon from last year’s two-deep. The defensive end position was a particular focus in this class.

Receiver: This position lost a lot with the departures of Tommy Streeter, LaRon Byrd and Travis Benjamin. Allen Hurns is now the veteran of the group, along with redshirt senior Kendal Thompkins. There are five receivers currently committed in this class.

Quarterback: Beyond Stephen Morris, Miami has a lot of questions at the position and not a lot of experience. True freshmen Gray Crow and Preston Dewey are already on the roster, along with redshirt sophomore Ryan Williams.

NORTH CAROLINA

Defensive line: This is one of the biggest areas of concern after the departures of Quinton Coples and Tydreke Powell.

Receivers: Larry Fedora’s offense will make good use of this group, but he needs to replace standout Dwight Jones.

Linebackers: This group was thin to begin with in 2011, and now the Heels need to replace outgoing senior Zach Brown. Kevin Reddick is now the main man.

Safety: UNC will have to replace two starters in Matt Merletti, Charles Brown and Jonathan Smith, so this position will have to be rebuilt for the future.

VIRGINIA

Defensive back: This should be the main priority in this class. The Cavaliers will lose four DBs, including two starting safeties in Rodney McCleod and Corey Mosley, and standout cornerback Chase Minnifield. They’ll also miss Dom Joseph, who came in for the nickel packages. Demetrious Nicholson, who started as a true freshman last year, is suddenly the veteran of the group.

Offensive line: The Hoos will have to replace their starting center and left guard. Redshirt freshman center Cody Wallace could get a promotion, and sophomore right guard Luke Bowanko started in the bowl game. They’ve got some big bodies waiting in the wings, but they’ll have some questions to answer here this spring.

Kickers: This position needs to be rebuilt, as the Cavaliers lose Robert Randolph, who finished sixth all time in scoring at UVa, kickoff specialist Chris Hinkebein, and four-year punter Jimmy Howell. The position is wide open heading into the spring.

VIRGINIA TECH

Running back: This one is a no-brainer, as the Hokies have lost four players here in the past two years. David Wilson and his backup, Josh Oglesby, were the latest to depart, and Tony Gregory just had ACL surgery and is out for the spring. The staff likes Michael Holmes, who redshirted last year, and J.C. Coleman enrolled last week.

Receiver: The Hokies will miss Danny Coale and Jarrett Boykin, and next year’s class has three seniors in Dyrell Roberts, D.J. Coles, and Marcus Davis. The future of the position is young, and the staff is still going after several uncommitted players pretty hard.

Defensive line: This year’s class already includes at least five committed defensive linemen, and the Hokies will be particularly thin at noseguard. They had some players graduate early who didn’t play a lot, but at least provided depth.

Linebacker:The Hokies have four committed, and are still chasing another just to build the depth. The staff missed on some recruits at this position last year and would like to make up for it in this class.

ESPN.com's Todd McShay has released his initial first-round projection, and the SEC leads the way with 10 prospects, followed by the Pac-12, ACC and Big 12 with six each. Alabama leads with four players, while Stanford (3), USC (2), Baylor (2), North Carolina (2), South Carolina (2), Oklahoma (2) and Mississippi State (2) also contribute multiple prospects. You'll notice a slight difference from what Mel Kiper had this morning.

Here's a look at how the ACC fared:

No. 5 Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
No. 11 Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
No. 14 Andre Branch, DE, Clemson
No. 24 Kevin Reddick, LB, North Carolina
No. 25 David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
No. 26 Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State

Here are the latest injury reports from the schools that reported them:

BOSTON COLLEGE

Out
WR Ifeanyi Momah (knee)
DB CJ Jones (knee)
DT Connor Wujciak (shoulder)
TB Montel Harris (knee)
DT Kaleb Ramsey (foot)
DT Dillon Quinn (shoulder)
OG Nate Richman (back)
LB Kevin Pierre-Louis (leg)
DE Dan Williams (leg)

Doubtful
DT Conor O’Neal (illness)

Questionable
WR Bobby Swigert (shoulder)

CLEMSON

Out
Joe Gore, DE, Knee
Spencer Benton, PK, shoulder
Tony Steward, LB, Knee

Questionable
Andre Ellington, RB, ankle
Note: D.J. Howard will start at running back.

DUKE

Probable
WR Brandon Braxton (head)
S Matt Daniels (leg)
OG Dave Harding (leg)
QB Sean Renfree (leg)

Questionable
DE Justin Foxx (leg)

Doubtful
CB Johnny Williams (leg)

Out
S Lee Butler (leg)
QB Brandon Connette

Out for season
TE Jack Farrell (leg)
DE Kenny Anunike (leg)

FLORIDA STATE

Out
Andrew Datko (shoulder)
David Spurlock (knee)
Henry Orelus (head)
Moses McCray (knee)
Darious Cummings (hand)
Willie Haulstead (head)
Josh Gehres (knee)

Doubtful
Rashad Greene (ankle)

Out for season
Jacobbi McDaniel (ankle)
Chris Thompson (back)

GEORGIA TECH

Out
Jay Finch, C
Tyler Morgan, LS

Out for season
Fred Holton, S
Jimmie Kitchen, DL
Lance Richardson, S

MARYLAND

Out for season
WR Tyrek Cheeseboro
OL Andrew Gonnella
DB Avery Graham
LB Garrett Lederman
DB Matt Robinson
DL Isaiah Ross
TE Dave Stinebaugh
LB Kenny Tate

Out
WR Kevin Dorsey
OL Justin Gilbert
DB Jeremiah Johnson;

Doubtful
DL Justin Anderson

Questionable WR/PR Tony Logan
DL Andre Monroe

Probable
OL Max Garcia

NORTH CAROLINA

Out
Casey Barth, PK Thigh
Sean Fitzpatrick, TE Concussion
Kiaro Holts, OT Wrist
Matt Merletti, FS Knee
Devon Ramsay, FB Knee
Reggie Wilkins, WR Ankle

Questionable
Curtis Byrd, RB Knee
T.J. Leifheit, OT Ankle

Probable
Cam Holland, OC Back
Dwight Jones, WR Thigh
Kevin Reddick, LB Chest

NC STATE

Out for season
Jarvis Byrd, CB - knee
Mustafa Greene, HB - foot
Sterling Lucas, LB - knee

Out
Brandon Pittman, LB - leg
Taylor Gentry, FB - foot
Jake Kahut, DE - knee
Jeff Rieskamp, DE - shoulder
Thomas Teal, DT - foot

VIRGINIA TECH

Out for season
Kwamaine Battle (knee)
Jeron Gouveia-Winslow (foot)
Antoine Hopkins (knee)
Dyrell Roberts (arm)
E.L. Smiling (wrist)
Bruce Taylor (foot)

Out
Mark Shuman (knee/ankle)
Alonzo Tweedy (ankle)

Todd McShay of Scouts Inc. released his latest draft board, and the ACC has good representation -- once again with the defensive players leading the way. The only problem is that some of these guys are underclassmen, and it's always a loss to the league to lose those good players early if they decide to go. There is only one offensive player in the ACC McShay considers a first-round pick right now.

This is Insider content, but I'll give you an idea of who McShay is writing about:

No. 4 UNC DE Quinton Coples
No. 8 BC LB Luke Kuechly
No. 13 Clemson DT Brandon Thompson
No. 29 Florida State DE Brandon Jenkins
No. 30 UNC LB Kevin Reddick
No. 31 Clemson TE Dwayne Allen
No. 32 Virginia Tech CB Jayron Hosley

Looks like it could be a good first round for the ACC in the 2012 NFL draft.

All 10 teams that are playing this weekend have released their injury reports for Week 7:

CLEMSON

OUT
DE Joe Gore (knee)
PK Spencer Benton (shoulder)

WILL PLAY
QB Tajh Boyd (hip)
LB Stephone Anthony (ankle)

DUKE

PROBABLE
DE Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo (leg)
DE Justin Foxx (leg)
C Dave Harding (leg)
RB Desmond Scott (leg)
RB Josh Snead (foot)
K Will Snyderwine (foot)

QUESTIONABLE
S Matt Daniels (leg)
CB Johnny Williams (leg)

DOUBTFUL
S August Campbell (leg)

OUT
S Lee Butler (leg)
QB Brandon Connette (upper body)
C Brian Moore (arm)

OUT FOR SEASON
TE Jack Farrell (leg)
DE Kenny Anunike (leg)

FLORIDA STATE

OUT
Willie Haulstead (head)
Henry Orelus (head)
Josh Gehres (knee)
Darious Cummings (hand)
Andrew Datko (shoulder)
David Spurlock (knee)

QUESTIONABLE

Rashad Greene (ankle)

GEORGIA TECH

DOUBTFUL
LB Jeremiah Attaochu

OUT
K-P Chandler Anderson
OL Morgan Bailey
WR Tyler Morgan

OUT FOR SEASON
S Fred Holton
DL Jimmie Kitchen
S Lance Richardson

MARYLAND

OUT FOR SEASON
OL Andrew Gonnella
DB Matt Robinson
DL Isaiah Ross
TE Dave Stinebaugh

OUT FOR GAME
DL Justin Anderson
OL Justin Gilbert
LB Demetrius Hartsfield
LB Garrett Lederman
DL Andre Monroe
LB Shaquan Virgil

DOUBTFUL
LB Kenny Tate

QUESTIONABLE
LB Darin Drakeford

PROBABLE
WR Marcus Leak

MIAMI

PROBABLE
Jalen Grimble (lower extremity)
Kacy Rodgers (lower extremity)
Adewale Ojomo (upper extremity)
Thurston Armbrister (upper extremity)
Davon Johnson (lower extremity)

OUT
Luther Robinson (lower extremity)
Shayon Green (lower extremity)
Curtis Porter (upper extremity)

SURGERY/OUT FOR SEASON
Marcus Forston (lower extremity)
Ramon Buchanan (lower extremity)
Cory White (lower extremity)
Erik Lichter (upper extremity)
Blake Ayles (upper extremity)

NORTH CAROLINA

OUT

OT Kiaro Holts (wrist)
FB Devon Ramsay (knee)

DOUBTFUL

PK Casey Barth (thigh)
C Cam Holland (back)

QUESTIONABLE

TB AJ Blue (ankle)
OT TJ Leifheit (ankle)
LB Kevin Reddick (ankle)
SS Jonathan Smith (ankle)

PROBABLE

WR Josh Adams (illness)

VIRGINIA

OUT
Pablo Alvarez (upper extremity)
Vince Croce (medical)
Tim Cwalina (lower extremity)
Darius Lee (upper extremity)
Charlie Richards (upper extremity)
E.J. Scott (medical)
Bobby Smith (lower extremity)
Tyler Smith (lower extremity)

QUESTIONABLE
Henry Coley (lower extremity)

VIRGINIA TECH

OUT FOR SEASON
Kwamaine Battle (knee)
Jeron Gouveia-Winslow (foot)
Antoine Hopkins (knee)
Dyrell Roberts (arm)

OUT FOR GAME
James Gayle (ankle)
Eric Martin (shoulder)
David Wang (foot)

FULL
Jaymes Brooks (ankle)

WAKE FOREST

DOUBTFUL
RB Josh Harris (leg)

OUT
TE Neil Basford (knee)
DT John Gallagher (back)

OUT FOR THE YEAR
OT Dylan Heartsil (back)
CB Dominique Tate (knee)
LB Kyle Jarrett (hip)

NORTH CAROLINA

Record: 5-1, 1-1 ACC

In looking at UNC’s record, you’d never know the Tar Heels fired their coach just days before August camp began. Interim coach Everett Withers was promoted and promptly picked up the pieces, just as the former defensive coordinator did in 2010 when the NCAA investigation depleted his defense with suspensions for the season opener against LSU.

With a first-year starting quarterback and a new head coach, North Carolina has put itself in position to contend for the Coastal Division title in the second half of the season. Their lone ACC loss to Georgia Tech hurt -- UNC still needs the Yellow Jackets to lose twice -- but it didn’t knock the Tar Heels out of the race. With a perfect 4-0 record against nonconference opponents this year, UNC is on pace to win more games this year than Butch Davis ever did in Chapel Hill. Withers is the school’s first head coach to start his tenure 5-1 since Ray Wolf in 1936. The Tar Heels are also undefeated at home for the first time since 1997.

Much of their success can be attributed to the quick maturation of quarterback Bryn Renner, who has not thrown an interception in three of his past four games. Tailback Giovani Bernard has also had an outstanding season, and UNC’s scoring defense is No. 19 in the country at 18.5 points per game.

The computers and critics would argue that UNC has yet to beat a quality opponent, but more importantly, UNC has yet to lose to more than one.

Offensive MVP: TB Giovani Bernard: He has scored eight rushing touchdowns through six games, and leads all freshman runners in the country with 109.5 yards per game. Overall, he ranks third in the league and 19th in the country. He has rushed for 100 yards in four straight games.

Defensive MVP: LB Kevin Reddick: He missed the Louisville game with an ankle injury, but is second on the team with 33 tackles and 4.5 tackles for losses. He also has one sack, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery and two quarterback hurries.

Here are your weekly injury reports, from the ACC schools that reported them:

BOSTON COLLEGE

OUT
WR Ifeanyi Momah (knee)
DB CJ Jones (knee)
DL Connor Wujciak (shoulder)
TB Montel Harris (knee)
DL Kaleb Ramsey (foot)

DOUBTFUL
RB Andre Williams (leg)

QUESTIONABLE
OG Nate Richman (back)
OG Ian White (foot)

CLEMSON

OUT
DE Joe Gore (knee)
PK Spencer Benton (shoulder)

PROBABLE
RB Andre Ellington (hamstring)
RB D.J. Howard (hamstring)
RB Mansa Joseph (hamstring)

FLORIDA STATE

OUT
Willie Haulstead (head)
Henry Orelus (head)
Josh Gehres (knee)
Darious Cummings (hand)
Jarred Haggins (hand)

QUESTIONABLE
Nick Moody (leg)
Garrett Faircloth (head)
Andrew Datko (shoulder)

GEORGIA TECH

OUT FOR SEASON
S Fred Holton
DL Jimmie Kitchen

OUT
LB Brandon Watts

QUESTIONABLE
LB Jeremiah Attaochu
LB Daniel Drummond

MARYLAND

OUT FOR SEASON
DB Matt Robinson
TE Dave Stinebaugh

OUT FOR GAME
DL Justin Anderson
LB Darin Drakeford
OL Justin Gilbert
LB Garrett Lederman
DL Andre Monroe
DL Isaiah Ross
LB Shaquan Virgil

DOUBTFUL LB Kenny Tate

PROBABLE PK Nick Ferrara
TE Matt Furstenburg

MIAMI

OUT
Luther Robinson (lower extremity)
Jalen Grimble (lower extremity)
Thurston Armbrister (upper extremity)

SURGERY/OUT FOR SEASON
Marcus Forston (lower extremity)
Ramon Buchanan (lower extremity)
Corey White (lower extremity)
Curtis Porter (upper extremity)
Eric Lichter (upper extremity)
Blake Ayles (upper extremity)

NORTH CAROLINA

OUT

PK Casey Barth (thigh)
OT Kiaro Holts (wrist)
FB Devon Ramsay (knee)

DOUBTFUL

WR Josh Adams (illness)
RB Matt Kolojejchick (thigh)
LB Norkeithus Otis (foot)

QUESTIONABLE

RB AJ Blue (ankle)
C Cam Holland (back)
OT TJ Leifheit (ankle)
LB Ebele Okakpu (ankle)
LB Kevin Reddick (ankle)
CB Terry Shankle (knee)
SS Jonathan Smith (ankle)

VIRGINIA TECH

OUT FOR SEASON
Kwamaine Battle (knee)
Antoine Hopkins (knee)
Dyrell Roberts (arm)

OUT
Eric Martin (shoulder)
David Wang (foot)

Georgia Tech A-back Orwin Smith insists that he does not look at the statistics.

“Right now I couldn’t tell you how many yards, how many carries, how many touchdowns I have,” he said. “I just play hard and try not to look at those things.”

Just for the record, Smith is averaging an unfathomable 22.5 yards per carry. He has scored touchdowns on four of his 12 carries.

Smith might not be keeping track, but North Carolina certainly is.

The Tar Heels’ defense will have to play smart and disciplined in order to even have a chance at slowing Smith and the Yellow Jackets on Saturday when the two teams meet in Atlanta for a critical Coastal Division game. Georgia Tech is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2005, and the unstoppable offense is a major reason why. The Jackets’ offensive numbers have been impossible to ignore:

• Georgia Tech broke an NCAA record for rushing yards per attempt (12.1), broke an ACC record for net rushing yards (604) and broke a school record for total offense (768) in Saturday’s 66-24 win over visiting Kansas.
• Georgia Tech leads the nation in scoring offense (59.3), total offense (675.3) and rushing offense (427.7).
• The Jackets have scored at least five rushing touchdowns in every game.
• Tech has had a 100-yard receiver in every game.
• Quarterback Tevin Washington leads the ACC in passing efficiency (334.3). He would lead the nation in that category, but does not have enough attempts to qualify.

And that's just a sampling.

North Carolina interim coach Everett Withers knows Georgia Tech will get its yards. He said he is not shocked by the fact the Jackets are averaging almost 700 yards per game.

“I get shocked at the five passes over 50 yards,” Withers said. “The run game doesn't shock me. I look at what they're doing. ... They have three guys that have 200 yards-plus rushing, averaging 12.1 a carry, which is an NCAA record. You look at what they're doing on offense. I don't worry so much about the yards when you play Georgia Tech. You worry about how they're scoring, are they scoring touchdowns or kicking field goals. I really throw out the yards because they're going to get their yards.”

The most important task for UNC’s defense, Withers said, will be to limit the big plays. There is a myth surrounding Georgia Tech’s offense, that it is a grind-it-out, eat-up-the-clock system. The Jackets can and will do that, but they’re also capable of being explosive. So far this season, Georgia Tech has had six one-play touchdown drives. They’ve scored on their first offensive play in all three games.

“We have to make them go the long way,” Withers said. “If we can make them take bits and pieces, not give up chunks ... They throw the ball better than they've thrown it since I've been here. You can't give up big plays in the passing game, big chunks in the run game. If you can make them go the long, hard way. At the end of drives if they're kicking field goals instead of kicking extra points, you probably had a successful day.”

Georgia Tech has four pass plays of 70-plus yards this season -- that’s more than any other conference has produced. The Yellow Jackets have produced 27 plays of at least 20 yards this season and have allowed opponents just seven plays of 20-plus yards.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise.

“I don't think that it should be that much of an eye-opener,” Johnson said. “We had a bad year a year ago, but historically we have been in the top 10 or top 15 in passing efficiency every, either at Navy or here at Tech. Last year we struggled and was way down. I think the kids have done a great job being committed to working on it in the offseason. And to this point, we have hit a lot of big plays, which when you hit a lot of big plays for touchdowns and you don't throw it very much, your efficiency rating is going to go off the chart.

“We have completed a higher percentage, and for the most part this year when we have had guys open deep, we have been able to hit them; where last year either we get sacked or throw it over their head or drop it or whatever. So that part of it, the execution part has been a little better.”

The biggest question is whether Georgia Tech can keep it up in conference play. For all of the awe surrounding Georgia Tech’s offense this season, North Carolina’s rushing defense is No. 16 in the nation, allowing fewer than 77 yards rushing per contest.

This past summer, North Carolina spent about five minutes of each practice preparing for the spread-option offense. Linebacker Kevin Reddick said it helped, and UNC is ready for it.

“I feel like this is one of the harder offenses we’ll face this year,” he said. “I feel like we’re ready. The intensity in practice is way up. Just knowing what we have ahead of us, the guys already know what type of game it’s going to be, so we’re up for the challenge and ready to roll.”

Snoozing on the Tar Heels? Don’t. They’re strong up front. In case you missed summer camp …

• Everett Withers has officially taken over, and on the field, there haven’t been many drastic changes since the Butch Davis era ended. The offensive line remains the best it has been in about a decade, and on both sides of the ball, there’s not a true weakness up front. There’s also plenty of talented depth behind them.
• In addition to a new coach, the Tar Heels have ushered in first-year starting quarterback Bryn Renner. He has been consistently good this summer, but the question remains how he’ll fare in game situations. He’s a high-energy player who might have to curb his enthusiasm a bit to keep the offense under control. Renner needs to stay healthy and play well, because there’s not a lot of answers behind him.
• The running back situation remains a question, as starter Ryan Houston wore a noncontact jersey all summer because of a fractured scapula he suffered in the spring game, and Giovani Bernard was noncontact about half the time because of a fractured bone in his hand. There is some excitement surrounding Bernard because he has a different style than Houston, but he hasn’t played yet.
• UNC found it has some good, young tight ends in Eric Albright and Jack Tabb , but there are also veterans like Nelson Hurst and Christian Wilson. UNC likes to feature the tight end in its offense, so the player who emerges from that group will be a factor.
• Linebackers Zach Brown and Kevin Reddick have already developed a reputation as strong players, but the staff is still trying to figure out who the third linebacker is. Ebele Okakpu has been in the program for four years, but has the light switch finally come on?
• The biggest questions remain in the secondary, where the one true weakness remains. Charles Brown will miss the season opener because of NCAA issues, and Jabari Price, the other expected starter at cornerback, is out with an injury. Tre Boston moved from safety to cornerback, and the other cornerback is a true freshman, Tim Scott. UNC moved receiver Todd Harrelson to corner and he will help out with the second team, but he hasn’t played the position since high school.
• The return game and special teams struggled last season, with the exception of kicker Casey Barth, and they remain questions because they can’t be practiced live. Game time will determine how much the Tar Heels have improved in these areas.