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1. Boston College: Luke Kuechly is one of the best in the country, but he’s not alone. The Eagles also have Kevin Pierre-Louis, who ranked second nationally among all freshmen in tackles per game last season with 7.15 -- ninth in the ACC. It won’t be easy to replace Mark Herzlich, on or off the field, but Steele Divitto played in 11 games last season, and Nick Clancy and Will Thompson both saw time on the second team.

2. Florida State: The Noles had to replace two starters, including Kendall Smith, the team’s second-leading tackler, last season, and Mister Alexander, but the upcoming talent could be even better. Nigel Bradham led the team with 98 tackles and five pass breakups last season, and Christian Jones, Jeff Luc, Telvin Smith and Vince Williams will also be competing for playing time.

3. Miami: Sean Spence, who has 30 career starts, should be one of the best in the country, and Ramon Buchanon, another senior, also returns. The Canes have five other linebackers with experience in Kelvin Cain, who started seven games, Jordan Futch, who had a great spring and will see the field, Tyrone Cornelius, Shayon Green and C.J. Holton.

4. North Carolina: Kevin Reddick, who led the Tar Heels with 74 tackles last season, returns for his third season as starter. Zach Brown is also a returning starter with game-changing capabilities, and there is plenty of depth with Dion Guy, Darius Lipford, Ebele Okakpu and Herman Davidson. Junior college transfer Fabby Desir could also have an impact.

5. NC State: Audie Cole and Terrell Manning have combined for 39 career starts, and Cole fared well this spring moving to the middle to replace Nate Irving. With the return of Sterling Lucas, Dwayne Maddox and Colby Jackson, there is plenty of experience, but not quite as much depth as some other programs.

6. Georgia Tech: The Jackets return both starters in Steven Sylvester and Julian Burnett. There is no shortage of depth with Jeremy Attaochu, Quayshawn Nealey, Brandon Watts, Albert Rocker, Malcolm Munroe and Daniel Drummond.

7. Clemson: This group has a lot of potential, especially if true freshmen Tony Steward and Stephone Anthony make an immediate impact. There’s no question they’ll be given a chance, but the Tigers already have a good group with Corico Hawkins, Quandon Christian and Jonathan Willard.

8. Virginia Tech: It seems like this rotation has been in flux for a while now. The Hokies’ leading tackler returns in Bruce Taylor, Barquell Rivers had 96 tackles as a starter in 2009 but was injured last season, and there are several young players adding to the competition. Chase Williams, Tariq Edwards, Telvion Clark and Jack Tyler are only a few. Whip linebacker Jeron Gouveia-Winslow will have to earn his spot back over Alonzo Tweedy, Dominique Patterson and Nick Dew.

9. Maryland: The Terps were hit hard here with the losses of Alex Wujciak (381 career tackles) and Adrian Moten (14.5 career sacks). Demetrius Hartsfield returns with 20 career starts, and there are four lettermen returning including Darin Drakeford, Isaiah Ross, David Mackall and Bradley Johnson.

10. Wake Forest: Kyle Wilber’s move to outside linebacker will give this position a boost, as he led the Deacs with 14.5 tackles for loss and six sacks last season. His backup is Gelo Orange (22 tackles). The Deacs also have Tristan Dorty, Joey Ehrmann, Mike Olsen, Scott Betros, Riley Haynes and Justin Jackson.

11. Virginia: Starters LaRoy Reynolds and Ausar Walcott both return, but neither has started more than 11 career games. Junior Steve Greer has prior starting experience but played mainly as a reserve last season. Adam Taliaferro, Conner McCartin, Tucker Windle and LoVante Battle are also in the mix for playing time.

12. Duke: Kelby Brown is the lone returning starter, but he’s a promising young player who led the nation last season as a freshman in fumbles recovered. He missed spring ball while recovering from a knee injury, but is expected to start with Tyree Glover or Kevin Rojas.

Clemson fans saw more out of the Tigers' offense in this year's spring game than they did a year ago -- literally.

Last year, the Tigers ran 108 total plays in their spring game. On Saturday, the Tigers ran a total of 130. And yes, it was balanced, with 69 rushing and 61 passing plays. Clemson, which is under the direction of first-year offensive coordinator Chad Morris, snapped the ball with 16-20 seconds left on the play clock on most plays.

“People saw that we will run a fast paced offense this coming season, but we really would like to go faster,” coach Dabo Swinney said, according to the team's practice report. “I was pleased with what I saw in the running game today. All three of our backs ran well. And Tajh Boyd ran well. He made some good decision today and most importantly, he did not have a turnover.”

While Boyd was in the spotlight for the first time, Clemson's rushing attack was the highlight, as two players ran for at least 100 yards each. Demont Buice had 18 carries for 102 yards and Rod McDowell rushed 12 times for 100 yards for the Orange team. D.J. Howard had 11 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown for the White team.

Boyd threw for one touchdown (to tight end Dwayne Allen) and rushed for one. He completed 8 of 24 passes for 114 yards and had eight carries for 43 yards. His Orange offense averaged 6.2 yards per carry. DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson’s top receiver last year as a freshman with 52 catches, had four for 54 yards. Allen had three catches for 43 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown.

Freshman quarterback Cole Stoudt was 6-of-22 passing for 118 yards. Marquan Jones led the White team with three catches for 71 yards.

Desmond Brown led the Orange team with seven tackles. Spencer Shuey and Andre Branch each had two sacks. Justin Parker had the only interception of the game.

The White defense was led by Jonathan Meeks with seven tackles and two pass breakups. Garry Peters, a redshirt freshman, had six stops, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. Quandon Christian had five tackles and a forced fumble. Freshman Corey Crawford, who entered Clemson in January, had two sacks.

Clemson offensive starters Andre Ellington (RB) and Antoine McClain (OG) were injured and did not play.

A few quick highlights from the Clemson Tigers' scrimmage report:

OFFENSE

• The quarterbacks combined to throw for 237 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, but the offense was held to just 91 rushing yards.
• Tajh Boyd had 104 yards on seven completions. Freshman Tony McNeal threw for 110 yards on five completions, including a 60-yard pass to Joe Craig. McNeal threw touchdowns to Craig and Marquan Jones in an array of passing situations, and also added a 15-yard scramble.
• Junior Dwayne Allen caught two passes, both for touchdowns.
• The running backs combined for 106 yards on 24 carries. D.J. Howard led with six carries for 60 yards.

DEFENSE

• Corico Hawkins and Quandon Christian led the way with five tackles, while Corey Crawford, Andre Branch, and Joe Gore added four apiece.

It's that time of year, ACC fans. Duke kicks off the ACC's spring football schedule with practice tomorrow, so it's time to take a look at three storylines to watch for each program. We'll start with the Atlantic Division:

BOSTON COLLEGE

Spring practice starts: March 15

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• The progression of quarterback Chase Rettig. As a true freshman, Rettig replaced Dave Shinskie as starter against Notre Dame on Oct. 2. He’ll only get better with more experience, and there’s room for improvement, as he threw nine interceptions and six touchdowns. He completed 51.3 percent of his passes for 137.6 yards per game. Two of those picks came in the 20-13 loss to Nevada in the Kraft Fight Hunger bowl, but he’s expected to take an important step forward this offseason and will need to if BC is going to graduate from the nation’s 109th best offense.
• The offense under a new coordinator. Kevin Rogers replaced Gary Tranquill, who retired after the bowl game, and the Eagles will have to adjust to a new scheme and system, starting this spring. Rogers said he'll adapt his system to the personnel he has to work with, but considering he was hired on Monday, there hasn't been much time for him to evaluate film.
• The revamped offensive line. BC has to replace three starters up front, including left tackle Anthony Castonzo, right guard Thomas Claiborne and right tackle Rich Lapham. Emmett Cleary and center Mark Spinney are returning starters, and left guard Ian White started a few games at the end of the year. Bryan Davis, Claiborne’s backup at right guard, and John Wetzel, Castonzo’s backup, are frontrunners to earn starts.

CLEMSON

Spring practice starts: March 7

Spring game: April 9

What to watch:

• Quarterback Tajh Boyd. Prior to the arrival of two early enrollees, Boyd was the only scholarship quarterback on the roster, and his experience alone -- albeit limited -- makes it his job to lose. The staff wants him to become a little more accurate and consistent this spring. His education was accelerated at this time a year ago when former quarterback Kyle Parker spent the spring playing baseball, but that was under former offensive coordinator Billy Napier. He’s got a new coordinator -- and a new offense to learn.
• The new offensive scheme. First-year offensive coordinator Chad Morris brings an up-tempo style similar to that of Auburn’s, and the Tigers will have to learn it as quickly as he’ll want them to execute it. Morris has said Boyd is suited just right to lead it. Morris will want to stretch the field in every direction, depend on a strong running game and include long pass plays. He’s tasked with improving an offense that ranked No. 10 in the ACC in both scoring offense and total offense.
• Defense up the middle. It starts up front, where the Tigers have to replace defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins. Linebacker Brandon Maye, who played in the middle a lot, decided to transfer, and safety DeAndre McDaniel, who controlled the middle of the field in the secondary, has also graduated. The Tigers have the No. 1 inside linebacker and No. 1 outside linebacker in the country in this year’s recruiting class, but they won’t arrive until the summer. For now, Corico Hawkins returns as a starting middle linebacker, while Quandon Christian is likely to stay on the outside. Rennie Moore will replace Jenkins, but McDaniel’s spot is up for grabs.

FLORIDA STATE

Spring practice starts: March 21

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Big holes on the offensive line. There’s depth, experience and incoming talent, but there are also big shoes to fill with the graduation of left guard Rodney Hudson and center Ryan McMahon. Right guard David Spurlock has been seen snapping on the sidelines at practices, indicating he could move to center, while recovering from concussions and going through rehab. McMahon’s backup was Jacob Stanley. Henry Orelus, Bryan Stork and Rhonne Sanderson all started at right guard for Spurlock when he was out. Junior college transfer Jacob Fahrenkrug, the No. 4 overall junior college prospect, could have an immediate impact at left guard.
• Backup quarterback battle. With EJ Manuel a lock as the starter, the attention turns to the No. 2 spot. Clint Trickett, a redshirt freshman and son of offensive line coach Rick Trickett, and Will Secord, a redshirt sophomore, are the top two candidates. Secord was named the most improved quarterback of the spring at this time a year ago. Neither of them have thrown a collegiate pass.
• Linebackers. The Seminoles will have to replace two starters in Kendall Smith and Mister Alexander. Nigel Bradham is the only returning starter. This spring will feature competition among Christian Jones, Telvin Smith, Vince Williams and Jeff Luc. It’s a more talented crop waiting in the wings, but inexperience is a factor. It’s a chance for Luc and Jones -- two of FSU’s top recruits in the 2010 class -- to remind everyone why they were rated the No. 1 inside linebacker and No. 2 outside linebacker, respectively, in the country.

MARYLAND

Spring practice starts: March 29

Spring game: April 30

What to watch:

• New staff, new schemes. First-year coach Randy Edsall wants to be multiple, get vertical and take advantage of quarterback Danny O’Brien’s strengths. The departure of former defensive coordinator Don Brown to Connecticut was a surprise and a blow to the defense, which will now have to make a transition under a new coordinator who has yet to be hired.
• Competition at linebacker. Two starters have to be replaced in Alex Wujciak and Adrian Moten, who were also both leaders of the defense. Demetrius Hartsfield returns as a starter, but the new staff will have to figure out who else fits into what slots. Ben Pooler has had knee trouble, but he is expected to compete with Darin Drakeford and Ryan Donohue, who were both No. 2 at their respective positions in 2010.
• Special teams. Not only did the Terps lose a four-year starter in punter/placekicker Travis Baltz, they also have to replace their top kick returner and conference leader in all-purpose yards in receiver Torrey Smith, who left early for the NFL. Nick Ferrara handled kickoffs last year and was No. 2 behind Baltz at both kicker and punter, but he’s a placekicker first, and has to get back on track with consistency. He’ll be the only scholarship kicker on the roster until incoming freshman Nathaniel Renfro joins the team this summer. Dexter McDougle has returned kickoffs in the past, and Trenton Hughes is another option, but with a new staff, it could be a clean slate.

NC STATE

Spring practice starts: March 17

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Mike Glennon. The team is moving forward as if starter Russell Wilson won’t return, promoting Glennon to No. 1 on the depth chart. The offense will have a new look, as the plays will be suited to Glennon’s strengths. At 6-foot-7, he’s much taller than Wilson, a more prototypical drop-back passer with a strong arm. While the plays might look different to the fans, they’re the same ones Glennon has been practicing since the day he arrived on campus. He’s a smart, unflappable player scheduled to graduate this May, but we haven’t seen enough of him to know just how good he is.
• A new crop of receivers. NC State will have to replace three seniors in Owen Spencer, Jarvis Williams and Darrell Davis. Spencer and Williams led the Pack in receiving last year, combining for nine touchdowns and over 1,600 yards. NC State will turn to Jay Smith, who had 10 catches in 12 games, Steven Howard, Quintin Payton, and T.J. Graham, who had four touchdowns and played in all 13 games. Payton played a little more toward the end of the year, and he’s a tall, big target (about 6-foot-4) and comparable to Williams. Bryan Underwood, who redshirted last year, could also contribute.
• Running back competition. James Washington had taken over the starting job at the end of 2010, but he’ll be pushed this spring by Dean Haynes and Mustafa Greene, who led the team in rushing in 2010 as a true freshman. They’ll also be under the direction of a new assistant coach, as Jason Swepson is now the head coach at Elon. It will be the first time Greene has been in a spring practice, and Washington, who was hurt last year, is finally healthy.

WAKE FOREST

Spring practice starts: March 15

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Progress of quarterback Tanner Price. The maturation of Price, who started nine games as a true freshman last year, will be crucial to the Deacs’ hopes of returning to the postseason. Price was forced to play earlier than expected and finished with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. He completed 56.8 percent of his passes for 1,349 yards.
• A defense in transition. Coach Jim Grobe has said the staff is committed to making the transition to a 3-4 defense. The Deacons used that scheme to defend the triple option against Georgia Tech and Navy, and continued to experiment with it as the season progressed. This linebackers in this year’s recruiting class were brought in specifically with the 3-4 defense in mind.
• Redshirt offensive linemen. There were three true freshmen who redshirted last year who are expected to give four returning starters some legitimate competition -- Colin Summers, Dylan Heartsill and Daniel Blitch. The Deacs will also have to replace starting center Russell Nenon. Chance Raines was his backup last year.

The loss of Clemson starting linebacker Brandon Maye will hurt the depth of a position that was already limited in its numbers, but the Tigers have enough talent behind him to compensate for his departure. They'll also give the position a boost with this year's signing class -- especially if Stephone Anthony and Tony Steward choose Clemson.

Maye's backup, Jonathan Willard, is expected to be the front-runner to take over the starting job on the weak side heading into the spring, and Quandon Christian, who played a lot in the Tigers' nickel packages over the past seven or eight games of the season, should continue to build upon his 2010 experience as the starting strongside linebacker. Christian actually has better speed than Maye did.

This has been an offseason of change for Clemson, which hired a new offensive coordinator, a new defensive line coach, and lost standout defensive end Da'Quan Bowers and running back Jamie Harper early to the NFL draft. Still, the combination of good hires and incoming talent are reasons for optimism heading into 2011. This year's team can -- and should -- be better than 2010.

The Tigers are up next in a series that looks at three players for each school who could make a name for themselves this fall:

Quandon Christian, LB: He's the only freshman in the preseason starting lineup, though he is a redshirt freshman. He was the second-leading tackler in the spring game and earned a promotion from third string. He's from Lake View, S.C., where he rushed for 1,368 yards and 23 touchdowns during his senior season.

Jonathan Willard, LB: He redshirted in 2008 and spent last year as a backup who saw most of his snaps on special teams. He made 10 tackles in just 32 plays, including three tackles for loss. He came to Clemson touted by ESPN.com as the No. 22 linebacker in his class.

DeAndre Hopkins, WR: The true freshman didn't get a lot of hype coming out of high school, but he's a great athlete who has a chance to step in and catch a lot of passes. The hometown player had 57 career receptions for 1,266 yards and 18 touchdowns.

More fresh faces:

• Duke
• Florida State
• Georgia Tech
• Maryland
• Miami
• North Carolina
• NC State
• Virginia
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest

As summer camp begins, I'll do a quick hit on each team the day they start practicing. The ACC opens today with Clemson and NC State. We'll start with the Tigers.

Schedule: Practice will run from 6 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Fan day is Aug. 22.

What’s new: The face of the running game. Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper will take over as the primary ball carriers as Clemson becomes more of a running team, even with Kyle Parker back. With four returning starters on the offensive line, expect the Tigers to run.

Sidelined: Backup offensive guard Wilson Norris tore his ACL in spring practice and could return by November.

Key battle: Defensively, it’s Brandon Thompson vs. Miguel Chavis at nose guard. Thompson is the returning starter, but Chavis has experience and will play a lot. Offensively, watch the guard spot where David Smith will push Mason Cloy. Cloy broke his leg in the ACC championship game, leaving the reps to Smith this past spring. Smith has the upper hand entering summer camp.

New on the scene: Linebacker Quandon Christian. The 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman is listed as the starter at strongside linebacker, which is impressive considering he started spring ball with the third team.

Breaking out: Receiver Xavier Dye. He has to. Somebody has to. Without Jacoby Ford, the Tigers need a dependable receiver to step up. Dye, a senior, was fourth on the team in receptions last year with 14 for 236 yards.

Don’t forget about: Fullback Chad Diehl. Even though he doesn’t carry the ball much, Diehl has as important a role as anyone because of his blocking ability and he is key to the running game.

All eyes on: Quarterback Kyle Parker. His decision to return to the team instantly increased the Tigers’ chances of repeating as Atlantic Division champs. How much will he improve upon his record-setting freshman season?

Quotable: “I pretty much thought I was gone,” -- Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker on deciding whether or not to join the Colorado Rockies in a baseball-only contract.

There were some impressive performances throughout the ACC this spring by younger players who didn't get much pub, but could eventually make an impact in their program. Some names will be more familiar than others, and some players came out of nowhere this spring or had a fleeting moment to shine in the absence of veterans:

Boston college sophomore defensive end Max Holloway: He made six tackles, which included four sacks for a net loss of 24 yards in the Eagles' spring game.

Clemson freshman linebacker Quandon Christian: He was third on the depth chart entering the spring and first coming out. He had seven tackles in the Tigers' spring game.

Duke redshirt sophomore Kenny Anunike: With Duke in need of depth along the defensive line, Anunike moved from tight end to defensive end this spring and made nine tackles including two for loss in the spring game.

Florida State redshirt freshman defensive back Xavier Rhodes: He was named the top newcomer on defense this spring and had six tackles in the spring game.

Georgia Tech backup quarterback Tevin Washington: He ran for three touchdowns and threw for one touchdown in a game that ended at halftime because of severe weather.

Maryland redshirt freshman running back D.J. Adams: He rushed for a game-high 70 yards on 14 carries with two fourth-quarter touchdowns to help the White team earn a 21-13 come-from-behind victory in the Terps' spring game. Adams also caught a pair of passes for 29 yards.

Miami backup quarterback Stephen Morris: A.J. Highsmith is the front-runner to be the No. 2 behind Jacory Harris, but in the spring game, Morris completed 12 of 21 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

North Carolina defensive end Michael McAdoo: He had four sacks and one interception in the White team’s 17-0 spring game win. The junior was in the rotation as a pass-rush specialist last year.

NC State freshman defensive end Daryl Cato-Bishop: He had 10 tackles for loss and five sacks in three scrimmages, helping a line that lost all four starters.

Virginia quarterback Ross Metheny: He connected on 6 of 10 passes, compiling 140 yards and completing a game-long 57-yard pass to wide receiver Ray Keys.

Virginia Tech offensive tackle Nick Becton: He filled in well this spring at left tackle for former three-year starter Ed Wang, despite just playing 46 snaps last year.

Wake Forest freshman linebacker Justin Jackson: He led the team with six tackles and added a tackle for loss in the spring game.