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Clemson had a total of six players drafted, tied for the third-most selections in a draft in Clemson history, and tied for fifth-most in the nation this year. Here are a few notes from Clemson's sports information department:

• Four of Clemson’s six selections were defensive players. It is tied for the second-most defensive players in one draft from Clemson in school history. Clemson had a school-record six defensive players taken in the 1999 NFL draft.
• Clemson was the only school in the nation to have three defensive players taken in the top 51 selections of the draft. It was the first time in school history that has happened.
• Five of the six selections came over the first four rounds and it marks just the second time Clemson has had five players taken in the first four rounds. The only other time was at the 1991 draft.
• Chris Hairston was taken in the fourth round by the Buffalo Bills, the second year in a row the Bills have taken a player from Clemson. Last year, the Bills took C.J. Spiller in the first round with the ninth overall pick. Prior to last season the Bills had not taken a player from Clemson since 1982 (Perry Tuttle).
• Jamie Harper also went in the fourth round to the Tennessee Titans. Harper is just the second Clemson player taken by Tennessee since 1989. Keith Adams (2001) was the only other Tiger taken by the Tigers in the past 22 years.
• With Harper’s selection, Clemson has had a running back drafted in each of the past three years. James Davis was drafted by Cleveland in 2009 and Spiller was taken by Buffalo last year.
• Ten members of Clemson’s 2008 defense have now been drafted. Dorell Scott, Mike Hamlin and Chris Clemons were drafted in April of 2009, Ricky Sapp, Crezdon Butler and Kavell Conner were taken in 2010 and Jarvis Jenkins, Marcus Gilchrist, Da'Quan Bowers, and Byron Maxwell were all taken this year. Freshmen on that team could be drafted next year and could add to that total.

CLEMSON

2009 overall record: 9-5

2009 conference record: 6-2, Atlantic Division champs

Returning starters

Offense: 7, defense: 6, punter/kicker: 2

Top returners

DE Da’Quan Bowers, FS DeAndre McDaniel, LT Chris Hairston, RT Landon Walker, QB Kyle Parker, DT Jarvis Jenkins, LB Brandon Maye, RB Andre Ellington, RB Jamie Harper

Key losses

RB C.J. Spiller, WR Jacoby Ford, LG Thomas Austin, TE Michael Palmer, DE Ricky Sapp, LB Kavell Conner, CB Chris Chancellor, CB Crezdon Butler, LB Kevin Alexander

2008 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Spiller (1,212 yds)

Passing: Parker* (2,526 yds)

Receiving: Ford (779 yds)

Tackles: Conner (111)

Sacks: Sapp (5)

Interceptions: McDaniel* (8)

Spring answers

1. Meet Dwayne Allen. The Tigers appear to have a capable replacement for former first-team all-conference tight end Michael Palmer, who set a school record for receptions (43) and reception yards (507) for a tight end last year. Allen had three catches for 83 yards in the spring game. He could be a centerpiece of the offense next year.

2. Liking the linebackers. The graduation of Alexander and Conner hurt, but coach Dabo Swinney liked what he saw from this group this spring. The Tigers are deeper and more versatile here and will have the ability to increase the number of plays per linebacker.

3.Holding their own. Heading into the spring, the punter and place-kicking jobs were open, but punter Dawson Zimmerman and kicker Richard Jackson both retained their spots. Jackson was inconsistent last year and missed two extra point attempts, but he tied for second in the ACC with 20 field goals.

Fall questions

1. Will Parker return? The dual-sport quarterback won’t determine his future until baseball season has ended. As his spring home run total increases, it becomes more of a question. His batting average and home run totals -- Parker leads the ACC in home runs -- continue to be a factor.

2. Spiller’s replacements. What four people will combine to do what Spiller did last year? Kick returns, catching the ball out of the backfield, the ground game -- Mr. Versatility will be missed. Ellington had a good spring with 13 carries for 86 yards in the spring game, and expectations are high for Harper.

3. Reaching at receiver. With Ford’s graduation, Clemson is looking for a new go-to player. Swinney liked what he saw from the group, as Xavier Dye and Terrence Ashe both had productive springs. Brandon Clear was one of the most improved players on the roster and will be given a chance to make some plays this summer.

Former Clemson fullback Rendrick Taylor has signed a free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Bucs and will report to mini-camp May 17. He will work as a fullback and tight end, but also played receiver during his career at Clemson.

Taylor, who will graduate on Friday, played in 38 games for the Tigers over the past five years, 10 as a starter. He finished his career with 54 receptions for 533 yards and a touchdown and had 15 carries for 36 yards as a fullback.

Taylor is the fifth member of last year's team to sign a free agent contract and five other players were drafted two weeks ago. That's a significant bit of talent gone from last year's Atlantic Division champs:

Still, Clemson returns enough talent on both sides of the ball to repeat as division champs. The Tigers will have six starters back on defense, including four of the top five tacklers and three defensive linemen. Even though Chancellor and Butler are gone, Clemson's secondary returns players who accounted for 19 of last year's 21 interceptions.

Good morning, ACC fans, hope you guys had a good NFL draft weekend. The ACC put together a good wrap-up of this past weekend's draft activity for the conference. The ACC ranked third this year among conferences with 31 players chosen. The SEC led with 49, followed by the Big Ten (34). The Big 12 had 30, the Pac-10 29, the Big East 18 and the Mountain West 13.

Here are a few notes to tie it all together for you:

• For the sixth straight year, the ACC had more than 30 players selected.
• Since 2005, the ACC and the SEC are the only two leagues in the nation to have had 30 players selected in each of the past six years.
• Atlantic Division champion Clemson (C.J. Spiller, Jacoby Ford, Ricky Sapp, Crezdon Butler, Kavell Connor) and Coastal Division runner-up Virginia Tech (Jason Worilds, Kam Chancellor, Ed Wang, Brent Bowden, Cody Grimm) led all ACC schools each with five players chosen in the draft.
• ACC champion Georgia Tech (Derrick Morgan, Demaryius Thomas, Morgan Burnett, Jonathan Dwyer) and Miami (Jimmy Graham, Darryl Sharpton, Jason Fox, Dedrick Epps) were next, each with four players chosen.
• The ACC maintained its streak of having at least one top-10 selection in each of the past five years. Since 2006, the ACC is the only conference in the country to have had a top-10 selection in each year.
• In all, 18 NFL teams selected players from the ACC.

ESPN's Mel Kiper has a few ACC players on his radar for tonight's second round of the NFL draft. Here's who made the cut in his second-round mock draft:

• No. 42, Chris Cook, CB, Virginia -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• No. 50, Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland -- Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 59, Morgan Burnett, S, Georgia Tech -- Dallas Cowboys
• No. 62, Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest -- Minnesota Vikings
• No. 63, Cam Thomas, DT, North Carolina -- Indianapolis Colts

The analysts at Scouts Inc. project Cook higher, as the second pick in the second round, and he's the only ACC player they have in the second round. The third round seems to be where the ACC will have some good representation, according to Scouts Inc. That's where to find players like Clemson's Ricky Sapp, Virginia Tech's Jason Worilds, and Miami's Jimmy Graham.

• One-time minor league pitcher Dave Shinskie is embarking on spring practice at Boston College for the first time, writes Michael Whitmer of the Boston Globe.
• Florida State's defensive ends don't plan on tallying just four sacks like they did in 2009, writes Ira Schoffel of the Tallahassee Democrat.

• Miami receiver Travis Benjamin is makes the most of his speed, writes Jorge Milian in the Palm Beach Post.

• Georgia Tech running back commit Quartterrio Morgan enlisted a no-frills approach to his commitment to the Yellow Jackets, writes Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Former Clemson defensive end Ricky Sapp could be a good fit for the Patriots, writes DJ Bean at WEEI in Boston.

We resume the superlatives series today with Clemson, which, despite the losses of C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford, should be in contention for the Atlantic Division this year.

Strongest position: Defensive line

Key returnees: DaQuan Bowers, Jarvis Jenkins, Brandon Thompson

Key departures: DE Ricky Sapp

The skinny: Not only do the Tigers return three starters up front, they also welcome back Jamie Cumbie, who was like a fifth starter at defensive tackle, and Andre Branch, who played well at defensive end. Overall, nine defensive linemen return. Not bad for a defense that had a 4-0 record against the ACC’s top four passers and finished 13th in the nation in tackles for loss and second in the ACC in sacks.

Weakest position: Wide receiver

Key returnees: Xavier Dye

Key departures: Jacoby Ford, TE Michael Palmer and RB C.J. Spiller

The skinny: It’s not good when your leading returning receiver has 14 catches, but Dye is the veteran now. Terrence Ashe started some last year and Marquan Jones was Ford’s backup, but didn’t get many opportunities. Two newcomers who might have the chance to play right away are Martavis Bryant and DeAndre Hopkins. One under the radar player is Jaron Brown, who only had three catches last year but has shown the ability for more in practice.

Click here for Boston College.

Todd McShay has posted his latest 2010 Mock Draft, and former Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan falls to No. 10, Clemson's C.J. Spiller moves up to No. 14, and Maryland offensive tackle Bruce Campbell plummeted to No. 23.

It's a much different look than the mid-December mock draft, before the players had made their decisions whether or not to return, and before the all-star games had been played.

In mid-December, McShay had Morgan the No. 3 overall pick, Campbell at No. 12 and UNC linebacker Bruce Carter at No. 18. Clemson defensive end Ricky Sapp was No. 25, and Spiller was No. 26.UNC defensive tackle Marvin Austin was No. 27, and Georgia Tech B-back Jonathan Dwyer was No. 29.

For the juniors who decided to leave early and aren't mentioned here -- namely players like Morgan Burnett, Demaryius Thomas and Toney Baker -- let's hope their decisions were worth it.

You would think that with how well the ACC has fared in recruiting the past four years, it would have eventually made a bigger push on the national landscape during the season. Miami has had three top-10 classes, and Florida State has had two. Overall, the trend in the ACC has been that Florida State, Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech and North Carolina have led the conference on the recruiting front. Three of those teams have appeared in ESPN.com's final Top 25 ranking in each of the past four years (UNC has been there three of the past four.) Only the Hokies, though, have had it translate into postseason success -- so far. There was a common thread, though, amongst the other programs -- a coaching change or, in Florida State's case, coaching questions.

It was impossible to predict, though, that players like former Miami quarterback Robert Marve would transfer, or that former FSU linebacker Marcus Ball would have off-field troubles and ask for his release.

Here's a reminder at how highly ranked several teams in the ACC have repeatedly finished since 2006, according to ESPN.com's Scouts Inc. rankings. You can click on the year to go to the full ranking. I mentioned a few of the top players in each class who were facing high expectations at the time, or players who weren't facing many expectations and have since proven otherwise (see: Virginia Tech).

2006

No. 6 FSU (Myron Rolle)
No. 13 Clemson (C.J. Spiller, Jamie Cumbie, Ricky Sapp)
No. 17 Miami (Kylan Robinson)
No. 23 Maryland (Pha'Terrell Washington, Drew Gloster)
No. 24 Virginia Tech (Rashad Carmichael, Nekos Brown, Kam Chancellor)
No. 25 UNC (Aleric Mullins, Johnny White)

2007

No. 9 Miami (Robert Marve, Allen Bailey)
No. 11 UNC (Quan Sturdivant, Marvin Austin)
No. 14 Georgia Tech (Jonathan Dwyer, Derrick Morgan, Josh Nesbitt)
No. 15 Virginia Tech (Tyrod Taylor, Blake DeChristopher, Barquell Rivers)
No. 18 Clemson (Willy Korn, Scotty Cooper, Marcus Gilchrist)
No. 25 Florida State (Brandon Paul, Markish Jones)

2008

No. 1 Miami (Sean Spence, Jacory Harris, Aldarius Johnson)
No. 2 Clemson (DaQuan Bowers, Kyle Parker, Jamie Harper)
No. 12 FSU (Zebrie Sanders, E.J. Manuel, Nigel Carr)
No. 15 Virginia Tech (Ryan Williams)
No. 20 NC State (Mike Glennon, Brandon Barnes)

2009

No. 7 Miami (Ray Ray Armstrong, Mike James)
No. 8 FSU (Greg Reid, Jacobbi McDaniel)
No. 13 UNC (Bryn Renner, Donavan Tate, Jheranie Boyd)
No. 18 Virginia Tech (Jayron Hosley, David Wilson, Logan Thomas)
No. 19 Clemson (Tajh Boyd, Bryce McNeal)

The Sporting News published a list of seniors invited to participate in the 2010 NFL scouting combine, Feb. 24 to March 2 at Indianapolis. Here are the ACC's representatives, but keep in mind it's not an official -- or final -- list.

Boston College: LB Mike McLaughlin, C Matt Tennant.

Clemson: OLB Kavell Conner, WR Jacoby Ford, DE Ricky Sapp, RB C.J. Spiller.

Duke: QB Thaddeus Lewis, Vince Oghobaase.

Florida State: CB Patrick Robinson, S Myron Rolle, OLB Dekoda Watson.

Maryland: CB Nolan Carroll.

Miami: TE Dedrick Epps, OT Jason Fox, TE Jimmy Graham, RB Javarris James, LB Darryl Sharpton.

North Carolina: OT Kyle Jolly, DT Cam Thomas.

NC State: C Ted Larsen, DE Willie Young.

Virginia: CB Chris Cook, FB Rashawn Jackson.

Virginia Tech: P Brent Bowden, S Kam Chancellor, CB Stephan Virgil, OT Ed Wang.

Wake Forest: OT Chris DeGeare, CB Brandon Ghee.

Here's a quick breakdown of Clemson's 21-13 win over Kentucky in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl:

How the game was won: Clemson’s defense, which had become rather generous in losses to South Carolina and Georgia Tech, came up with the stops it needed to in the second half and a game-changing turnover. After capitalizing on the only turnover of the game -- a Kentucky fumble -- Clemson's defense stifled Kentucky on fourth-and-8 from the Clemson 32-yard line, with Kentucky out of time outs. Ricky Sapp came up with a huge tackle and Clemson took over on downs. With the help of standout senior running back C.J. Spiller, the Tigers were able to control the clock in the waning minutes to preserve the win.

Turning point: With 11:33 left in the game, Clemson linebacker Kavell Conner forced a fumble, and Jarvis Jenkins recovered it at Kentucky’s 19-yard line for the first turnover of the game. Three plays later, Spiller scored on an eight-yard touchdown run. It gave the Tigers the 21-13 lead, an edge they would not relinquish.

Stat of the game: Time of possession was 20:15 to 9:45 in the first half, in favor of Kentucky. One way to keep the ball out of Spiller’s hands was to keep him off the field, and Kentucky was able to do that in the first half. Not the second.

Player of the game: Spiller. Clemson could not have done it without him in the second half, and Kentucky could not stop him. He finished with 172 all-purpose yards, set the school record for consecutive touchdowns in a game, and scored what would be the touchdown that sealed the win. It was quite a grand finale for the senior.

Unsung hero of the game: Fullback Chad Diehl. He was the lead blocker for Spiller and Jamie Harper, both of whom scored touchdowns in the game. On third-and-goal with about five minutes left in the first half, Harper punched in a one-yard touchdown run when Diehl knocked safety Calvin Harrison over to pave the way. It gave Clemson a 14-10 lead, the Tigers’ first lead of the game.

What it means: Clemson redeemed itself for back-to-back losses to rival South Carolina and Georgia Tech, and proved that it took this game seriously despite their disappointment about not playing in a BCS bowl. That’s a credit to first-year coach Dabo Swinney for once again getting the team focused and back on track. While it was a celebratory farewell to super seniors like Spiller and Jacoby Ford, it was also a sneak peak at the future, as Harper showed a lot of promise and was key in the win. Seniors like Spiller earned the first bowl win of their career, and set a strong foundation for 2010. The Tigers also avoided another embarrassing ACC loss to a mediocre SEC team and improved the ACC’s bowl record to 1-2.

Record performance: Spiller’s touchdown in the fourth quarter set a school-record 14 straight games with at least one touchdown.

There are seven ACC players ranked among the first-round NFL draft picks in Todd McShay's first 2010 mock first round. ACC fans will be happy to know that's one more player than the SEC has. The bad news for ACC fans? All but two of these guys -- Clemson's C.J. Spiller and Ricky Sapp -- are juniors. Of the juniors listed, only UNC's Bruce Carter has said he is coming back.

Here is how the ACC fared in McShay's mock first round:

Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech, No. 7 to Oakland Raiders

Bruce Carter, LB, UNC, No. 18 to Jacksonville Jaguars

Bruce Campbell, OL, Maryland, No. 20 to New York Jets

Ricky Sapp, DL, Clemson, No. 23 to New England Patriots

C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson, No. 26 to Green Bay Packers

Marvin Austin, DT, UNC, No. 27 to Cincinnati Bengals

Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech, No. 29 to San Diego Chargers

There were a lot of outstanding players in the ACC this year, but the following players rose above the rest and made ESPN.com’s All-ACC team:

Offense

QB -- Christian Ponder, Florida State

RB -- Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech

RB -- Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech

WR -- Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech

WR -- Donovan Varner, Duke

TE -- George Bryan, NC State

TE -- Michael Palmer, Clemson

OL -- Jason Fox, Miami

OL -- Anthony Castonzo, Boston College

OL -- Rodney Hudson, Florida State

OL – Sergio Render, Virginia Tech

OL -- Cord Howard, Georgia Tech

K -- Matt Bosher, Miami

Spc -- C.J. Spiller, Clemson

Defense

DL -- Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech

DL -- Robert Quinn, North Carolina

DL -- Nate Collins, Virginia

DL -- Ricky Sapp, Clemson

LB -- Cody Grimm, Virginia Tech

LB -- Luke Kuechly, Boston College

LB -- Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina

LB -- Alex Wujciak, Maryland

CB -- Kendric Burney, North Carolina

CB -- Brandon Harris, Miami

S -- DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson

S -- Deunta Williams, North Carolina

P -- Brent Bowden, Virginia Tech

There’s only one game, but it features two teams that haven’t won the conference title in at least a decade. Clemson and Georgia Tech are the only two teams to finish with a 4-0 home conference record in the ACC this year. They have the top two scoring offenses in the ACC, and two of the top three rushing offenses in the ACC.

There is still plenty worth watching …

1. Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. ACC fans have seen this before. Remember when Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams fumbled in the fourth quarter in the loss to UNC? Thomas had an equally costly drop last weekend against Georgia. How he responds and rebounds will be key. If he learned anything from Williams, Thomas should be OK, but the Jackets will need their top target focused.

2. Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt’s pass plays. Paul Johnson has proven he’s not afraid to throw it deep, but Nesbitt completed just 1 of 7 passes for 17 yards on attempts of throws greater than 10 yards last weekend against rival Georgia. For the season, Nesbitt has completed 33.3 percent of his passes (21-of-63) greater than 10 yards for four touchdowns and four interceptions. Two of those completions, though, came late in the regular-season game against Clemson, and for the Tigers, it was costly. Clemson was not efficient on third-and-long in the last meeting.

3. Fourth downs. Johnson has developed a reputation for going for it on fourth down -- just ask Wake Forest. The Jackets have been successful on 13 fourth-down conversions this year, 56.52 percent of the time. Clemson is fifth in the country, though, on stopping fourth downs, holding opponents to just 4-of-15 (26.67 percent).

4. Pure talent. This will be the highlight of the game, as it features three of the ACC’s top five rushers in Jonathan Dwyer, C.J. Spiller and Nesbitt. Defensively, Georgia Tech safety Morgan Burnett has 14 career interceptions, and Clemson’s DeAndre McDaniel has eight this year. Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan has 17 tackles for loss, and Clemson’s Ricky Sapp has 13. Both Sapp and Morgan rank in the top five in the ACC.

5. Time of possession. Georgia Tech leads the country in time of possession with 34:03 per game. Nobody holds onto the ball longer. And yet the first time these two teams met, Clemson’s defense forced eight three-and-outs in 13 possessions. The Tigers have been one of the few teams able to get Paul Johnson’s offense off the field. Clemson had seven straight three-and-outs in the last meeting. Whether the Tigers can have a repeat performance will go a long way in determining the winner.

Here is the ACC's all: conference team, as voted upon by 40 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Please keep in mind that this is not the ESPN.com list.

FIRST TEAM

Offense

QB: Josh Nesbitt, Georgia Tech (50)

RB: Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech (67)

RB: Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech (63)

WR: Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech (63)

WR: Donovan Varner, Duke (50)

TE: George Bryan, NC State (39)

TE: Michael Palmer, Clemson (39)

OT: Jason Fox, Miami (57)

OT: Anthony Castonzo, Boston College (53)

OG: Rodney Hudson, Florida State (54)

OG: Cord Howard, Georgia Tech (47)

C: Sean Bedford, Georgia Tech (45)

K: Matt Waldron, Virginia Tech (27)

K: Matt Bosher, Miami (27)

Spc: C.J. Spiller, Clemson (76)

Defense

DE: Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech (76)

DE: Robert Quinn, North Carolina (69)

DT: Nate Collins, Virginia (47)

DT: Allen Bailey, Miami (38)

LB: Cody Grimm, Virginia Tech (65)

LB: Luke Kuechly, Boston College (53)

LB: Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina (44)

LB: Alex Wujciak, Maryland (44)

CB: Kendric Burney, North Carolina (59)

CB: Brandon Harris, Miami (41)

S: DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson (57)

S: Deunta Williams, North Carolina (53)

P: Brent Bowden, Virginia Tech (57)

SECOND TEAM

Offense

QB: Thaddeus Lewis, Duke (18)

RB: C.J. Spiller, Clemson (62)

RB: Montel Harris, Boston College (39)

WR: Torrey Smith, Maryland (25)

WR: Jacoby Ford, Clemson (24)

TE: Greg Boone, Virginia Tech (16)

OT: Ed Wang, Virginia Tech (31)

OT: Chris Hairston, Clemson (26)

OG: Thomas Austin, Clemson (39)

OG: Sergio Render, Virginia Tech (37)

C: Matt Tennant, Boston College (29)

K: Casey Barth, North Carolina (21)

K: Will Snyderwine, Duke (21)

Spc: Torrey Smith, Maryland (17)

Defense

DE: Ricky Sapp, Clemson (29)

DE: Willie Young, NC State (24)

DE: Jason Worilds, Virginia Tech (24)

DT: Marvin Austin, North Carolina (32)

DT: John Russell, Wake Forest (29)

LB: Vincent Rey, Duke (29)

LB: Darryl Sharpton, Miami (21)

LB: Bruce Carter, North Carolina (17)

LB: Colin McCarthy, Miami (17)

LB: Dekoda Watson, Florida State (17)

CB: Ras-I Dowling, Virginia (26)

CB: Patrick Robinson, Florida State (26)

S: Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech (51)

S: Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech (24)

P: Matt Bosher, Miami (37)