ESPN College Football

2011 overall record: 4-8
2011 conference record: 3-5 (5th, Atlantic)

Returning starters: Offense: 9; defense: 7; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners
LT John Wetzel, RT Emmett Cleary, LG Bobby Vardaro, RG Ian White, TE Chris Pantale, QB Chase Rettig, RB Rolandan Finch, RB Tahj Kimble, RB Andre Williams, WR Coin Larmond, WR Bobby Swigert, DE Kasim Edebali, DT Kaleb Ramsey, DT Dominic Appiah, DT Dillon Quinn, LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB Steele Divitto, LB Sean Duggan, CB Jim Noel, SS Spenser Rositano

Key losses
C Mark Spinney, TE Lars Anderson, DE Max Holloway, LB Luke Kuechly, CB Donnie Fletcher, FS Hampton Hughes, P Ryan Quigley

2011 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Rolandan Finch* (705 yards)
Passing: Chase Rettig* (1,960 yards)
Receiving: Colin Larmond* (528 yards)
Tackles: Luke Kuechly (191)
Sacks: Max Holloway (2.5)
Interceptions: Luke Kuechly (3)

Spring answers

1. Chase Rettig makes strides: Rettig was thrown into the fire early, and he has endured plenty since, with injuries, new schemes and last year's 4-8 campaign. Now a junior, and playing for another new offensive coordinator, Rettig has the command of the offense and should benefit from playing behind an experienced offensive line.

2. More running back depth than BC probably hoped for: Montel Harris and Andre Williams couldn't go in the spring game. Then Tahj Kimble injured himself early in the contest. Finch, who played a lot last season with Harris sidelined, ended up shouldering the load, and it will take a group effort this season with Harris out of the picture. Injuries and a dismissal gave BC a better look at its backfield talent than it had probably hoped for, but the group effort this spring should benefit the Eagles come fall.

3. Defense looking to build off 2011 finish: Coach Frank Spaziani said the worst thing about last season was that it ended. BC is hungry to build off its 4-8 campaign, as the team hopes to carry the momentum from winning two of its final three games. A long offseason gave the defense time to think about that finish, which was keyed by a unit that held each of the final three opponents to fewer than 20 points.

Fall questions

1. Who will replace Luke Kuechly? The short answer is no one. Kuechly's legend will only continue to grow with each passing day. But the Eagles do return plenty of talented linebackers, led by Steele Divitto and Kevin Pierre-Louis. It will take a collective effort and then some for the linebackers to make up for the loss of Kuechly, but their attitude in trying can certainly rub off on the rest of the defense.

2. What happened with Harris? The school's all-time leading rusher was dismissed from the team after the spring for a repeated violation of team rules. The backfield is used to playing without him after his injury-plagued 2011 campaign, but the suddenness of Harris' departure -- which Spaziani will not get into -- has to have some effect on his former teammates, especially with Harris having been primed to chase the ACC's career rushing record this season.

3. How will the offense transition under Doug Martin? Spaziani said he was impressed with the unit coming out of the spring, but a fifth offensive coordinator in five years has to be challenging for the players. Martin has said he is looking to increase the pace, and he'll have nine starters back to work with come preseason camp.

Stealing a page from the playbook of my illustrious colleagues over at the Pac-12 blog, we're kicking off a series of our own here. Each weekday, we'll take a look at the most important player on each team, starting in alphabetical order.

Today brings us to the Boston College Eagles. And, to add to the challenge, we, also, will not be including quarterbacks on this list. (Sorry, Chase Rettig. We don't think any less of you.)

Away we go ...

Boston College: Linebacker Steele Divitto

2011 stats: Divitto was third on the team with 72 tackles, and he also recorded 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception and five pass breakups.

What he means to the Eagles: Despite a 4-8 campaign last season, BC made significant strides down the stretch, winning two of its final three games. That started with the defense, which held each of its last three opponents to fewer than 20 points. (Its one loss, at three-touchdown favorite Notre Dame, was by a 16-14 margin.) The departure of record-setter Luke Kuechly for the NFL draft obviously presents a significant hole in production to account for, but the Eagles are looking to build off last year's strong finish by having multiple linebackers up their production. At the head of that position is Divitto, who came from an intense environment at national power Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) three years ago and carried that mentality through spring ball and in offseason drills. With the Eagles' season over while other schools went on bowl trips, the junior-to-be took a trip of his own last year: to Athletes' Performance in Phoenix, where he trained for two weeks with NFL draft prospects. That's the kind of mentality BC needs to carry a unit that finished last season 43rd in the nation in scoring defense.

Frank Spaziani knows he probably is not getting 190-plus tackles from any of his linebackers this season. The Boston College coach is OK with that.

So, too, are the linebackers who will fill the void left by Luke Kuechly, the ACC's single-season (191) and career tackles (532) leader who left early for the NFL draft.

"If you talk to Luke, he'll be the first to say that we're a defense first, not just one guy," Sean Duggan said. "Losing a guy like him is a lot of tackles to make up, but we'll all chip in as a defense to get it done. Evenly as a unit we have to step up."

Kuechly will likely be the first linebacker to hear his name called in New York in less than three weeks. But the Eagles' linebackers are hardly fretting over Kuechly's departure, not after the promise they showed in winning two of their final three games to end an otherwise unfulfilling 2011 season.

The lone loss during that stretch was a two-point squeaker at heavily favored rival Notre Dame.

"I was on a team where losing was unacceptable," said linebacker Steele Divitto, who played for national power Don Bosco (Ramsey, N.J.). "That's the same mindset we're starting to apply here. It's not good enough to just do your job -- you have to go that extra mile. All my life I haven't really lost many football games, maybe two or three prior to BC. I hate to lose, and I think there are a lot of guys that hate losing and will do whatever it takes this offseason and in the season to win all these games.

"It's almost a mentality thing. I played for a great coach in high school and play for a great coach now. Coach Spaz talks about winning all the time: in the weight room, in conditioning, in the film room. We have to apply that mentality to everything."

Divitto is looking to build off a 72-tackle campaign from last season, when he was third on the team. (He added 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception as well.) In place of a bowl trip for last season's 4-8 squad, Divitto flew to Phoenix, where he worked out and studied with draft prospects at Athletes' Performance.

In the shadow of Kuechly last season on the outside, Divitto is now among the most experienced linebackers returning, along with fellow junior Kevin Pierre-Louis, who was hobbled much of the spring but had 74 tackles, six tackles for loss and a fumble recovery last season.

A possible replacement to Kuechly in the middle could be Duggan, who started three games outside last season as a true freshman, recording 39 tackles, three tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery.

"Steele, he's gonna get better. He has a lot of experience now out there, played a lot of football he's going to have to up his production to make up for obviously Luke not being there," Spaziani said. "And Sean, he played a lot in a backup role, started a couple games for us. Now it's a new position for him in the middle, but he's a good football player. And he just needs reps and he needs more time, but we're happy to have him on the football team."

Duggan actually played briefly with Kuechly, the Nagurski and Butkus winner from a year ago, at St. Xavier (Cincinnati) High School.

"When I talked to Luke he said you've just got to relax out there and trust yourself," Duggan said of his conversations with Kuechly this spring. "You can't think too much out there because then you're slow, and at this level you can't afford to be slow against these guys. So trust yourself and the guys around you."

The ACC has bid farewell to some outstanding players from 2011. Some of them graduated, others have decided to leave early for the NFL. Whatever their reasons, they left behind some size 15 shoes to fill. Here’s a look at who on each team in the ACC will be the most difficult to replace in 2012, and a snapshot of who is or could be next in line to replace him:

Boston College

OUT: Linebacker Luke Kuechly. He might be the most difficult player to replace in the ACC. Kuechly won the 2011 Lombardi Award, given annually to the nation’s top lineman or linebacker; the Nagurski Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive player; the Dick Butkus Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top linebacker; and the Lott IMPACT Defensive Player of the Year. He left early for the NFL after finishing his junior season leading the nation in tackles for the second straight year. In 2011, Kuechly set ACC records for tackles in a season (191) and career (532).

IN: It’s an open competition, but Sean Duggan played in nine games last year as a true freshman behind Kuechly and on the outside. Duggan had his first career interception at Miami, had three tackles against Virginia Tech and five against Clemson. Coach Frank Spaziani has also said that Steele Divitto is versatile enough to earn the starting job in the middle. Divitto, a junior, won the starting job at outside linebacker when Mark Herzlich left. Last year, Divitto was third on the team in tackles with 72, and finished with 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, and five pass breakups. Spaziani said redshirt freshman Nick Lifka will also be competing for Kuechly’s spot.

Boston College linebacker Steele Divitto is a meticulous note-taker. The kind of guy you want to sit next to in class.

Boston College missed out on a bowl game in 2011, but Divitto took a trip of his own to continue learning. Thanks to his dad, Divitto flew to Athletes' Performance in Phoenix, Ariz., for two weeks of additional training.

“After my sessions, I’d take out my notebook and I’d jot down everything I learned, whether it was technique-wise, or eating habits, whatever it was,” Divitto said. “I figured if I was going out there, I really should try to get the most out of everything.”

In turn, Boston College should be getting the most out of Divitto this offseason.

One of the biggest questions Boston College has entering spring practices on Saturday is what the linebackers will look like without All-American Luke Kuechly, who left early for the NFL draft. (“It looks like Superman is back in his suit and Clark Kent is there now,” coach Frank Spaziani quipped. “That’s what it looks like. The cape is gone and we’ve got the guy in the suit with the glasses.”)

As BC fans know, though, the blue-collar working player can get it done, too, and that’s just the kind of player Divitto is. Sean Duggan and Nick Lifka will both be competing for Kuechly’s old position in the middle, but Divitto is versatile enough to play there, too. When former linebacker Mark Herzlich left, Divitto won the starting job at strongside linebacker, but he played in the shadow of Kuechly. Now he’s looking to establish himself as the team’s next leading linebacker.

Divitto spent his mornings in Arizona working on speed training and the evenings were for lifting. He was given a nutrition plan and had the opportunity to measure himself against some of college football’s top performers, as several NFL draft prospects were also there.

“Steele is exceptional about putting the extra effort in,” Spaziani said. “He’s taken ownership of his own future, which is something we all need to do, and he’s done a great job with it. He went out to train for a week, did it all on his own, out there by himself. He’s just highly motivated and has taken complete ownership of his future and he’s a team player. We’re excited to see his development. We’ll see this spring how far he’s advanced.”

Divitto was good to begin with. He finished third on the team in tackles last season with 72, and had 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception and five pass breakups. The trip to Arizona isn’t the first time he’s taken the initiative to get better. Last year he boxed during the offseason, and now he’s into Muay Thai, which is similar to kickboxing.

Divitto said it’s not about him; it’s about being the best player he can be for his teammates.

“I always believed that how hard you work throughout the offseason -- everything you do -- how you sleep how you eat, how you breathe, every rep you take in the weight room, every rep you take outside, all of that adds up to how you’re going to perform next season,” Divitto said. “I’ve lived my life just going off that hard work means everything. When you play a game, I feel like the outcome is already determined depending upon how much effort you put into it prior.”

If that’s the case, BC already has a winner.

For some, it might feel like the season just ended, but for others -- like Duke, Maryland and Boston College, which didn't get to play in a bowl game -- spring ball can't get here fast enough. The Eagles kick off spring practices in the ACC on Saturday, so today we'll take a quick look at the main storylines for each team in the conference heading into the spring:

BOSTON COLLEGE

Spring practice start date: Feb. 18
Spring game: March 31 (1 p.m. ET)

What to watch:

• Yet another offensive transition. Doug Martin will be the Eagles’ fifth offensive coordinator in five seasons, including Kevin Rogers, who took a medical leave of absence early last year and never returned, and Dave Brock, who replaced Rogers. Martin said he is looking for a physical downhill running game, wants to increase the tempo and add some no-huddle elements.
• The return of running back Montel Harris. The ACC’s leading rusher in 2010 missed most of last season with a knee injury, but he is expected to return for spring ball. How healthy and durable he is remains a question, but he’s still aiming to break a 33-year-old ACC rushing record.
• Who will replace All-American linebacker Luke Kuechly? It’s an open competition as Kuechly is the only linebacker departing. Sean Duggan was his backup last year, but Steele Divitto put in a lot of work this offseason on his own time.

CLEMSON

Spring practice start date: March 7
Spring game: April 14 (4 p.m. ET)

What to watch:

• The rebuilding efforts up front. Clemson has to replace three starters on both the offensive and defensive lines. On defense, Malliciah Goodman is the only starter returning on the line, and he’ll be one of the candidates to replace the production of end Andre Branch, but Corey Crawford will be the next in line at the position.
• The defensive transition under first-year defensive coordinator Brent Venables. After giving up 70 points to West Virginia in the Orange Bowl, Dabo Swinney fired Kevin Steele and hired Venables. How quickly will he be able to make a difference and will everyone buy in?
• The linebackers. This is the year that the outstanding linebackers in the 2011 recruiting class will finally have their chance to shine. Venables is also the linebackers coach, and he’ll have a young, talented group to work with. The lineup of the future should include Stephone Anthony, Lateek Townsend and Tony Steward, all top 100 players coming out of high school.

FLORIDA STATE

Spring practice start date: March 19
Spring game: April 14

What to watch:

• Maturation of the offensive line. FSU started four freshmen in the Champs Sports Bowl against Notre Dame, and those players will be expected to continue their improvement this spring. The most important question is who will replace the top two tackles from a year ago in Zebrie Sanders and Andrew Datko.
• The kicking game. Punters aren’t usually in the spotlight, but that wasn’t the case at FSU, where All-American Shawn Powell had an impact on every game. Finding a replacement for him this offseason will be a priority.
• The running backs. Chris Thompson, who broke his back last year, is expected to return this spring, and has been cleared for the most part, but the coaching staff isn’t likely to push him. Devonta Freeman will be the main man, but there are plenty of other candidates to emerge -- if, of course, the offensive line figures things out.

MARYLAND

Spring practice start date: March 10
Spring game: April 21

What to watch:

• The quarterback drama. Maryland’s two-quarterback storyline will continue this spring -- if, of course, Danny O’Brien decides to remain at Maryland instead of transferring. There has been much speculation about his future, but for now, the staff expects him to be limited this spring as he continues to recover from a broken arm. C.J. Brown should get the most reps.
• An overhaul of schemes. Maryland hired a new offensive coordinator in Mike Locksley and a new defensive coordinator in Brian Stewart. How quickly the Terps buy into their systems and philosophies will be critical in turning around last year’s 2-10 record.
• The running backs. This is a position where a true freshman could earn some playing time this year, but standout recruit Stefon Diggs won’t be on campus in time to compete this spring. Meanwhile, Justus Pickett returns, along with Brandon Ross, who redshirted last year. Wes Brown (who played at Good Counsel with Diggs) could also compete for major playing time when he arrives for summer camp.

NC STATE

Spring practice start date: March 23
Spring game: April 21 (1 p.m. ET)

What to watch:

• Who will emerge as dependable linebackers. With Audie Cole and Terrell Manning gone, this position is a big question mark for the Wolfpack. Cole was the team’s leading tackler each of the past two seasons, and Manning was one of the defense’s most disruptive players last year.
• The new go-to for Glennon. With T.J. Graham gone, NC State turns to a young group of receivers. Tobias Palmer and Bryan Underwood return, but there are several unheralded players who have a chance to make names for themselves by emerging as a go-to player for quarterback Mike Glennon.
• The running game. NC State returns four of five starters on the offensive line, but will Mustafa Greene return in time for the spring? When he does, the Pack will have another new running backs coach, who has yet to be announced. NC State had the No. 109 rushing offense in the country last year. Greene would be a big boost.

WAKE FOREST

Spring practice start date: March 1
Spring game: April 14 (1 p.m. ET)

What to watch:

• The revamped offensive line. The Deacs have to replace four starters up front. Coach Jim Grobe has played only one true freshman there in 11 years. He has several redshirt freshmen and sophomores who are expected to fill in.
• The next playmakers. Wake Forest is thin at running back (Josh Harris returns, but has a history of hamstring injuries), the Deacs lose two starting wideouts -- including record-setter Chris Givens -- their top two tight ends and 2011 leading rusher Brandon Pendergrass.
• Solidifying the secondary. The Deacs have to replace starting free safety Josh Bush and starting strong safety Cyhl Quarles. There is still plenty of talent at cornerback, but the safety position is thin.

The summer is almost over. Next week is game week, when the teams will shift their focus to their Week 1 opponents, if they haven't already. The goal of this series is to quickly catch you up on what has happened at each ACC school during summer camp, a quick-hit recap of the main storylines and most notable injuries. We'll go in alphabetical order, starting with Boston College:

• There has been significant change on offense. There is an excitement around first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers, and for the first time in three years, the Eagles know who their starting quarterback will be for the season opener -- Chase Rettig. In the first two scrimmages, the offense dominated the defense, and that doesn't happen at BC. In the two years prior to this year, BC's offense had never scored a touchdown in a scrimmage. Linebacker Luke Kuechly made it a point heading into the third scrimmage to make sure his teammates knew that scrimmage would be about the D, but the main storyline out of Chestnut Hill this month has been the offense.
• Running back Montel Harris underwent another arthroscopic knee surgery last week, and will miss three to four weeks, and then his backup, Andre Williams, sprained his ankle in Sunday's scrimmage. Still, the staff is confident in the depth and talent at the position, and Williams was walking around today and looked fine, according to a school spokesman, who added that Williams said it wasn't too swollen.
• The depth on the offensive line remains a question. There have been a few nagging injuries, but John Wetzel has taken over for Anthony Castonzo at left tackle, and the staff has been pleased with his progress. Mark Spinney has been working with the first team at left guard, and redshirt freshman Andy Gallik has been taking most of the first-team reps at center.
• Defensively, the Eagles are still looking for who will emerge as their starter at strongside linebacker, and Steele Divitto appears to be the frontrunner, but Nick Clancy had a good scrimmage.
• True freshman defensive end Mehdi Abdesmad has played well enough that he likely will see some meaningful snaps this fall.
• One lingering concern is the No. 2 quarterback position. If Rettig is injured, Josh Bordner is the likely backup, but he has been slowed by some back problems.

You are going to argue about this. How do I know? Because I'm still arguing with myself over it ...

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.