ESPN College Football

2010 overall record: 4-8

2010 conference record: 1-7

Returning starters

Offense: 8, defense: 9, punter/kicker: 2

Top returners

WR Kris Burd, OT Morgan Moses, G Austin Pasztor, TB Perry Jones, DT Matt Conrath, DT Nick Jenkins, DE Cam Johnson, CB Chase Minnifield, SS Rodney McLeod, LB Steve Greer

Key losses

WR Dontrelle Inman, QB Marc Verica, DE Zane Parr, RB Keith Payne, LB Darnell Carter

2010 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Payne (749 yards)

Passing: Verica (2,799 yds)

Receiving: Burd* (799 yds)

Tackles: LaRoy Reynolds* (66)

Sacks: Cam Johnson* (6.5)

Interceptions: Minnifield* (6)

Spring answers

1. Good move for Gooch. Miles Gooch made the move from quarterback to receiver this spring, and because of the numerous injuries to the wideouts, he got significant reps. Whether that translates into game snaps remains to be seen, but with a crowded competition at quarterback, his odds are better at receiver.

2. No move for Mathis. Jeremiah Mathis moved from defensive end to tight end last year, and he stayed there this spring. Coach Mike London has said Mathis has a huge upside on the offensive side of the ball. Mathis caught three passes in 10 games last year, but that number could increase this fall with the departure of Joe Torchia.

3. Another step forward on defense. With nine starters returning in the second season in the 4-3 scheme, the Cavaliers showed improvement this spring. London said the defense is well ahead of where it was this time a year ago because of the transition and coaching change.

Fall questions

1. Who’s the quarterback? Michael Rocco, Ross Metheny, Michael Strauss and true freshman David Watford will continue their competition in summer camp, as none of them separated themselves this spring. While it’s limited, Metheny and Rocco have the most experience, but that hasn’t guaranteed them anything, according to London.

2. Who will compensate for the loss of production with the departure of Keith Payne? Perry Jones, Kevin Parks and Khalek Shepherd will likely share the carries, but the latter two are redshirt freshmen with no game experience. Jones ran for 646 yards last year.

3. Roster cuts. London needs to trim the roster to meet the NCAA’s 85-scholarship limit, and he has not determined how he plans to do that yet. If Devin Wallace does not return from his suspension, that will make one less -- and one less starter on defense. London has not yet released a number on how many fifth-year seniors will be invited back. Different scenarios could transpire in the next few months to get this question answered, as some players might not qualify and will have to attend prep school.

This morning we looked at the main recruiting needs for the Atlantic Division. Here are the priorities for each team in the Coastal Division:

DUKE

Offensive line: The Blue Devils will have to replace one starter in center Bryan Morgan, and it’s still a relatively young group, but with several redshirt sophomores on the roster, the staff wants to load up two grades behind them to fully stock the position for the future.

Defensive line: This has always been Duke’s deficiency, which means it will always be a priority to catch up and build depth. The Blue Devils will have to replace two starters in Wesley Oglesby and Patrick Egboh. Noseguard Charlie Hatcher will be a redshirt senior.

Cornerback: Duke only loses one starter, cornerback Chris Rwabukamba, but it’s another position that has been weak and needs better athletes.

GEORGIA TECH

Offensive line: The early departure of Nick Claytor to the NFL didn’t help the depth, but there were still several young players who gained valuable experience and others who redshirted to help the depth. While no true freshman is likely to make an immediate impact, the staff is still looking to build the numbers up front.

Linebacker/defensive line: The Jackets need to find more athletes who are suited for Al Groh’s 3-4 scheme. Fast athletes who are versatile enough to play a hybrid role, with the ability to move in space, will be a priority in this class.

MIAMI

Quarterback: With Jacory Harris being a senior, A.J. Highsmith moving to defense, and Spencer Whipple struggling in what little time he has played, the position needs a boost. It didn’t help that Teddy Bridgewater reneged on his commitment.

Linebacker: This is a position former coach Randy Shannon had put an emphasis on building, and there are young players and depth, but it was also a veteran group in the 2010 two-deep, with mainly juniors and seniors.

Wide receiver: The upperclassmen did all of the work in 2010, with Leonard Hankerson leading the way. Travis Benjamin, Aldarius Johnson and Laron Byrd will all be seniors. An influx of young talent is needed.

Defensive end: The staff is looking to improve the depth here, get stronger up front, and build upon the success from 2010. Marcus Robinson, Adewale Ojomo, and Micanor Regis will all be seniors.

NORTH CAROLINA

Tailback: Injuries depleted this group in 2010, and Anthony Elzy, Johnny White and Shaun Draughn were both seniors. Ryan Houston was able to redshirt and will return as a fifth-year senior, but the Tar Heels need more dependable runners and a foundation for the future.

Defensive line: The Tar Heels have to prepare for some departures, especially on the interior, where all four players on the two-deep roster in 2010 were juniors.

Secondary: UNC will have to replace three starters in the secondary this spring, and three backups this year were juniors. Because of the NCAA investigation, this is a group in which backups had to develop quickly, so there are some experienced younger players, but the group still needs to reload.

Tight end: The loss of Zach Pianalto and his backup, Ed Barham, leaves the position thin.

VIRGINIA

Offensive line: With starting right guard B.J. Cabbell gone, starting center Anthony Mihota a senior, and starting left guard Austin Pasztor a senior, the staff has to prepare for some departures. Morgan Moses and Oday Aboushi are talented young players, but the rotation needs more of them.

Defensive line: End Zane Parr’s decision to leave early for the NFL draft hurt the position’s depth, and the Cavs will also have to replace John-Kevin Dolce at tackle. Three other players in the two-deep will be rising seniors, and with Virginia switching back to a 4-3 defense under Mike London, the Cavs have to rebuild up front.

Secondary: Cornerback is of particular concern, as Chase Minnifield will be a senior, and starter Mike Parker will graduate.

VIRGINIA TECH

Running back: The early departures of Ryan Williams and Darren Evans to the NFL left David Wilson as the only tailback with any significant experience. Overall, the Hokies have four tailbacks on their current roster.

Defensive line: The Hokies will have to replace redshirt senior starters Steven Friday and John Graves, and starting left end Chris Drager will be a redshirt senior this year.

Wide receiver/tight end: Starters Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale will be seniors, and tight end Andre Smith will graduate.

Secondary: Half the players on the two-deep roster against Stanford were either juniors or seniors, and the Hokies will have to replace rover Davon Morgan and cornerback Rashad Carmichael.

Virginia junior defensive end Zane Parr will forego his final year of eligibility and declare for the NFL draft, the school announced this afternoon.

"I have expressed to Zane the benefits of staying at Virginia and pursuing his academic and athletic opportunities for his final season," coach Mike London said in a prepared statement. "In the end, Zane decided declaring for the draft and withdrawing from school to prepare for it is the course of action he wants to pursue. I wish him the best and appreciate his contributions to the program."

Parr played in all 12 games in 2010, and started 10. He finished the season with 48 tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks. During his three-year career, he played in 30 games, registered 83 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He redshirted the 2007 season and played in six games as a redshirt freshman before missing the final five games with a knee injury.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- We've already seen two fumbles -- both on punt returns -- and the second was costly, as it set Georgia Tech up on the Virginia 11-yard line. Twice so far, though, the Jackets have hurt themselves with penalties (was FSU starting a trend Thursday night?), and the 15-yard penalty for an illegal block forced the Jackets to settle for a field goal, despite getting as close as the 3-yard line.Virginia trails 3-0 right now.

One of the questions heading into this game was whether or not Georgia Tech's defense could continue the success it had in the upset over Virginia Tech last week, and at least on the Cavs' opening drive, it did. Equally as impressive, though, was how aggressive and disciplined Virginia looked on defense. This shouldn't be a surprise, as coach Al Groh is a defensive mind who isn't fazed by this offense. There was no doubt he was going to have them prepared, and containing the Jackets early is important. Of course, a false start penalty on fourth down didn't help Georgia Tech, either, on its opening drive.

Zane Parr started in place of injured defensive end Matt Conrath, but it was Nate Collins who came up with a huge stop to force third down.

With the way the rain is coming down, odds are we'll see a few more fumbles this game, but neither team can afford to add penalties to the list of problems.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Hello from Scott Stadium, where it's a dreary, humid day and the rain just started to come down steadily. Maybe it's the weather that's keeping folks away, but there was a bigger line at Bodo's Bagel Bakery this morning than there was to get parking. If it continues to rain during the game, it would be the first time it's rained during a game in Scott Stadium since the 2002 game against NC State. The forecast is calling for a tenth to a quarter of an inch of rain during the game.

Here's what really matters on the field, though: Virginia will be missing defensive end Matt Conrath, arguably the top defender, against one of the most difficult offenses to defend. Conrath is out with an ankle injury. Filling in for him will be Zane Parr, who has been used mostly in dime and pass-rush situations this year, and Will Hill, a true freshman who enrolled in January.

The good news for the Cavs is that standout running back Mikell Simpson will be back in the lineup after sustaining a neck injury two weeks ago. He was held out of the Maryland game last week for precautionary reasons, but practiced all week. Because of the weather, turnovers and running the ball will be key. Having Simpson back will help even the ground game out, but the defense will have to be disciplined and play harder without Conrath if an upset is to occur today.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

BOSTON COLLEGE

OUT FOR SEASON

LB Mark Herzlich (illness)

FOR NC STATE GAME

WR Ifeanyi Momah (knee) – OUT

TE Jordon McMichael (hip) – DOUBTFUL

LB Will Thompson (shoulder) – DOUBTFUL

FB James McCluskey (Achilles) – QUESTIONABLE

FS Okechukwu Okoroha (leg) – PROBABLE

DT Austin Giles (back) – PROBABLE

CB Roderick Rollins (Leg) – PROBABLE

DE Alex Albright (ankle) – PROBABLE

DT Damik Scafe (neck/shoulder) – PROBABLE

CLEMSON

I don't have an injury report, but I do have the following lineup changes:

After practice Thursday coach Dabo Swinney announced that Dalton Freeman would start at center. Scotty Cooper will miss the game while still recovering from a concussion suffered at Maryland. Daniel Andrews will move up to second-team strongside linebacker behind Kevin Alexander.

GEORGIA TECH

Out

Kevin Cone, r-Jr., WR (ankle)

Robert Hall, r-Jr., DE (knee)

Questionable

Anthony Egbuniwe, Jr., DE (illness)

Cooper Taylor, So., S (undisclosed)

Out For Season

Kyle Jackson, r-So., LB (foot)

MARYLAND

Out for season:

Tyler Bowen (foot)

Nolan Carroll (leg)

Out:

Travis Baltz (ankle)

Masengo Kabongo (leg)

Da’Rel Scott (wrist)

Questionable:

Bruce Campbell (leg)

Demetrius Hartsfield (hand)

MIAMI

Probable

RB Lee Chambers – Lower Extremity

RB Graig Cooper – Lower Extremity

Doubtful

OL Joel Figueroa – Lower Extremity

Out

FB Patrick Hill – Lower Extremity

DL Josh Holmes – Lower Extremity

WR Aldarius Johnson – Upper Extremity

DL Eric Moncur – Lower Extremity

DB JoJo Nicolas – Upper Extremity

DB Randy Phillips – Upper Extremity

Surgery and Out for the Season

DL Dyron Dye – Lower Extremity

DL Marcus Forston – Lower Extremity

LB Jordan Futch – Lower Extremity

TE Richard Gordon – Upper Extremity

LB Shayon Green – Lower Extremity

DE Gavin Hardin – Upper Extremity

DB Ryan Hill – Upper Extremity

DE Adewale Ojomo – Jaw

NC STATE

OUT FOR SEASON

Mario Carter, TE - knee

Ryan Cheek, LB - hip

Denzelle Good, OL - shoulder

Nate Irving, LB - leg

Colby Jackson, FB - knee

Everett Proctor, QB - shoulder

Javon Walker, S - knee

OUT

Jeff Rieskamp, DE – hip

Jesse Riley, DB - knee

VIRGINIA

Out

Javaris Brown (ankle)

Doubtful

Mikell Simpson (neck)

Questionable

none

Probable

Landon Bradley (knee)

BJ Cabbell (ankle)

Patch Duda (flu)

Mike Parker (knee)

Zane Parr (ankle)

Brandon Woods (foot)

VIRGINIA TECH

Out for Season

Darren Evans (ACL)

Probable

Marcus Davis (ankle)

Mark Muncey (knee)

Sergio Render (pec strain)

Eddie Whitley (ankle)

Ryan Williams (illness)

Out

Brandon Dillard (ankle)

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Granted, the pool at the Ritz, the lake and the top shelf drinks were somewhat of a distraction this past weekend, but I didn't forget to finish up the remaining position battles left in the ACC. You guys have been doing a great job of reminding me if I'm too heavy on one school or another, so keep keeping me balanced.

All the more reason not to forget the end of the alphabet.

Here's a look at the top spots still up for grabs in Charlottesville, and since there are only 10 returning starters, get comfy:

QUARTERBACK -- This is the most obvious spot, but according to Al Groh, there's not an obvious candidate. It's not like he hasn't dealt with this before. It's the fourth time in Groh's tenure at Virginia that the quarterback job has been contested during fall camp. Scott Deke, Peter Lalich and Marc Verica split time during the spring. Lalich has the most experience, as he completed 35 of 61 passes for 321 yards and two TDs as a true freshman last season. Deke, a senior, played in one game last year and was the starter in the spring game, while Verica, a sophomore, has yet to play.

KICKER/PUNTER -- The most likely replacement for placekicker Chris Gould would be redshirt freshman Chris Hinkebein. The situation at punter is wide open. Senior John Thornton joined the team as a walk-on two years ago but has never played, nor has sophomore Nathan Rathjen, who rejoined the team in the spring after not being on the roster in '07 (he walked on in 2006). Jimmy Howell was one of the team's signees in February and could be in the mix as well. Groh has used true freshmen as punters before (Tom Hagan in 2002, Gould in '04).

DEFENSIVE LINE -- The only thing we're certain of here is who's gone. Junior nose tackle Nate Collins worked with the first unit during the spring in place of the graduated Allen Billyk. Collins has significant experience and is likely to be backed up by redshirt freshman Nick Jenkins, a promising player.

Alex Field, a 6-foot-7, 270-pound senior, is probably going to be Chris Long's replacement at one end. He got the most work there this spring. Redshirt freshman Zane Parr will also be given a chance to get in the rotation.

Sophomore Sean Gottschalk finished with four tackles in nine games last season and will battle redshirt freshman Matt Conrath at the other end spot formerly manned by Jeffrey Fitzgerald. Conrath has good size at 6-foot-7, 269 and is still growing into his body.

OFFENSIVE LINE -- Both tackles are back, including Eugene Monroe, who might be the best left tackle in the league. Center will be contested between sophomore Jack Shields and redshirt freshman Anthony Mihota. Shields, who came to Virginia as a tight end, played in only one game last year. Senior Zak Stair and junior Patrick Slebonick will start out in the competition to replace first-round draft pick Branden Albert at left guard. Stair, previously a tackle, moved inside this spring. Slebonick has made just one appearance in his career. Sophomore B.J. Cabbell took the most snaps at right guard in the spring and is trying to replace the graduated Ian-Yates Cunningham. He's expected to battle redshirt freshman Billy Cuffee.

Check back tomorrow for Virginia Tech, and I'll wrap it up on Friday with Wake Forest.