February 13, 2008

Mike Farrell
Recruiting Analyst

It was a great recruiting year in the ACC in 2008, especially for Miami, Florida State and Clemson.

How good?

Those three teams boast 19 of the 24 slots on the ACC Signing Day Dream Team.

Miami leads the way with nine players on the team led by the nation's top defensive tackle in Marcus Forston. Of those nine, including Forston, five hail from the same school ? Miami (Fla.) Northwestern. Could this be the year that puts the ACC back amongst the elite conferences in the nation?

QB E.J. Manuel
HIGH SCHOOL: Virginia Beach (Va.) Bayside
COLLEGE: Florida State
BUZZ: Could solve FSU's recent quarterback issues.

RB Ryan Williams
HIGH SCHOOL: Manassas (Va.) Stonewall Jackson
COLLEGE: Virginia Tech
BUZZ: Too talented to redshirt and could be the next great back in Blacksburg.

RB Josh Haden
HIGH SCHOOL: Fort Washington (Md.) Friendly
COLLEGE: Boston College
BUZZ: With no BC running backs returning, Haden could be the starter right away.

WR Tommy Streeter
HIGH SCHOOL: Miami (Fla.) Northwestern
COLLEGE: Miami
BUZZ: Huge wideout will be a red zone threat.

WR Aldarius Johnson
HIGH SCHOOL: Miami (Fla.) Northwestern
COLLEGE: Miami
BUZZ: Touchdown maker had 31 in his last two years of high school.

TE Jabaris Little
HIGH SCHOOL: Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln
COLLEGE: Florida State
BUZZ: Perhaps the guy who gets the tight end involved in FSU's offense.

OL Antoine McClain
HIGH SCHOOL: Anniston, Ala.
COLLEGE: Clemson
BUZZ: One of only a few players who left Alabama.

OL Vinston Painter
HIGH SCHOOL: Norfolk (Va.) Maury
COLLEGE: Virginia Tech
BUZZ: The top offensive line prize in Virginia for 2008.

OL Zebrie Sanders
HIGH SCHOOL: Clayton (Ohio) Northmont
COLLEGE: Florida State
BUZZ: Great build with plenty of room to add good weight.

OL Brandon Washington
HIGH SCHOOL: Miami (Fla.) Northwestern
COLLEGE: Miami
BUZZ: Massive interior lineman should help trouble spot down the line for 'Canes.

OL Benjamin Jones
HIGH SCHOOL: Miami (Fla.) Northwestern
COLLEGE: Miami
BUZZ: Some say he has the most potential of all the Miami Northwestern kids.

ATH Jarmon Fortson
HIGH SCHOOL: Columbus (Ga.) Carver
COLLEGE: Florida State
BUZZ: Expected to get first look at wide receiver.

ACC Signing Day Dream Team: Defense

DE DaQuan Bowers
HIGH SCHOOL: Bamberg (S.C.) Bamberg-Ehrhardt
COLLEGE: Clemson
BUZZ: Nation's No. 2 player will not redshirt.

DE Quinton Coples
HIGH SCHOOL: Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy
COLLEGE: North Carolina
BUZZ: Raised competition level should help him compete early.

DT Marcus Forston
HIGH SCHOOL: Miami (Fla.) Northwestern
COLLEGE: Miami
BUZZ: Warren Sapp at Miami? Could be.

DT Brandon Thompson
HIGH SCHOOL: Thomasville, Ga.
COLLEGE: Clemson
BUZZ: One of the strongest players in the country.

LB Nigel Bradham
HIGH SCHOOL: Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla
COLLEGE: Florida State
BUZZ: Special linebacker covers a lot of field.

LB Arthur Brown
HIGH SCHOOL: Wichita (Kan.) Wichita East
COLLEGE: Miami
BUZZ: Tackling machine with great speed.

LB Marcus Robinson
HIGH SCHOOL: Homestead, Fla.
COLLEGE: Miami
BUZZ: Good size and quickness will compliment Brown.

CB Brandon Harris
HIGH SCHOOL: Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington
COLLEGE: Miami
BUZZ: Great in coverage and can deal with bigger receivers.

CB Cameron Chism
HIGH SCHOOL: Forestville (Md.) Bishop McNamara
COLLEGE: Maryland
BUZZ: Raw but has great size at the position.

S Ramon Buchanan
HIGH SCHOOL: Melbourne (Fla.) Palm Bay
COLLEGE: Miami
BUZZ: Could be special at safety or at linebacker.

S Spencer Adams
HIGH SCHOOL: Matthews (N.C.) Butler
COLLEGE: Clemson
BUZZ: Pure speed and the willingness to hit.

ATH A.J. Alexander
HIGH SCHOOL: Altoona, Pa.
COLLEGE: Florida State
BUZZ: Quickness and change of direction will likely land him at corner.