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New York Times
5 hours ago
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- New York Times
Where do Carson Beck, T.J. Parker rank? The 25 best players in the ACC in 2025
The Atlantic Coast Conference had 42 players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft — the league's highest total since 2021 — including No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Ward was one of seven Miami Hurricanes picked, which led the ACC. Clemson, which won its eighth league championship since 2015, had only three players selected. But the 2026 draft figures to be a big one for the Tigers. Advertisement Dabo Swinney's roster is loaded with returning starters on both sides of the ball, and Clemson is considered a heavy favorite to win the league title again. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that there are a lot of Tigers on our list of the 25 best players in the league. There might not be a better edge rusher in the country than the 6-foot-3, 265-pound junior from Phenix City, Ala. In 27 career games (17 starts), he has six forced fumbles, 32 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks. He took over Clemson's 24-20 win at Pittsburgh last year (four sacks) and terrorized SMU in the ACC Championship Game. It would not be a surprise if the ACC had the first edge rusher and offensive tackle taken in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mauigoa earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2024 and has been steadily improving in his two seasons as the Hurricanes' starting right tackle. He allowed only two sacks/hits last season — the only FBS tackle with two or fewer knockdowns on 500-plus pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The Tigers' two-headed monster on the defensive line, Parker and Woods, is one of several reasons they are favored to win the league in 2025. The 6-3, 315-pound Woods had 28 tackles, including 8.5 for loss and three sacks, in his first season as a full-time starter — solid numbers for an interior lineman. Klubnik is third behind Arch Manning (Texas) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) in Heisman odds, according to BetMGM. The reality is Klubnik probably has a better collection of receivers and offensive linemen than those other two QBs, which is why Clemson has a legitimate shot to win the national title. Klubnik's passing efficiency rating jumped from 80th in 2023 to 28th last season. His 36 touchdown passes in 2024 are the most for any returning quarterback in the country. Found myself watching Clemson/VT late into the night. I still find this play by Cade Klubnik objectively ridiculous. More like this from 2️⃣ in the fall, and great things will happen for the Tigers. 🎥: @ClemsonFB — Grayson Mann (@gray_mann21) June 17, 2025 Parker has to be the favorite for ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2025, but keep an eye on this 6-foot, 225-pound redshirt junior from East Orange, N.J. Louis, a first-team All-ACC pick in 2024, had 101 tackles (second among returning ACC players), 15.5 TFLs, seven sacks and four interceptions as a redshirt sophomore. His size is the only reason NFL scouts are projecting him as a Day 2 pick. Advertisement The 2023 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year was limited to 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks as he fought through injury and appeared in only nine games in 2024. But many expect the Miami native to regain his freshman-year form when he produced 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks and was a menace along the defensive front. At 6-3, 275 pounds, Bain will line up both inside and outside for new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman. Williams, a former top-75 national recruit, was a first-team All-ACC pick in 2024, catching 75 passes for 904 yards and a league-leading 11 TDs. A redshirt junior from Irmo, S.C., Williams teams with sophomores Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore to form the top wide receiver trio in the ACC and one of the best in the nation. The 5-11, 180-pound junior and younger brother of 2020 NFL first-round pick A.J. Terrell earned second-team All-ACC honors last fall. He was credited with 58 tackles, two interceptions and 12 pass breakups. He's considered a much better run defender than his brother — something new Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen surely likes. The 5-10 senior from Beaumont, Texas, is considered a top-50 prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. He's been highly productive in his career, with 164 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, five interceptions and 21 pass breakups over three seasons in Durham. He earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2024 and will help anchor what should be a top-three secondary in the league. The ACC player with the second-best odds to win the Heisman was Georgia's starting quarterback last season. Beck, considered at one point to be a candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, would love to follow in the footsteps of Ward, who was the first pick after putting up huge numbers in Shannon Dawson's offense. Beck, however, doesn't have the same talent at receiver that Ward had to work with. But he does have an elite offensive line, talent in the backfield and plenty of pass-catchers eager to prove themselves. Advertisement North Carolina's Omarion Hampton parlayed back-to-back ACC rushing titles into becoming a first-round pick. Brown, the top returning rusher in the league (1,173 yards as a true freshman), will be running behind an offensive line that returns only one starter. The good news is that Louisville coach Jeff Brohm has a pretty good track record in the portal. The Cards signed six O-line transfers who started at least seven games last season, including two from Power 4 schools. New quarterback Miller Moss (USC) can also spin it. Louisville RB Isaac Brown will be one of the best 2027 Running Backs: You want to talk about a modern day RB? – Incredible burst– Dynamic receiver 1,100+ rush yards on 7.1 YPC and 30+ receptions as a true freshman. Do-it-all running back at the next level. — Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) May 19, 2025 Miller is one of the two returning first-team All-ACC offensive linemen. The 6-6, 315-pound Ohio native has started 41 games in his career, with all but two coming at right tackle. The only returning ACC offensive lineman with more career starts is the guy who lines up next to him at Clemson: right guard Walker Parks (42 starts). Who are the ACC's most experienced quarterbacks? SMU backup Tyler Van Dyke and King, who both have 31 career starts. King finished second in the league last season to Ward in passing efficiency, throwing only two interceptions while completing 72.9 percent of his attempts for 2,114 yards and 14 touchdowns. Of course, what makes King so dynamic is his ability to take off and run, and his 587 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns are the most for a quarterback returning to the league this season. Mensah, a former two-star recruit from California, got paid a lot of money to leave Tulane and replace Maalik Murphy (now at Oregon State). He ranked sixth nationally in passing efficiency as a redshirt freshman, completing 65.9 percent of his attempts for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Duke has some holes to fill around Mensah, but three starters return on the offensive line, and the Blue Devils should again have a good defense. The first-team All-ACC first selection in 2024 is one of two returning full-time starters from the No. 1 scoring defense in the league. The 6-1, 202-pound fifth-year senior, Dallas native and former three-star recruit is one of only four Power 4 players nationally who had 100 tackles and at least three interceptions last season. Woodaz, a senior and former three-star recruit from Tampa, Fla., recorded 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, five pass breakups and one interception last season to earn All-ACC honorable mention honors. He will be asked to lead a linebacking corps that lost Barrett Carter to the NFL. Few former FCS transfers made as big an impact last season as Reid did for the Panthers. He earned first-team All-ACC honors as an all-purpose threat, rushing for 966 yards and five touchdowns while catching a team-high 52 passes for 579 yards and four scores. He also scored on a 78-yard punt return. The 5-8, 175-pound Miami native was an unranked recruit coming out of high school who played two seasons at Western Carolina. Desmond Reid can FLY ✈️ 📺 ESPN2 #H2P » #WeNotMe — Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) September 7, 2024 Barnes has led Clemson in interceptions the last two seasons, with three in 2023 and four in 2024. His 21 career starts are the most in Clemson's secondary. The Tigers need to fill the spot next to him at safety with R.J. Mickens off to the NFL, and will rely heavily on Barnes to lead. Brown earned third-team All-ACC honors in 2023 when the Seminoles won the league title and went 13-0 overall. Last season, he led FSU with 70 tackles and was among the nation's leaders with two blocked field goals in a dreadful 2-10 season. Back for his fifth season in Tallahassee, Brown should thrive in new defensive coordinator Tony White's 3-3-5 scheme. Advertisement With Syracuse's Oronde Gadsden II off to the NFL and Jack Endries leaving Cal for Texas, Joly is the top returning tight end in the ACC from a production standpoint. The former UConn transfer caught 43 passes for 661 yards and four touchdowns last season and should be one of the primary targets for sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey in new coordinator Kurt Roper's offense. 'Big Red' anchored Georgia Tech's offensive line, which tied for second nationally in fewest sacks allowed (six) and paved the way for a rushing attack that ranked fourth in the ACC in yards per carry (4.95). The 6-4, 310-pound senior, a former transfer from Middle Tennessee, earned first-team All-ACC honors and was a first-team All-America pick by Sports Info Solutions. Brown is one of 16 former five-star recruits in the ACC — and one of Clemson's seven. As a freshman in 2024, he started six games and finished third on the team with 80 tackles, including 11.5 for loss and five sacks. He earned Freshman All-America honors and became the fourth Clemson player to win ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. Syracuse lost a lot of star power from Fran Brown's 10-3 debut as head coach. Chestnut's 35 career starts make him by far the Orange's most experienced returning player. He finished second on the team with 62 tackles and added five pass breakups, one interception and 3.5 tackles for loss. The third-year junior from Columbus, Ohio, started nine games for the Panthers last season and produced 82 tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks and one interception return for a touchdown. It earned him a spot on the All-ACC third team. He's one of six full-time starters back for veteran defensive coordinator Randy Bates, whose unit ranked fourth in the league in yards per play allowed (5.15) and second in yards per carry allowed (3.08). Robinson is among six full-time defensive starters back for Tony Elliott, who desperately needs a big year after winning only 11 games in his first three seasons. Robinson's stellar sophomore season included 64 tackles, including six for loss and five sacks. 26. Kevin Jennings, QB, SMU Advertisement 27. Duce Robinson, WR, Florida State 28. Jimmy Scott, DE, Pittsburgh 29. PJ Williams, OT, SMU 30. Jamal Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech 31. Lewis Bond, WR, Boston College 32. Wesley Williams, DE, Duke 33. Terry Moore, S, Duke 34. RJ Maryland, TE, SMU 35. Sam Roush, TE, Stanford (Photo of T.J. Parker: Bob Donnan / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
5 hours ago
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- Yahoo
How did Bengals react to Shemar Stewart's public bashing?
The Cincinnati Bengals haven't said much beyond the expected publicly when it comes to first-round pick Shemar Stewart. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says the communication with Stewart is good and other coach-speak things. Defensive coordinator Al Golden has kept it succinct, saying he wants Stewart out there as soon as possible. Advertisement What's interesting, though, is considering how the team might've reacted to Stewart's brash, public comments before leaving the last day of minicamp early. Paul Dehner Jr. provided a glimpse: 'There's no direct blame on Stewart, a 21-year-old, for fully understanding the issues that have transpired on the business side, but the handling of the situation on the whole left an impression. His verbal bombardment of team brass before even taking a snap left a relevant question about who the Bengals acquired with this pick and how much maturing is necessary to reach his potential.' RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route Advertisement Frustration from both sides would be understandable at this point. The Bengals reportedly wanted to start a new precedent with certain contract language and Stewart doesn't have a lot of leverage in the situation. But he also not wanting to be the first makes sense. The Bengals not exactly loving a rookie speaking out in such a manner makes sense, too, so it'll be interesting to see if this drags into training camp and what happens then. But those Bengals have earned their reputation long ago and will continue to lose the battle in the court of public opinion no matter what ends up happening with Stewart. RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: How did Bengals react to Shemar Stewart's public bashing?
Yahoo
6 hours ago
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Titans' Chimere Dike lands on preseason All-Rookie team
Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi knew what he was doing when he selected wide receiver Chimere Dike out of Florida in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft. It was partially to add a young receiver who could develop a long-lasting bond with newly drafted rookie quarterback Cam Ward. The idea is that they will be the duo of the future in Nashville. But before that can happen, both Dike and Ward have to acclimate to the league, and that means different things for each player. For Dike, it likely means a lesser role as a receiver and a larger role as a return specialist, something he did in college. In conjunction with the hiring of John Fassel this offseason, Dike has a bright future on special teams, which is likely why selected him for their All-Rookie team as a return man. Drafted: Round 4, No. 103 overall Tennessee hired venerable special teams coordinator John Fassel this offseason. Under Fassel's tutelage over the last three years in Dallas, KaVontae Turpin emerged as one of the league's most dangerous returners, making the Pro Bowl twice and earning first-team All-Pro honors this past season. Dike brings extensive college experience as a kick and punt returner. Not to mention, he blazed the 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds. Oh, and here's a fun note of debatable relevance: Dike's No. 2 comp on MockDraftable is a man by the name of Devin Hester. Advertisement Over four years between Wisconsin and Florida, Dike returned 29 punts for 295 yards (an average of over 10 yards per return). He also returned 22 kicks for 472 yards (over 22 yards per return) over three years in Wisconsin. He has the experience to be a very good return man in the NFL, and if the Devin Hester comparison is accurate, the Titans just found themselves a wild card. Because while Dike will excel on special teams, he will also excel as a receiver and eventually be a starter. Between Fassel and Dike, the Titans may have answered their special teams woes. This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans' Chimere Dike lands on preseason All-Rookie team as specialist
Yahoo
8 hours ago
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Jets' Draft Pick Named To Preseason All-Rookie Team
Jets' Draft Pick Named To Preseason All-Rookie Team originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Entering the 2025 NFL Draft, it seemed clear that the New York Jets had one man on their mind: Armand Membou. The Jets landed Membou with the No. 7 overall selection in the draft, solidifying their offensive line. Advertisement The former Missouri Tiger joins a youthful and fortified line, flanked by young stars such as Olu Fashanu and Alijah Vera-Tucker. Membou has been highly lauded by draft and college analysts for his technique, athleticism and potential. On top of his All-Pro potential, Membou is expected to make an instant impact, already penciled in as the starting tackle opposite of Fashanu. Gennaro Filice compiled his All-Rookie team of 11 rookies who he thinks will make an instant impact on offense. The lead tackle on the lead? Membou. "Entering this past April's draft, the Jets' offensive line boasted a capable starter at four of the five slots." Filice wrote. "So, one year after the old regime used its last first-round pick on an athletic left tackle (Olu Fashanu), the new regime used its first first-rounder on a mauler to man the right edge." Filice feels confident about Membou's physical tools and technique. Membou isn't all flashy in athletic and physical tests, but he's a legit protector in the pass game. Advertisement "At a touch over 6-4 and 332 pounds, Membou put on an impressive athletic display at the NFL Scouting Combine." Filice wrote. "But the 21-year-old's no simple 'workout warrior,' as he spent the last three years making a name for himself in the SEC. Taking over as Missouri's right tackle midway through his true freshman season back in 2022, Membou ultimately played 36 games (with 30 starts) for the Tigers, giving up a grand total of three sacks, including zero this past season." Membou has high expectations as a pass protector. But that's not his only job. As a tackle, he has to be able to lay down blocks and protect his running back or a scrambling quarterback. And Filice thinks he's well equipped for the job. "And in the ground game, he was a violent road-grader who routinely climbed to the second level to bury overmatched defenders -- this undoubtedly caught the eyes of new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey, who are looking to build a stout rushing attack around quarterback Justin Fields." Filice continued, "Membou could be the final piece to an extremely promising offensive line." Related: Jets Fans React to 'Thiccer Kicker' Related: Can Jets' 'Biggest Question' Be Answered In 2025? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
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Browns' Shedeur Sanders Should Learn From Myles Garrett's Speeding Accident
Browns' Shedeur Sanders Should Learn From Myles Garrett's Speeding Accident originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Many teams passed on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft because of how he has acted in the past, but the Cleveland Browns decided to take a chance on him. Advertisement And he is not off to the best start that he could be in first year in the league. The rookie quarterback was cited on Tuesday morning for driving 101 miles per hour in a 60 zone on I-71 in Strongsville, Ohio. This could remind Browns fans of one of their star players a few years ago. Defensive superstar Myles Garrett was driving with a passenger back in 2022 when he lost control and flipped the car three times. If he had not had his seatbelt on, he could have sustained much more serious injuries than he did, or worse. This accident came about because Garrett was speeding, which is the seventh time he was cited for driving over the speed limit. He has not been in trouble behind the wheel since then, so Sanders could learn a thing or two from his teammate. Advertisement Sanders has a great opportunity in Cleveland with how uncertain the quarterback situation is. The team has five on the roster, but none of them are the solidified starter. Many think he should at least be the team's QB2 going into the 205 season. If he can learn from his mistakes and slow down on the roads, he could have a very good chance of becoming the Browns' starting quarterback in his rookie season. Related: Browns Star Cracks Top 5 of NFL's 100 Best Players Related: Browns Shedeur Sanders Ticketed For Driving 101 MPH This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
