In just over a month, ACC football will kick off in Ireland, with Florida State and Georgia Tech opening the 2024 season in Dublin.
Before games start Aug. 24, the ACC’s 17 teams will head to Charlotte for a four-day media event as part of ACC Kickoff, which will be televised Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on the ACC Network.
Duke will arrive first among the Tobacco Road rivals with its interview day set for Wednesday. North Carolina and NC State will take part Thursday.
Before coaches and players take the podium to discuss predictions, depth charts and an array of topics that likely won’t relate to football at all, here are the biggest questions facing the Blue Devils, Tar Heels and Wolfpack.
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How different will NC State’s offense look with portal additions, including QB Grayson McCall?
In 2023, the Wolfpack leaned on linebacker Payton Wilson, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and an elite defense. In 2024, with Wilson in the NFL, N.C. State will likely have to lean on its offense a bit more.
After being among the bottom five teams in the conference offensively, the Wolfpack went hunting for some playmakers in the transfer portal to join KC Concepcion, the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year.
Mission accomplished. Veteran quarterback Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina), running back Jordan Waters (Duke), wide receiver Noah Rogers (Ohio State) and tight end Justin Joly (UConn) are among the Pack’s additions.
Following a season in which N.C. State had the fourth-worst rushing offense and fifth-worst passing offense, coach Robert Anae’s group is primed to put up a lot more points in 2024. It’ll be interesting to see how McCall and Waters, along with the other arrivals, are able to take attention off Concepcion.
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UNC’s defense has to be better, but who will be the Tar Heels’ quarterback?
The Tar Heels have been spoiled with either Sam Howell or Drake Maye at quarterback for the last five seasons. Now, head coach Mack Brown is faced with a tough decision at the position, with three possible options for the Aug. 29 opener at Minnesota.
UNC is bringing two of its quarterbacks — Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson and returner Conner Harrell — to the ACC Kickoff. The other, Arkansas transfer Jacolby Criswell, started his career in Chapel Hill before heading to the SEC and coming back.
The defense has received plenty of warranted scrutiny in the last two seasons, but that unit has several standouts in Kaimon Rucker, Alijah Huzzie and Power Echols — and a new defensive coordinator in Geoff Collins.
The coaching change should improve the defense and running back Omarion Hampton can power the offense, but UNC has to find a consistent option at quarterback if it’s going to maximize its potential this season. All eyes will be on that position when preseason practice begins in August.
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Manny Diaz is known as a defensive guru, but which Duke QB will get the starting job?
Like its rival UNC, Duke will be bringing two quarterbacks to Charlotte for media day. Texas transfer Maalik Murphy and returner Grayson Loftis will be battling to be the Blue Devils’ starter in Manny Diaz’s debut season.
Diaz has proven he can work his magic as a defensive coach, but Duke’s offense lost dual-threat quarterback Riley Leonard to Notre Dame. Running back Jaquez Moore and wide receiver Jordan Moore return as two of the Blue Devils’ top playmakers, but the offensive line is a question mark.
Loftis started the final five games of last season for the Blue Devils, including a four-touchdown performance at UNC. Murphy brings the intrigue as a former four-star recruit who flashed his potential in the scarce opportunities he had with the Longhorns.
Diaz will have a tough decision before the Aug. 30 opener against Elon.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached atrbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
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