Kirk Herbstreit picks his best defense in ACC entering 2022

ACC Football will look to bounce back this fall after half the conference finished under .500 in 2021. While it boasted multiple powerful offenses, an improvement on the defensive end could do the trick. Six teams in the conference allowed at least 350 points last season. With plenty of options around the league, Kirk Herbstreit predicted which program would have the best defense in 2022.

On a recent appearance on ‘Gramlich & Mac Lain’, he said he expects Clemson to have the ACC’s top defensive unit. Although they’ll look different with Brent Venables off to Oklahoma, he says they’ll still be just as stout.

“It’s going to be weird to see Clemson this year without Coach V on the sidelines going crazy, being held back. Their defensive line is going to be arguably the best in the country. I really like to start there when it comes to trying to forecast who’s going to have a great defense,” said Herbstreit. “I saw enough in their bowl game, the Cheez-It Bowl against Iowa State – because Coach V by then was gone – to say you know what? They’re still going to be sophisticated, they’re still going to be active, they’re still going to be moving. (They’re a) tough defense to figure out. I think they’re going to have the top defense, even though they’re going to have a lot of new faces at linebacker and in the back end.”

With 193 points against last year, the Tigers finished first in the ACC. That averages out to 14.8 points per game on Dabo Swinney’s squad. Even with Venables out to Norman, they’ll still have the makings to stifle their competition.

Although he rode with the Tigers, he provided another option that could contend for the top spot. He included the NC State Wolfpack in the second part of his answer. DC Tony Gibson’s group finished behind Clemson with 236 points against for 19.7 a game. After tying for a second place finish in the ACC, Herbstreit thinks Dave Doeron’s defense could give them a chance at the top spot this year.

“I think NC State, with Coach Doeren, they always play physical,” he said. “Like I said, (they have) kind of an attitude about them.”

While it owned some high scoring teams last season, competing in the ACC requires a defense that’s up to the task. Between the Tigers and Wolfpack, Herbstreit believes either will have their chance at conference on that side of the football.