North Carolina, Pittsburgh hanging around ACC title picture, NC State looms as wild card

The ACC title race, just weeks before the season begins, is shaping up as a likely two-team race between Clemson and Florida State, but could someone else crash the party? The likes of North Carolina, Pittsburgh and NC State would certainly like to.

That’s the trio of teams that ESPN and ACC Network analyst Roddy Jones tabbed as potential conference contenders outside of the Seminoles and Tigers, all for very different reasons. And while he’s more confident in the former two over the Wolfpack to be in contention, Jones broke down his case for all three teams with On3’s Andy Staples on Tuesday.

“But if it’s not Clemson or Florida State, then it’s, in my opinion, either going to be North Carolina, Pittsburgh, or NC State in the championship game,” Jones said.

North Carolina was the first team Jones thought of and before discussing star quarterback Drake Maye, he acknowledged the defense needs to take a notable step forward this season.

After starting the season as one of the worst Power 5 defenses, the Tar Heels didn’t climb out of the basement in total defense despite a stronger finish to the year than start. After 13 games, North Carolina finished No. 116 nationally in total defense in 2022.

Jones thinks if the unit can step from bad to adequate, there should be enough juice offensive to have North Carolina in the hunt for an ACC title yet again.

“And then offensively, yes they lose Phil Longo, yes they lose Josh Downs, but I think the focus on this offense is on Drake Maye and the receivers when it really should be on that running back room,” Jones said. “I think that running back room has a chance to be one of the best in the ACC. British Brooks, remember, got injured, tore his ACL before the season last year. Didn’t play a year ago. So Elijah Green stepped up and was fantastic. Caleb Hood has his moments. Then you’ve got these two freshmen from a year ago that are now sophomores, Omarion Hampton and George Pettway, that were really highly touted. So I think that running back room is going to be really good and it may be the strength of that offense by the time it’s all said and done.”

The case for Pittsburgh to win the ACC that Jones laid out is the polar opposite from the Tar Heels. If the Panthers can get a decent passing game going with transfer quarterback Phil Jurkovec, Jones has no doubts in head coach Pat Narduzzi’s ability to cook up another strong defense.

And if it’s not Jurkovec, Jones is high on another transfer quarterback at Pitt, former Penn State signal caller Christian Veilleux.

“Offensively, they’re going to be able to run the football. The receiving corps. is experienced and maybe top end-wise not the most talented but really solid from top to bottom and then Phil Jurkovec transfers in from Boston College and I think he fits Frank Cignetti’s system better than Kedon Slovis did a year ago. And even if he gets hurt, which he’s been prone to, Christian Veilleux, the quarterback transfer that they got from Penn State, I think, is a really talented player. So I think they’ll be fine there no matter what, at quarterback,” Jones said.

The Wolfpack are a wildcard for Jones because he’s not sure what to make of the playmakers on offense. He’s considering NC State as a dark horse contender because of what transfer quarterback Brennan Armstrong and new offensive coordinator Robert Anae could do, reunited after they were at the head of a potent Virginia offense in 2021.

If Armstrong and Anae hit as quarterback and coordinator, respectively, Jones thinks the rest could fall into place for a real ACC title challenge from the Wolfpack.

“My biggest question, offensively, is where are the offensive playmakers at the skill positions? Because Brennan Armstrong transfers over from Virginia, reunites with Robert Anae, who was his offensive coordinator at Virginia two years ago when he threw for 4500 yards in 10.5 games, basically. Anae spent the year at Syracuse, now comes down to NC State, and I think that if they find playmakers at the skill positions, they could be really good on offense and probably leapfrog the two that I just mentioned,” Jones said.