ACC releases list of 51 undrafted players getting NFL shots

Greensboro, N.C.—A total of 51 players from Atlantic Coast Conference schools have signed free agent contracts or received invitations to attend free agent camps from teams in the National Football League.
Combined with the 31 ACC players drafted by the NFL, a total of 82 players from ACC schools will head to NFL training camps this year.
When draftees (3) and free agents (10) from Pittsburgh and Syracuse are included, teams which will join the ACC this July 1, the number of players headed to the NFL grows to a total of 95 players.

ACC NFL Free Agent Signees (as of May 9)
Boston College (5)
Nick Clancy                         LB               Atlanta Falcons
Emmett Cleary                  T                  Indianapolis Colts
Jim Noel                               DB              Seattle Seahawks
Chris Pantale                      TE               New York Jets
John Wetzel                       T                  Oakland Raiders

Clemson (6)
Dalton Freeman               C                 New York Jets
Xavier Brewer                   DB              Dallas Cowboys
Spencer Benton               PK               Dallas Cowboys
Tig Willard                           LB               Tennessee Titans
Brandon Ford                    TE               New England Patriots
Jaron Brown                       WR             Arizona Cardinals

Duke (3)
Jackson Anderson           LS                Houston Texans
Tony Foster                        DB              Kansas City Chiefs
Conner Vernon                 WR             Oakland Raiders

Florida State (3)
Anthony McCloud           DT               Minnesota Vikings
Lonnie Pryor                      FB-RB        Jacksonville Jaguars
Rodney Smith                    WR             Minnesota Vikings
   
Georgia Tech (5)
T.J. Barnes                          DT               Jacksonville Jaguars    
Izaan Cross                         DE               Buffalo Bills
Rod Sweeting                    CB               New Orleans Saints
Orwin Smith                       RB               Tampa Bay Buccaneers (invited to free agent camp)
Tyler Morgan                     LS                Carolina Panthers

Maryland (5)
Devonte Campbell          TE               Atlanta Falcons
Darin Drakeford                LB               Kansas City Chiefs
A.J. Francis                          DE-DT        Miami Dolphins
Matt Furstenburg            TE               Baltimore Ravens
Joe Vellano                         DE-DT        New England Patriots

Miami (3)
Dalton Botts                       P                 (Tryouts with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints)
Ramon Buchanan             LB               Seattle Seahawks
Jeremy Lewis                     OL               Tampa Bay Buccaneers

North Carolina (4)
Casey Barth                        PK               Atlanta Falcons
Jheranie Boyd                   WR             Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Erik Highsmith                   WR             Minnesota Vikings
Kevin Reddick                    LB               New Orleans Saints

NC State (6)
Zach Allen                           G                 Carolina Panthers
Brandan Bishop                S                  Minnesota Vikings
R.J. Mattes                         OL               New England Patriots
Tobais Palmer                    WR             Jacksonville Jaguars
Cameron Wentz               C                 Minnesota Vikings
C.J. Wilson                          CB               Chicago Bears

Pittsburgh (4)
Ray Graham                       RB               Houston Texans
Hubie Graham                   TE               Tamp Bay Buccaneers
Mike Shanahan                 WR             New York Jets
Ryan Turnley                      C                 New York Giants

Syracuse (6)
Lou Alexander                   T                  New Orleans Saints
Zack Chibane                     G                 Buffalo Bills
Dean Goggins                    DE               Atlanta Falcons
Alec Lemon                        WR             Houston Texans
Marcuse Sales                   WR             Atlanta Falcons
Brandon Sharpe          DE           Washington Redskins

Virginia (5)
Paul Freedman                TE               Dallas Cowboys
Steve Greer                       LB               Washington Redskins
Perry Jones                        RB               Baltimore Ravens
Colter Phillips                     TE               Tampa Bay Buccaneers
La’Roy Reynolds               LB               Jacksonville Jaguars

Virginia Tech (5)
Nick Becton                        T                  San Diego Chargers
Marcus Davis                     WR             New York Giants
Antoine Hopkins              DT               Pittsburgh Steelers
Bruce Taylor                       LB               Cincinnati Bengals
Alonzo Tweedy                 LB               New York Giants

Wake Forest (1)
Kenny Okoro                     DB              San Diego Chargers

Tar Heels, Gamecocks to play in Charlotte in '15

North Carolina will play South Carolina to open the 2015 college football season at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, a source confirmed to the Observer on Tuesday.

The official announcement of the game -- which will be played Sept. 5, 2015 -- is expected to come at a news conference Thursday morning at the stadium.

The Tar Heels and Gamecocks last played in 2007, a 21-15 victory by South Carolina in Chapel Hill. North Carolina leads the series 34-17-4, but the teams have only played 11 times since South Carolina left the ACC in 1971. The Gamecocks hold a 6-5 advantage during that stretch. They will also open up the 2013 season with a game Aug. 29 at Williams-Brice Stadium. – David Scott

ACC announces schedule for its bowl game tie-ins

2013 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Bowl Schedule
(Chronological Order, All Times Eastern)

Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman
Friday, Dec. 27, 2013              2:30 p.m.         ESPN

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (conditional)      
Friday, Dec. 27, 2013              9:30 p.m.         ESPN

Russell Athletic Bowl          
Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013          6:45 p.m.         ESPN

Belk Bowl                            
Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013          3:20 p.m.         ESPN

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl                
Monday, Dec. 30, 2013           3:15 p.m.         ESPN

AdvoCare V100 Bowl          
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013           12:30 p.m.       ESPN

Hyundai Sun Bowl              
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013           2 p.m.              CBS

Chick-fil-A Bowl                  
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013           8 p.m.              ESPN

Discover Orange Bowl        
Friday, Jan. 3, 2014                 8 p.m.              ESPN

Injured Gamecocks player: School abandoned me

Former South Carolina defensive tackle Stanley Doughty is the key figure in this Atlantic story taking the NCAA to task for not better regulating healthcare for student-athletes.

Specifically, Doughty says he was abandoned by the Gamecocks after NFL doctors discovered he had a spine injury he thinks was suffered during his South Carolina playing days.

Now, he says he is disabled and unable to afford surgery or to return to school to complete his degree.

Another example in the story is former Oklahoma basketball player Kyle Hardrick, who says the Sooners, under then-coach Jeff Capel (now a Duke assistant), pushed him out after he suffered a knee injury, and wouldn't pay for his medical care.

Capel, to his credit, wrote a letter on Hardrick's behalf after Capel had left Oklahoma, but the school declined to declare Hardrick a medical hardship case.

From the Atlantic's story:

Stories like Doughty's and Hardrick's speak to the larger paradox of college sports, wherein players are treated like employees of their institutions—but don't get paid or receive the same benefits as recognized workers. Let's say the athletic director walks through the stands, slips on spilled soda and breaks his leg. Because he is considered an employee of the university, worker's compensation will cover any costs, short and long-term. But if a player 15 feet away breaks his leg on the field, running a play at the coach's request, the school has no legal or financial obligations since he is considered a student-athlete, not an employee.

Few of these stories come to light, and the Atlantic points at that some, and perhaps most, schools treat their athletes' medical needs fairly. But few athletes ask about medical care when they are being recruited, and are left to take the school's word.

An interesting, if long, read, but worth your time.

-- Mike Persinger

Which schools best turned recruits into NFL talent in 2013?

A sports marketing professor at Emory University studied the 2013 NFL draft through the lens of which teams did the best at turning recruiting talent into draft picks.

ACC winners? Florida State, North Carolina and N.C. State.

Tops in the SEC were South Carolina and Vanderbilt. 

There were also rankings for the Big Ten, Pac-12, and an overall ranking.

Interesting look at the power conferences in college football.

Surprised by anything you read?