The ACC is top-heavy in terms of recruiting in the 2019 cycle. Clemson is the only team ranked in the top 10 of the class rankings, with 12 of the conference's 34 ESPN 300 commitments. Compare that to the SEC, which has 116 ESPN 300 commitments, 53 for the Big Ten and the 38 in the Pac-12.
Outside of Clemson, Florida State, NC State and Virginia Tech are the only other teams in the conference ranked in the top 30 of the class rankings.
It has been an up-and-down recruiting cycle for some of the ACC teams, including Miami, which is sitting at No. 34 overall in an unusual year. Despite those numbers, each team has some good pieces to help build their respective rosters and push their teams forward.
Here is a look at how the ACC fared in recruiting this cycle.
1. Clemson
Class rank: 8
Top commit: ESPN 300 CB Andrew Booth
Total commits: 27
ESPN 300 commits: 12
Clemson's top commit, Booth, is the No. 34 overall prospect in the class. He is one of three top-100 commitments, along with wide receiver Frank Ladson Jr. and defensive tackle Tyler Davis.
The Tigers are set on offense with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne and receivers Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross and Amari Rodgers all returning next season. Defense, especially along the defensive line, is where Clemson is losing the most. The staff landed five-stars K.J. Henry and Xavier Thomas along the defensive line in the 2018 class and now add ESPN 300 defensive tackle Tyler Davis, four-star tackle Tayquon Johnson and three-stars Etinosa Reuben, Logan Cash and Ruke Orhorhoro to help fill holes.
The staff also stocked up on defensive backs, and Trayvon Mullen declared for the NFL draft. Booth, along with ESPN 300 cornerback Sheridan Jones, ESPN 300 safety Joseph Charleston, four-star safety Jalyn Phillips and three-stars Lannden Zanders and Ray Thornton will help fill the back end of the depth chart and restock for when the current starters move on.
Clemson could still add to this already outstanding class as ESPN 300 running back Jerrion Ealy, ranked No. 19 overall, is still considering the Tigers. The Tigers are already holding the fifth-most ESPN 300 commits of any class, so anything extra would be a bonus.
2. Florida State
Class rank: 19
Top commit: ESPN 300 CB Akeem Dent
Total commits: 19
ESPN 300 commits: 10
This has been an interesting recruiting cycle for Florida State after going 5-7 on the season. The Seminoles have 10 ESPN 300 commitments in the class, but only six of those prospects signed in the early signing period.
It looked as though Dent was entertaining other programs, but then announced he was ending his recruitment and enrolled early at FSU. ESPN 300 cornerback Travis Jay also seemed to be listening to other schools, but the No. 161 prospect recently put out a statement saying he is 100 percent committed to the Seminoles and is shutting down his recruitment.
Dent and Jay are among a group of six four-star defensive backs committed in a class that made defense a big priority. Of the 10 ESPN 300 commits currently in the class, nine are defensive prospects with offensive lineman Dontae Lucas the only one on the offensive side.
That could pose a problem for Willie Taggart and his staff as the offense needs help. ESPN 300 quarterback Sam Howell was committed at one point, but flipped to North Carolina in the early signing period, leaving the Seminoles with no quarterbacks in the class. The staff has done a good job recruiting in the secondary, but there are still some major holes in other areas.
3. NC State
Class rank: 26
Top commit: ESPN 300 DE Savion Jackson
Total commits: 22
ESPN 300 commits: 2
Jackson is one of two ESPN 300 commits in this class along with defensive tackle C.J. Clark. Both prospects will be important as the Wolfpack is losing defensive end Darian Roseboro as well as defensive tackle Eurndraus Bryant from the starting lineup. The staff has five defensive linemen committed in the class in total.
Those commits will help fill holes on defense, but the coaching staff is going to have some big holes on offense as well.
Quarterback Ryan Finley, leading rusher Reggie Gallaspy and leading receiver Kelvin Harmon are all gone. The staff has two running backs in Jamious Griffin and Zonovan Knight as well as junior college quarterback Bailey Hockman -- who was at Florida State before transferring to Hutchinson Community College -- who should be able to step in and help.
4. Virginia Tech
Class rank: 30
Top commit: ESPN 300 ATH Jaden Payoute
Total commits: 20
ESPN 300 commits: 3
Virginia Tech's 2017 class ranked 25th in the class rankings, the 2018 class ranked 22nd and now the Hokies have the No. 30 class in 2019, a string of three good recruiting classes to help build up the roster and add to the foundation.
This 2019 class is sitting at 20 total commitments after signing 27 in each of the 2017 and 2018 classes. Those high numbers in the past two recruiting classes will tell you that this is a young team and there aren't going to be many departures from this season.
The offensive line is where Virginia Tech is taking the biggest hit, losing three starters. It is typically difficult for offensive lineman to come in and start right away, but there will be opportunity for some freshmen. ESPN 300 guard Bryan Hudson and three-star guards Jesse Hanson and William Pritchard will all get their shot. Hanson is enrolling early, so he will get a jump start.
Defensive tackle is also a spot where the coaches were looking for help and the staff was able to land tackles Joshua Fuga and Dashawn Crawford. There will be an opportunity for both to play, but Crawford is a junior college prospect and might have a faster track than Fuga.
5. Miami
Class rank: 34
Top commit: ESPN 300 WR Jeremiah Payton
Total commits: 15
ESPN 300 commits: 3
Miami's class is currently ranked No. 34 after an up and down adventure in the 2019 cycle. In April, Miami had the No. 9 class, then dropped to 17 at the end of July, down to 21 near the end of October until finally falling its current spot.
The Hurricanes have had 15 decommitments in the 2019 cycle, which is just one less than the 16 commits the staff currently has. The 7-6 season had an impact on recruiting, but there are some good pieces in this class. Payton, corner Te'Cory Couch and safety Keontra Smith are the three ESPN 300 commits in this class for Miami.
The staff also landed transfers in Ohio State quarterback Tate Martell and USC safety Bubba Bolden, former high school teammates, which should be factored in to this recruiting class as well. Adding Martell adds an option at quarterback was desperately needed as there are no 2019 quarterbacks committed in the class.
Overall, this class isn't what Miami fans were hoping for, but with Manny Diaz taking over as head coach, there should be more stability and excitement for the 2020 class that should produce better results.
6. Virginia
Class rank: 39
Top commit: ESPN 300 DT Jowon Briggs
Total commits: 24
ESPN 300 commits: 1
Virginia has its highest-ranked class since 2014 (25th overall). Coach Bronco Mendenhall is coming off of a 7-5 season, but has a good chunk of its team coming back next season.
The Cavaliers are losing top receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, but has three receivers committed in Dontayvion Wicks, Nathaniel Beal III and Dorien Goddard to help fill out depth.
Briggs is the highest-ranked commit in the class, but at defensive tackle he won't be required to come in and help right away. The defensive line returns most of its production from last season, so any help Briggs gives in 2019 will be an added bonus.
7. North Carolina
Class rank: 40
Top commit: ESPN 300 QB Sam Howell
Total commits 19
ESPN 300 commits: 2
North Carolina hired Mack Brown as its head coach and Brown made some noise in the early signing period by flipping Howell from Florida State. Brown spoke early and often about keeping the top in-state prospects at home and Howell was a big start to those efforts.
Brown and his staff were able to land two of the top-10 prospects from North Carolina in Howell and ESPN 300 wide receiver Khafre Brown, with Howell signing early and Brown waiting until February. Tennessee landed three ESPN 300 recruits from the state and NC State had two, so Brown and his staff still have some work to do in that area going forward.
Overall, this was a good start to Brown's second tenure at North Carolina as he is known for building relationships and putting extra effort into recruiting.
8. Duke
Class rank: 42
Top commit: Four-star CB Tony Davis
Total commits: 21
ESPN 300 commits: 0
Duke is losing a lot on offense, including quarterback Daniel Jones, its four leading receivers and two starters along the offensive line. Coach David Cutcliffe's system doesn't lend itself to a lot of true freshmen seeing the field and there is depth on the roster.
That being said, the class is going to help replenish the depth chart with four offensive linemen, six defensive linemen and four wide receivers. In fact, five of the top six commitments are along the offensive and defensive line, which tells you how much stock was put into those two groups.
9. Pittsburgh
Class rank: 47
Top commit: Four-star S Brandon Hill
Total commits: 19
ESPN 300 commits: 0
Pitt went 7-6 this past season and is going to be losing quite a bit on both offense and defense. Running backs Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall, the top two rushers, are graduating. Four starters along the offensive line are moving on as well as receiver Rafael Araujo-Lopes, who had the second-most touchdown receptions on the team.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett is back, however, as well as receivers Taysir Mack and Maurice Ffrench.
At running back, Pitt has recruited the position well in the past few classes and has A.J. Davis, Mychale Salahuddin and Todd Sibley on the roster. Pitt also has two running backs committed in this 2019 class with three-stars Daniel Carter and Vincent Davis.
On defense, the secondary is really only losing safety Dennis Briggs, but the remaining starters are going to be juniors and seniors. The staff is planning ahead with this 2019 class by landing four-star safety Hill and four-star cornerback A.J. Woods Jr..
Overall, this class isn't flashy, but has some good prospects to come in and eventually battle for future starting positions.
10. Wake Forest
Class rank: Outside the top 50
Top commit: Four-star WR Nolan Groulx
Total commits: 21
ESPN 300 commits: 0
Wake Forest had a youth movement this season with freshman quarterback Sam Hartman taking over alongside sophomore wide receiver Greg Dortch and freshman receiver Sage Surratt. Dortch is off to the NFL draft, but Hartman and Surratt are both returning.
The staff is adding in some big names at wide receiver in Groulx and Donavon Greene, both four-star receivers, as well as tight ends Cameron Hite and Drelyn Ford.
The defensive line was a priority in this class, especially at end. The staff has Shamar McCollum, Justin Williams, Isaiah Chaney, Will Smart and Jaylen Hudson committed at the position.
The team loses more at defensive tackle after this season than defensive end, but there is already some depth at tackle on the roster to help fill those holes. To help, the staff also brought in Old Dominion graduate transfer Miles Fox to get some help in the middle right away. If the coaches can fill those holes along the defensive line, this should be a helpful class to build depth and fill needs.
11. Boston College
Class rank: Outside of the top 50
Top commit: ESPN 300 QB Sam Johnson
Total commits: 18
ESPN 300 commits: 1
This is going to be an interesting recruiting class for Boston College as there are some big departures. The Eagles are losing three of the top four receivers in Jeff Smith, Tommy Sweeney and Michael Walker.
The offense also loses three starting linemen that will need to be replaced. Quarterback Anthony Brown and star running back AJ Dillon are back, though, which is a big boost for what the team is losing on that side.
To add to the competition at quarterback, the staff brought in ESPN 300 quarterback Sam Johnson, who is the highest ranked commit in the class. He doesn't need to start right away, which will be good for his development and allow him to ease into his college career.
It's a pretty well-rounded class on defense for Boston College with three defensive ends, two defensive tackles and three defensive backs in the class. With 18 commits in the class, a lot of these prospects aren't going to be expected to contribute right away, but with some departures at safety and along the defensive line, if any can contribute early it would be a big help to the roster for the 2019 season.
12. Georgia Tech
Class rank: Not ranked
Top commit: Four-star CB Wesley Walker
Total commits: 20
ESPN 300 commits: 0
This class is tough to evaluate for Georgia Tech because head coach Paul Johnson decided to retire after the season. Johnson recruited to his triple-option system and it didn't translate to high recruiting rankings. The new staff with Geoff Collins, however, is working to bring Georgia Tech into a modern recruiting program.
As it stands now, Georgia Tech is losing a lot on defense. Walker, a corner, is the highest-ranked commit in the class and is joined by defensive end Sylvain Yondjouen, linebacker Chico Bennett Jr. and four other defensive commitments. The staff has two dual-threat quarterbacks in the class in Jordan Yates and Demetrius Knight to try to fill depth from outgoing quarterback TaQuon Marshall.
The staff is going to be more aggressive in recruiting going forward, so it's very likely Georgia Tech's 2020 class will look dramatically different than its 2019 class.
13. Syracuse
Class rank: NR
Top commit: Four-star LB Mikel Jones
ESPN 300 commits: 0
This class for Syracuse might be ranked outside the top 50, but it's still a good class for the Orange in terms of needs. Both starting offensive tackles are gone after this season and the staff was able to land junior college OT Darius Tisdale, who is expected to come in and immediately fill one of the spots.
On defense, two starting linebackers are going to be replaced, which makes Jones, Geoff Cantin, Ishmael Goulbourne and Lee Kpogba very valuable. Kpogba, an early enrollee, could earn early playing time along with Jones.
There is no quarterback in this class and starter Eric Dungey is graduating. Tommy DeVito is already on the roster and should be the next man up, but not having a quarterback in this class is not ideal.
14. Louisville
Class rank: NR
Top commit: Three-star OT Zach Williamson
Total commits: 5
ESPN 300 commits: 0
New Louisville coach Scott Satterfield inherited a tough situation. The Cardinals signed only four recruits in the early signing period and have landed one commitment, tied with Akron for the smallest classes in the 2019 cycle.
A positive for Satterfield is that Louisville isn't losing much on defense and quite a bit of the offensive production is returning with three of the top four receivers, the top three rushers and quarterback Jawon Pass.
There aren't a lot of prospects left as nearly 80 percent of all FBS prospects signed in the early signing period, but Louisville landed two offensive linemen in Williamson and Renato Brown, running back Aidan Robbins and three-star quarterback Evan Conley out of Marietta, Georgia.
One of the main problems with this class might not be in the immediate future, but the impact it could have two or three years from now. Signing this small of a class could create holes on the depth chart, which could disrupt the rebuild Satterfield and his staff are trying to construct.