Deshaun Watson
Major League Baseball’s 2016 All-Star Game is slated for Tuesday night at Petco Park in San Diego. While the Midsummer Classic won’t satisfy the hunger for football at this point in the summer, the All-Star Game got the staff at Athlon Sports thinking about potential all-star matchups at the college football level. What if each Power 5 league had an all-star game during the offseason or just after the year ended? The idea isn’t likely to come to fruition, but it is an interesting concept to ponder.
How would a potential Atlantic vs. Coastal All-Star Game this break down for the ACC in 2016? Athlon Sports’ Lance Dozier drafted a team for the Atlantic side, while Steven Lassan drafted a team comprised of the best players from the Coastal.
Which team has the advantage?
ACC Atlantic All-Stars
Offense
QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson
RB Dalvin Cook, Florida State
RB Wayne Gallman, Clemson
WR Mike Williams, Clemson
WR Travis Rudolph, Florida State
TE Cam Serigne, Wake Forest
C Jay Guillermo, Clemson
OL Mitch Hyatt, Clemson
OL Roderick Johnson, Florida State
OL Geron Christian, Louisville
OL Tyrone Crowder, Clemson
AP Artavis Scott, Clemson
Defense
DL DeMarcus Walker, Florida State
DL Carlos Watkins, Clemson
DL Harold Landry, Boston College
DL Josh Sweat, Florida State
LB Devonte Fields, Louisville
LB Marquel Lee, Wake Forest
LB Ben Boulware, Clemson
CB Cordea Tankersley, Clemson
CB Marquez White, Florida State
S Derwin James, Florida State
S Josh Harvey-Clemons, Louisville
Special Teams
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K Greg Huegel, Clemson
P A.J. Cole III, N.C. State
RS Brisly Estime, Syracuse
Atlantic Division Team Analysis: This would be a very scary offense. You have the top quarterback in college football, the second most explosive running back and the second best receiver coming out of the draft next spring. Now that’s a high-powered attack. Additionally, if you throw in a line that averages 315.4 pounds, these playmakers will have the space to work with. Defensively, you have the best secondary player in the country, a former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a line that racked up 228 tackles last season. On special teams, there are some solid players with a boot. - Lance Dozier
ACC Coastal All-Stars
Offense
QB Brad Kaaya, Miami
RB James Conner, Pitt
RB Elijah Hood, North Carolina
WR Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech
WR Mack Hollins, North Carolina
AP Taquan Mizzell, Virginia
TE Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech
C Lucas Crowley, North Carolina
OL Dorian Johnson, Pitt
OL Adam Bisnowaty, Pitt
OL Jon Heck, North Carolina
OL Caleb Peterson, North Carolina
Defense
DL Ejuan Price, Pitt
DL Al-Quadin Muhammad, Miami
DL Ken Ekanem, Virginia Tech
DL Nazair Jones, North Carolina
LB Micah Kiser, Virginia
LB Jermaine Grace, Miami
LB Matt Galambos, Pitt
CB M.J. Stewart, North Carolina
CB Des Lawrence, North Carolina
S Jordan Whitehead, Pitt
S Quin Blanding, Virginia
Special Teams
K Michael Badgley, Miami
P Justin Vogel, Miami
RS Ryan Switzer, North Carolina
Coastal Division Team Analysis: It’s a tough assignment to match a Coastal All-Star team against one from the Atlantic side, which features the league’s top three teams for 2016 – Louisville, Clemson and Florida State. While the Coastal team is at a disadvantage in overall talent, this squad does have some promising pieces on offense. Quarterback Brad Kaaya is the league’s No. 2 passer behind Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, while Pitt’s James Conner and North Carolina’s Elijah Hood would be an effective one-two punch. And it certainly doesn’t hurt the passing attack to have a go-to receiver like Isaiah Ford on the outside. The secondary is the strength of the defense, but Pitt end Ejuan Price headlines a solid line. However, in a hypothetical All-Star game, this defense would have a tough time slowing down the Atlantic attack. – Steven Lassan
