What if ACC College Football Teams Had an All-Star Game?

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

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