Well we are at the end of our ACC offensive player rankings. We are looking at the Tight Ends in this post. Again a Florida State players tops the list.
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1) Nick O’Leary, Florida State
Florida State continues to absolutely dominate the player rankings. I saw a tweet earlier this week from a FSU fan that people were going to be surprised how loaded the Noles were. No, nobody is surprised. Florida State has incredible roster of talent, and it continues at Tight End. Nick O’Leary is one of the country’s best Tight Ends. He led all TE’s nationally with 16.9 yards per reception on 33 catches. At 6-3, 244 lbs he’s great target for QB Jameis Winston. Faster than you think, and physical O’Leary could play an even bigger role for Nole’s offense this year. He’s a projected 1st round NFL prospect.
2) Braxton Deaver, Duke
Duke has the 2nd most players offensive players that rank in their top 5 at their position in the ACC. You read that right, the 2nd most. If you underestimate them this year, you’d be making a huge mistake. Braxton Deaver makes another top-end ACC player for them. Deaver is 6-5 240 lbs, and comes off a season that saw him catch 46 passes for 600 yards. He’s an NFL talent that could go as high as the 3rd round.
3) Clive Walford, Miami
Miami has a history of producing great tight ends, and Clive Walford is another good one. He’s coming off 34 catch for 453 yards and 2 TD 2013 season. He’s got good size for a TE at 6-4 263 lbs. Walford will be the Hurricanes leading returning receiver. Walford is an improving TE, who is still getting better. I’ve seen NFL projections that Walford that have him going in the 3rd or 4th round. Walford’s blocking has been a question mark, but with a step forward there he may find him himself moving up even higher on the draft boards.
4) Gerald Christian, Louisville
Gerald Christian was a highly regarded TE coming out High Schools. The Florida transfer is starting come into his own for Louisville at the Tight End position. Last season he had 28 receptions for 426 yards. Bobby Petrino has a great offensive mind, and will find ways to utilize Christian’s pass catching ability. He is considered one of the better senior TE’s in the country, making Mel Kiper’s top 5 Senior TE list along with Nick O’ Leary and Clive Walford.
5) J.P. Holtz, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh has a nice group of pass catchers. To go along with freshman sensation Tyler Boyd, the Panthers also feature the 6-4 245 lbs TE J.P. Holtz who caught 23 passes last season for 209 yards. Holtz is only a junior, so I expect to make a big leap forward this season. He had a strong second half of the season last year, and I could see him pulling in 30-40 receptions this year.
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