3-Point Stance: Top ACC QBs, Breakout Cornerbacks, Underrated Big Ten Recruits

National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance ranking the ACC quarterbacks, cornerbacks who will break from the shadows, and some under-the-radar 2023 recruits to watch for in the Big Ten.

Top ACC Quarterbacks

— I continue my top-tier QB rankings with the ACC.

1. Drake Maye, UNC

— Clearly the best to me, even though I like Travis. Maye is on a different level seeing the field and running the ball.

2. Jordan Travis, Florida State

— He’s emerged as one of the best talents in all of college football and easily one of the best leaders.

3. Riley Leonard, Duke

— This kid is so good, and no one really knows about him. He can beat you with his arm or legs.

4. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

— This is based on potential alone, as his upside is great, but he didn’t wow in his few games last year.

5. Tyler Van Dyke, Miami

— Shannon Dawson and his wide-open offense will show us the Van Dyke we saw under Rhett Lashlee as long as he can stay healthy.

Cornerbacks Stepping Into the Spotlight

— We continue our look at players overshadowed last season, ready to break out in 2023 with the CBs.

1. Kalen King, Penn State

Overshadowed by: Joey Porter Jr., Devon Witherspoon

While his teammate Porter was the guy who got all the headlines in 2022, it was actually King who was the more effective corner. With him and fellow projected first-rounder Witherspoon headed to the draft from the Big Ten, King takes over as CB1 in the conference. He is long and twitchy and one of the best man corners in the entire country.

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2. Josh Newton, TCU

Overshadowed by: Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson

A transfer from ULM before last season, Newton quietly was one of the most effective corners in the pass-happy Big 12. He's one of the unquestioned leaders of a Horned Frogs team that is out to prove that 2022 wasn't a fluke.

3. Javon Bullard & Kamari Lassiter, Georgia

Overshadowed by: Kelee Ringo

Neither Bullard nor Lassiter have Ringo's truly elite physical traits, but both can do it all at the cornerback position. Bullard spent most of 2022 in the slot but projects to move outside opposite Lassiter with Ringo now in the draft. The Dawgs continue to put out elite defenders at all three levels.

4. Travis Hunter, Colorado

Overshadowed by: All of FBS

The nation's number one recruit a year ago now has the chance to show why he was so highly rated coming out of high school. With all four first and second-team All-Pac 12 performers off to the NFL, it's time for a new era in the conference. Hunter has all the physical tools you could want in a corner, and he'll get a chance to prove it this fall.

Underrated Big Ten Recruits

— And finally, here are some 2023 Big Ten recruits you might not have heard about but you will.

1. QB Ryan Browne, Purdue

Browne took a PG year, and it paid off big time. Originally committed to Western Michigan for the 2022 class out of Venice, FL, Browne bet on himself and took huge strides at Milford Academy and got a bevy of Big Ten offers before landing in the cradle of quarterbacks. With a 6'5" frame and a lightning-quick release, he's got a shot to be the next to put up huge numbers in West Lafayette.

2. CB Chance Rucker, Michigan State

A long, nimble corner from Texas, Rucker isn't the most lauded player at the position for this class in the conference, but he could be one of the first to have an impact. The secondary is pretty wide open in East Lansing, and his skillset could earn him early playing time, giving him a chance to develop into a true impact player.

3. TE Zach Ortwerth, Iowa

Tell me if you've heard this one before: Iowa recruits a big, thick, relatively unknown tight end, and they turn into an all-conference pick and NFL stud. At 6'6" and 230 lbs., the St. Louis product has the frame to play comfortably at 250 and be an impact player as a blocker and receiver.

4. ATH Justin Taylor, Wisconsin

The a three-star athlete out of Chicagoland, he has the potential to be an impact player on day one for the Badgers on either side of the ball, as well as in the return game. His football IQ is top-notch, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him become an all-conference player early in his career.

5. WR Josh Richards, Maryland

He's a bit of a string bean right now at 6'3" and only 167 lbs. But once the New Jersey native fills out, he could be a massive downfield threat with long, easy strides and a huge catch radius.