Every season there are a few teams across the country that surprise us. Last year it was TCU, LSU, Tennessee, Illinois, Duke, and even Kansas to an extent. They all overachieved — two of them played for their conference championships, and the Horned Frogs even made the national championship game.
We’re going to be taking a look at a few teams from each conference who could be that sneaky contender, like TCU or LSU. Let’s start with the ACC.
Louisville
I really like the trajectory of this program after the hiring of Jeff Brohm. I think he will bring the correct culture and discipline to his alma mater and raise the level of their success.
It looks like they will be going with Purdue transfer QB Jack Plummer who followed Brohm from West Lafayette. Plummer threw for just over 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, and I expect those numbers to improve in 2023.
They also have a top-25 recruiting class coming in with a couple of freshmen who should make an immediate impact. Their transfer class was ranked 12th, which includes four four-star transfer prospects. I like where this Cardinal program is heading, and they could be ahead of schedule.
More Sports News
Miami
Mario Cristobal seems to be building this program back up to where it belongs, and that is exciting. He has made it clear that he will not be complacent, especially after firing both of his coordinators after just one season. Cristobal has made it clear that he wants success now and that he won’t wait and hope things just get better on their own.
The Hurricanes have the seventh-ranked transfer class as well as the seventh-ranked recruiting class in the country. Cristobal and company brought in two five-stars and numerous four-stars.
They will again have Tyler Van Dyke under center, who has to improve on his 2022 numbers for Miami to be successful. The team is full of talent and should have better coaches on both sides of the ball. Don’t be surprised to see Miami creeping around double-digit wins and competing for the ACC come November.
