Perry Simmons, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound offensive lineman from Sanderson commited to play football at Duke.

"I've been to a ton of camps and just felt the most comfortable at Duke. I really liked the coaching staff," Simmons said.
"The coaches are personable and assessable, but are very intense. They are really going to push me hard. I really believe that Duke is going to start winning a lot more games."

Simmons said he had been to camps at North Carolina, N.C. State, Furman, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Virginia. He had scholarship offers from Navy, ECU, Western Carolina and the Blue Devils.

"Duke tells me that Perry is their No. 1 offensive line prospect," said Sanderson coach Jason Tindal. "He is going to be the type of player that Duke can build around."

— Tim Stevens

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Basketball was Hakeem Nicks' first love. Football is his great passion.

But after attending the annual ACC Football Kickoff this weekend, North Carolina's junior wide receiver has another sport he wants to play more: golf.

"I was never a golfer before,'' he said. "But I am very interested now."

Saturday night, the Ritz-Carlton allowed players (two from each ACC school attended) to test their swings on the driving range, and their accuracy on the putting green. Nicks said he wasn't great with a putter, but after about five minutes of instruction, he was one of the longest drivers out there.

"I can hit it far, now I just have to work on it not going left or right,'' he said, laughing. "... I was telling Deunta [Williams, the other Tar Heel in attendance] I can’t wait to get back to school and get TJ [Yates] out there on the golf course."

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Sean Glennon isn't about to forget the 32 members of the Virginia Tech community who were killed in a shooting massacre on campus in April 2007. The Hokies senior quarterback wears two silicone wristbands marked with the number "32." 

"We still think about it but not as quite on a daily basis as we used to," said Glennon, who went to the same high school as gunman Seung Hui Cho.

GREENSBORO, Ga. — When Miami recruited junior tackle Jason Fox, a losing season wasn't in the plans. ACC title games, BCS bowls, or a national title, maybe but 5-7?

That's a far drop for a program that began the decade with a two-year record of 23-1, including a national title in 2001, and has gone 12-13 the past two seasons.

 GREENSBORO, Ga. — Florida State will be missing nine players for the first three games of the season because of academic suspension. Which players, the school isn't saying.

Enter Andrew Carter, who covers FSU for the Orlando Sentinel.
According to Carter, and he has based the list on the players who were missing from the Noles' Music City Bowl loss to Kentucky, the players are:

Starters: LB Dekoda Watson, DT Budd Thacker, CB Patrick Robinson, TE Caz Piurowski, DT Paul Griffin, DE Neefy Moffett.

Reserves: C Brandon Davis, WR Richard Goodman, DE Kevin McNeill.

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Boston College senior Ryan Purvis knew the first question before it was asked at the ACC Kickoff.

"What's life like without Matt Ryan?" Purvis said, beating the media to the punch.

Purvis, an All-ACC tight end, expects a smooth transition to senior Chris Crane, even if Crane doesn't match Ryan's outlandish numbers — 4,507 yards and 31 touchdowns.

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Anthony Hill watched N.C. State's first season under coach Tom O'Brien from the sideline after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a summer workout. The senior tight end is so pumped to get back on the field, he might even try a position change.

"Hey, I've been thinking about playing some quarterback myself," Hill joked about the Wolfpack's jumbled quarterback race with five starting candidates.

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Clemson and Virginia Tech will be picked as the favorites to win the ACC by the gathered media at the Reynolds Plantation for the ACC Kickoff but UNC sophomore Deunta Williams has another idea.

"I feel like we'll win the ACC this year," said Williams, a safety. "I'm not trying to disrespect anybody but that's what I feel like is going to happen."

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Freshman quarterback Mike Glennon should be well prepared when he reports to N.C. State after spending time working out with his brother this summer.

Sean Glennon, who helped quarterback Virginia Tech to an ACC championship last season, said he supported highly-recruited younger brother Mike’s decision to attend N.C. State.

Note: #-member of ACC when they won title

2009: Alabama
2008: Florida
2007: LSU
2006: Florida
2005: Texas
2004: USC
2003: USC (BCS champ: LSU)
2002: Ohio State
2001: Miami
2000: Oklahoma
1999: #Florida State
1998: Tennessee
1997: Michigan
1996: Florida
1995: Nebraska
1994: Nebraska
1993: #Florida State
1992: Alabama
1991: Miami
1990: Colorado
1989: Miami
1988: Notre Dame
1987: Miami
1986: Penn State
1985: Oklahoma
1984: BYU
1983: Miami
1982: Penn State
1981: #Clemson
1980: Georgia
1979: Alabama
1978: Alabama
1977: Notre Dame
1976: Pitt
1975: Oklahoma
1974: Oklahoma
1973: Notre Dame
1972: USC
1971: Nebraska
1970: Nebraska
1969: Texas
1968: Ohio State
1967: USC
1966: Notre Dame
1965: Alabama
1964: Alabama
1963: Texas
1962: USC
1961: Alabama
1960: Minnesota
1959: Syracuse
1958: LSU
1957: Auburn
1956: Oklahoma
1955: Oklahoma
1954: Ohio State
1953: #Maryland
1952: Michigan State
1951: Tennessee
1950: Oklahoma
1949: Notre Dame
1948: Michigan
1947: Notre Dame
1946: Notre Dame
1945: Army
1944: Army
1943: Notre Dame
1942: Ohio State
1941: Minnesota
1940: Minnesota
1939: Texas A&M
1938: TCU
1937: Pitt
1936: Minnesota