ACC Notebook: Top 10 Impact Players at the Quarter-Mark
By Rory-Joe Daniels
There was no shortage of entertainment in Week 4 of ACC Football. From CJ Bailey’s blooper reel final-play blow-up for NC State to weather delays having varied effects on teams. For Dabo Swinney, the storms allowed Clemson to reset; at FSU, the opposite was true, the Seminoles crumbling at the hands of Alabama. Miami’s offense continued to roll bar a fourth quarter where they took their foot off the gas, and Virginia Tech, Duke and Louisville continue to look like conference contenders.
So with week 4 offering fewer marquee matchups, I thought what better time to look at the top 10 players who have had the biggest impact in the opening quarter of the season.
All our player grades and stats utilise the PFN Impact Rankings.
1. Nate Sheppard, Running Back, Duke
PFN Grade: 92.0
Perhaps not the name you were expecting at the head of this list, but Sheppard has been unstoppable. He is responsible for over 76% of Duke’s backfield touches, defenses routinely sell out to stop him and still don’t. He averages 176 yards per game at 6.4 yards per carry. The Blue Devils are 3-0 and looking like serious contenders on the back of Sheppard’s success.
2. Darian Mensah, Quarterback, Miami
PFN Grade: 97.8
It’s probably a bit unfair to have Mensah at two, considering he’s probably the best QB in the country right now. That said, he does have the infrastructure most can only dream of. He has an 89.9 completion percentage through three weeks and went 24 out of 24 vs Wake Forest, going deep into the third before an incompletion. Mensah has been everything the ‘Canes dreamed of when they signed him this offseason.
3. Malachi Toney, Wide Receiver, Miami
PFN Grade: 98.2
Mensah’s top target hits our list right under his QB. He arguably eclipsed Mensah in Week 1 when he looked uncoverable. He shredded the Stanford secondary for 234 receiving yards and three TDs. While his pace has slowed recently, he averages 15.9 yards per reception with 5 touchdowns on the year. Toney is versatile despite his size, operating in the slot and out wide. His speed makes him a threat wherever he lines up.
4. Xavier Lewis, Defensive Tackle, North Carolina
PFN Grade: 99.9
The Tar Heels entered the season under scrutiny and with their Head Coach firmly on the hot seat. Despite plenty of off-field issues, Belichick has weathered the storm, in part due to a strong defense. That has been anchored by Lewis, who has six sacks through three games and a pressure percentage just under 20%. Despite being undersized at 6’0, 260lbs he is a true destroyer on the defensive line.
5. Lincoln Kienholz, Quarterback, Louisville
PFN Grade: 89.7
Our second transfer QB hits the list. Kienholz was relatively unknown given his lack of playing time at Ohio State. On his performance so far, perhaps he deserved a better shot. In Week 1, he went toe-to-toe with Trinidad Chambliss, against a legitimate National Championship contender. Although the numbers dipped vs SMU, the big plays remained; Kienholz has a live arm and his ability to roll out and throw on the move is elite.
6. Kingston Lopa, Safety, California
PFN Grade: 92.8
The Cal secondary has quietly become a fairly solid production line for NFL talent. It looks like they have found another gem in safety Kingston Lopa. He leads the nation in interceptions with 5 through 3 games. The highlight was a Week 2 performance against Syracuse, which included 3 picks, one of which he took back for a TD. At 6’5, 210lbs, the Kyle Hamilton comps are coming.
7. Addison Nichols, Right Guard, SMU
PFN Grade: 90.4
Kevin Jennings was unfortunate not to make this list, but he has been excellent at QB until a couple of blips against Louisville. A big part of his success is down to right guard Addison Nichols. He has only allowed 1 pressure in 175 snaps, and despite the line crumbling against the Cardinals on the outside, Nichols remained stout on the interior.
8. Ethan Grunkemeyer, QB, Virginia Tech
PFN Grade: 84.6
Perhaps on pure numbers, Jennings might be slightly ahead of Grunkemeyer, but you can’t deny the impact the Penn State transfer has had for the Hokies. James Franklin has immediately got a tune out of his team, and the QB is the face of it. He’s yet to throw an interception and threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns in a standout victory over Big 10 opponent Maryland last weekend.
9. Will Heldt, Edge, Clemson
PFN Grade: 86.9
Heldt entered the year as one of the standout prospects on the edge. The 51-10 beatdown in Week 1 to LSU was a night to forget for the whole defense, but since then, normal service has been returned for Heldt. He had two sacks against both Georgia Southern and North Carolina, with a total of 13 pressures over 3 weeks. Numbers to build on.
10. Duce Robinson, Wide Receiver, Florida State
PFN Grade: 87.8
This is more and more looking like a season Florida State fans will look to forget. Mike Norvell is seemingly a dead man walking, and there is little hope around the program. One bright spot is receiver Duce Robinson. He had a breakout against Alabama with 135 yards and a TD, as well as splash plays in earlier weeks. If he can get half-decent QB play, he can be an elite receiver in the conference.
Rory-Joe DanIELS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
AS A LONG-SUFFERING CINCINNATI BENGALS FAN, RORY HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HIS PASSION FOR THE DRAFT LED HIM TO GET ENTANGLED WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND HE HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT PROSPECTS AND THE CFB LANDSCAPE EVER SINCE.
