No. 1. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
2011 stats: He played in 13 games and started 10 as a true freshman and finished with 82 receptions for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had 231 yards on 32 carries and 33 kickoff returns for 826 yards and one touchdown. He had 2,288 all-purpose yards.
Previous ranking: No. 3
Making the case for Watkins: The fact that he’s suspended for the first two games doesn’t mean he’s not still the most talented player in the conference. It means coach Dabo Swinney has sent the team a message that no one player -- not even a potential Heisman candidate -- is bigger than the team. Watkins will be missed against Auburn, but he will be back in time for the Sept. 22 trip to Florida State, and he will have the previous week’s game against Furman to shake any rust off. Watkins has said he doesn’t even know what a “sophomore slump” is, and he’s hoping to improve upon last year’s breakout debut. What’s most amazing about last year’s record-setting season for Watkins was that he’s capable of even more, and that’s why he’s at the top of this list.
No. 2 David Amerson, CB, NC State
No. 3 Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech
No. 4 Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State
No. 5 Mike Glennon, QB, NC State
No. 7 (tie) Jonathan Cooper, OL, North Carolina; Oday Aboushi, OL, Virginia
No. 8 Joe Vellano, DL, Maryland
No. 10 Kyle Fuller, DB, Virginia Tech
No. 11 Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
No. 12 Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
No. 13 James Gayle, DE, Virginia Tech
No. 14 Bryn Renner, QB, North Carolina
No. 15 Conner Vernon, WR, Duke
No. 16 Giovani Bernard, RB, UNC
No. 17 Dalton Freeman, C, Clemson
No. 18 Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson
No. 19 Lamarcus Joyner, S, Florida State
No. 20 Michael Campanaro, WR, Wake Forest
No. 21 Jeremiah Attaochu, LB, Georgia Tech
No. 22 Omoregie Uzzi, OG, Georgia Tech
No. 23 Bruce Taylor, LB, Virginia Tech
No. 25 Nikita Whitlock, NG, Wake Forest
