UNDATED (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference's three new coaches got their first looks at their teams in spring drills. Virginia Tech's James Franklin took over after a successful run at Penn State. He's been spending more time with the offense. And he kept former Hokies head coach Brent Pry on his staff to lead the defense. Out West, California and Stanford turned to alums to spark their programs. Notable developments from the spring also included Clemson bringing back Chad Morris for a second stint as offensive coordinator. And North Carolina's Bill Belichick hired Bobby Petrino to oversee the Tar Heels' attack.
UNDATED (AP) — New and returning quarterbacks are among the top players to watch next season as Atlantic Coast Conference teams emerge from spring practices. The list includes players like California's Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele returning to the Golden Bears after a strong freshman season. There are also players like Darian Mensah, who is now at Miami after leading Duke to last year's ACC title. The list of players to watch include transfer receivers like Rico Flores Jr. at Virginia and Que'Sean Brown at Virginia Tech, as well as Stanford tight end Benji Blackburn with a potential larger role ahead.
UNDATED (AP) — Former Saint Mary’s forward Paulius Murauskas is joining former coach Randy Bennett at Arizona State. Bennett was named Arizona State’s coach on March 23 and Murauskas announced on Instagram that he will be following his coach to the desert. St. John’s also made a big splash in the transfer portal, adding former Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman. The 6-foot-8 Murauskas saw limited action as a freshman at Arizona before thriving in two years at Saint Mary’s. The Lithuanian forward averaged 18.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a junior. Freeman averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds last season, scoring at least 20 points eight times.
UNDATED (AP) — Establishing team chemistry in college football is tougher than ever with so many players not staying at the same school for four years. But it’s still doable. Succeeding in the transfer portal era requires altering offseason objectives. Players aren’t just getting to know the playbook. They’re getting to know one another. New Mexico provides a model example on how teams can build chemistry even after roster overhauls. The Lobos had 75 newcomers last year and still went 9-4 for their first winning season since 2016.
