With the last of the ACC's 12 football teams completing spring drills at the end of April, here's the final installment of a three-part look at the conference heading into the offseason, with preseason practice just three months away.

These four programs include two that are breaking in new head coaches, and two that are facing major transitions of a different kind.

Boston College
Coach: Jeff Jagodzinski, second year
2007 Record: 11-3, 6-2 ACC, Champs Sports Bowl win over Michigan State.
Offensive Starters Returning (6): FB James McCluskey, WR Brandon Robinson, TE Ryan Purvis, LT Anthony Castonzo, LG Clif Ramsey, OC Matt Tennant.
Defensive Starters Returning (4): DT Ron Brace, DE Alex Albright, LB Mark Herzlich, SS Paul Anderson.
Specialists Returning (1): PK Steve Aponavicius.

With each passing season, the Boston College program will become

With the last of the ACC's 12 football teams completing spring drills last weekend, here's the second installment in a three-part look at the conference heading into the offseason, with preseason practice just three months away.

These four programs are coming off losing seasons but have a realistic chance at bowl games, in part because of the lack of dominating teams in the conference this year.

North Carolina
Coach: Butch Davis, second year
2007 Record: 4-8, 3-5 ACC.
Offensive Starters Returning (9): QB T.J. Yates, HB Zack Pianalto, WR Hakeem Nicks, WR Brandon Tate, TE Richard Quinn, LT Kyle Jolly, OC/LG Aaron Stahl, RG Calvin Darity, RT Garrett Reynolds.
Defensive Starters Returning (7): DE E.J. Wilson, LB Bruce Carter, LB Quan Sturdivant, SS Trimane Goddard, FS Deunta Williams, CB Charles Brown, CB Kendric Burney.
Specialists Returning (1): P Terrence

With the last of the ACC's 12 football teams completing spring drills over the weekend, here's the first installment in a three-part look at the conference heading into the offseason, with preseason practice just three months away:

1.   Clemson
Coach: Tommy Bowden, 10th year
2007 Record: 9-4, 5-3 ACC, Chick-fil-A Bowl loss to Auburn.
Offensive Starters Returning (7): QB Cullen Harper, RB James Davis, WR Jacoby Ford, WR Tyler Grisham, WR Aaron Kelly, TE Michael Palmer, OC Thomas Austin.
Defensive Starters Returning (8): DT Rashaad Jackson, DT Dorell Scott, DE Ricky Sapp, LB Cortney Vincent (suspended), S Chris Clemons, S Michael Hamlin, CB Crezdon Butler, CB Chris Chancellor.
Specialists Returning (2): PK Mark Buchholz, P Jimmy Maners.

When coach Tommy Bowden arrived at Clemson in 1999, fresh off an 11-0 season at Tulane, there were expectations

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer has been through a lot of NFL drafts, but this year is a bit different. The Hokies (11) and Southern California (12) had more players invited to the pre-draft NFL Combine than any other college program, and Tech could break its single-year record of nine selections this weekend.

"I'm excited for our guys, and I know they're excited, too," Beamer said. "This is a dream come true for a lot of them. It's also (the product of) an awful lot of dedication and hard work. Whenever I have time this weekend, I'm going to look at the TV and see what's happening with our guys. This is the next step. It's an exciting time."

UNC defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer, Wake Forest center Steve Justice and N.C. State defensive tackle DeMario Pressley are three ACC players from the league's North Carolina-based schools whose emotions have run the gamut in the days leading up to

Once upon a time, the ACC didn't draw many headlines in the days and weeks leading up to the NFL draft.

Since its most recent round of expansion, however, the conference's top pro prospects have been in the spotlight every spring.

“The expansion debate may never go away entirely,” Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. “But I don’t think there’s any doubt that expansion has raised the profile of ACC football, and the NFL numbers are one example of that.”

In the three years (2002-04) immediately before expansion, the ACC produced 60 NFL draft picks and just five first-round selections. Those numbers were by far the lowest of the six conferences that form the backbone of the Bowl Championship Series.

In the three years (2005-07) after expansion, the ACC produced 118 NFL draft picks and 23 first-round selections. Those numbers are neck-and-neck with the SEC (115, 25), which historically has been regarded as the top