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DUKE

Good get: Anthony Boone. The quarterback from Matthews Butler is one of nine Duke recruits from North Carolina — which shows Duke’s renewed credibility within the state — and he’s a pro-style passer who fits the mold of past QBs coach David Cutcliffe has developed into stars. With Thad Lewis graduated and Sean Renfree coming off an injury, there’s a chance Boone could be in the mix immediately.

Coachspeak: “We redshirted 21 guys last year, and we’re going to redshirt folks that need to be redshirted. I believe that. There’s a difference in a third-year junior and a fourth-year junior. That’s where the difference shows up. ... If a kid’s ready to play, I’m no fool. I’m going to play him. ... But we’re going to develop kids, and part of developing kids is redshirting them.” — David Cutcliffe.

Synopsis: Rivals.com ranks Duke’s recruiting class as the worst in the ACC. Know what? It doesn’t matter a bit. The Blue Devils’ biggest offseason move was keeping Cutcliffe after it was widely assumed the well-respected coach would leave a vapor trail from Durham to Knoxville. Turning down the Tennessee job speaks volumes about the change in Duke football.

See the class: www.goduke.com

NORTH CAROLINA

Good get: Giovanni Bernard. The Tar Heels couldn’t stop Pitt’s 5-foot-8 Dion Lewis in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, so Butch Davis and Co. went out and got their own little running back. At 5-9 and 198 pounds, Bernard, who is from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is the spitting image of Lewis. Rivals.com ranks Bernard as a five-star recruit, and tailback was a sore spot for Carolina last season.

Coachspeak: “I think we filled some significant needs. ... This class has got offensive and defensive linemen, which was somewhat of a priority ... with a real emphasis of being able to grow a football team that can dominate the line of scrimmage.” — Butch Davis

Synopsis: The Tar Heels have most of the starters back from the nation’s No. 6-ranked defense, so it’s no surprise that three of their four top recruits play on offense. Adding a pair of five-star offensive linemen — James Hurst and Wilmington’s T.J. Leifheit — could pay huge dividends in the long run.

See the class: www.tarheelblue.com

N.C. STATE

Good get: David Amerson. A big-hitting safety from Dudley with 4.5 speed in the 40 and a 3.5 GPA in the classroom, Amerson is rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com. The Wolfpack’s secondary was a shambles last season, so the kid from Greensboro has a chance to play right away.

Coachspeak: “As always, we recruited the state of North Carolina hard. We’re proud that some of the top players in our state will be wearing red and white this fall.” — Tom O’Brien, who signed six in-state players in a 19-member class.

Synopsis: O’Brien landed three of the top six players in the state according to Rivals.com — OL Robert Crisp (2nd) of Raleigh, WR Anthony Creecy (5th) of Durham and DB Amerson (6th) — and he sought out linemen to replace eight lost starters from last season. It looks like a solid class for N.C. State.

See the class: www.gopack.com

WAKE FOREST

Good get: A.J. Marshall. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound cornerback starred at Southern Durham. Perhaps more impressive than his 4.47 speed in the 40? How about a 3.8 GPA and a 1360 on the SAT. Those kind of smarts work in Wake’s secondary.

Coachspeak: “An emphasis was on the secondary, where we recruited four defensive backs. The class has some really good players who are also outstanding citizens. Some of these guys may have a chance to contribute in a hurry based on our needs at their position.” — Jim Grobe.

Synopsis: Once again, the Deacs’ recruiting class is ranked near the bottom of the ACC. But most freshmen redshirt at Wake anyway, and with that extra year of development Grobe consistently fields competitive teams no matter what the recruiting “experts” say.

See the class: www.wakeforestsports.com (pdf)

N.C. A&T

Good get: Christopher “C.J.” Frederick. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound running back from Garner starred at West Johnston and was rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. He joins a crowded backfield with incumbents Mike Mayhew and Dontavious Payne coming off strong first seasons, but Frederick could compete immediately. Frederick also received interest from Virginia Tech, Maryland, Duke and East Carolina.

Coachspeak: “It should be tougher and tougher each year for freshmen to play for us.” — Alonzo Lee

Synopsis: The strength of Lee’s second recruiting class is up front. The Aggies landed all four of their targeted offensive linemen, and all four of them drew FBS-level interest. It takes time for most offensive linemen to develop at the college level, but those kinds of recruits are long-haul investments.

See the class: www.ncataggies.com

ELON

Good get: Jonathan Spain. A 6-foot-3, 229-pound tackling machine from Greensboro, Spain fits the mold of Elon’s linebacker-oriented defense. The Phoenix is known for its Scott Riddle-led offense, but Elon has quietly assembled one of the best defenses in FCS. Spain was Page’s defensive MVP and a Shrine Bowl player.

Coachspeak: “As our credibility continues to grow, we can be more and more selective in choosing the right players that fit in well at Elon. We made far fewer offers this year and still had 11 verbal commitments prior to the holidays.” — Pete Lembo

Synopsis: Eight of the 14 players in Elon’s recruiting class are from North Carolina, and all of them can play. Spain and safety Akeem Langham from High Point Central could be anchors on the Phoenix’s defense right away.

See the class: www.elonphoenix.com

APPALACHIAN STATE

Good get: Derrick Shuemake. Rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Shuemake is a 6-foot-4, 285-pound strong-side defensive end tailor-made to rush the passer. Oh by the way, App also got his Georgia Military College teammate Dan Wylie, another three-star rated defensive lineman.

Coachspeak: “Perhaps the thing that excites me the most is the eagerness that this group has displayed to take ownership of their team as soon as possible.” — Jerry Moore

Synopsis: The Mountaineers needed help up front, so they recruited the heck out of linemen. Of the 16 newcomers to sign with App, 12 play at the line of scrimmage: five offensive linemen, four defensive linemen and three tight ends. It’s not glamorous, but it wins games.

See the class: www.goasu.com

EAST CAROLINA

Good get: Alex Owah. A running back from Harrisonburg, Va., starred at Hargrave Military Academy. He’s the top-rated recruit in the Pirates’ class and he’s already enrolled and taking classes in Greenville.

Coachspeak: “It’s been a whirlwind, but a fun whirlwind. It was plane to plane, city to city, hotel to hotel, rental car to rental car, but it’s been fun.” — Ruffin McNeill on visiting his 18 recruits.

Synopsis: Skip Holtz skipped town after winning the C-USA championship with 28 seniors on his roster. McNeill was hired Jan. 21, and has been scrambling ever since to keep the recruiting class together.

See the class: www.ecupirates.com

Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com