Winners and Losers of 2016 ACC Media Days

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — College football's "talking season" got into full swing this week for the ACC, and the conference found itself with more reasons to speak loudly and proudly for this year's edition of its media days kickoff.

All 14 members of the ACC, which kicked things off with a major announcement for its future in the college football landscape, had their time in the spotlight at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.

With the continued greatness of defending conference titleholder Clemson and recent national champion Florida State combining with the excitement generated by high-profile hires throughout the league, the ACC is heading into what could be its best college football season in recent memory.

The topics of discussion in the Queen City ranged from the typical preseason depth chart chatter to the bigger-picture issues that are dominating offseason coverage across the country. Some players and coaches stood out with their comments to the media, including one player who had an outfit one has to see to believe.

Here's a recap from the best and worst from the interview sessions in Charlotte, featuring several winners and losers from the 2016 ACC Football Kickoff.

The biggest winner of ACC media days was the league itself—and it's not even close.

During commissioner John Swofford's opening forum Thursday, he officially announced a new, exclusive media rights deal with ESPN that will last through 2036. The cornerstone of the deal is the launch of the ACC Network, which will be digital-only from next month until 2019, when it becomes a linear channel like the SEC Network.

The new deal is expected to be a tremendous boost to the ACC's financial future. More importantly, it also confirmed the ACC's spot as the most stable Power Five conference in college football.

All 14 football schools and Notre Dame unanimously approved the deal and its Grant of Rights, making it virtually impossible for a program to bolt to another conference inside the next 20 years. If Notre Dame wants to join a conference in football to improve its chances at the playoff between now and then, it has to be the ACC.

"We've got great reason and many reasons to look forward to the future because we know it improves our financial security, it elevates our exposure and it enhances our brand," Swofford said Thursday.

The ACC isn't considered the most powerful conference in college football, but there's no denying it's getting stronger. The financial benefits and the stability the new ESPN deal provides should continue to elevate the conference's top-to-bottom caliber on the field.

The biggest debate topic of this college football offseason, satellite camps, reared its head again this week in Charlotte. And the buzz around that subject wasn't overly positive. 

"I know that there are people out there who say, 'If you don't have satellite camps, kids aren't getting the opportunities,'" North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora said. "I don't believe that. ... I think satellite camps are more about marketing than anything. When you go to a camp and there's 600 kids there, and there's three of them you might recruit, I don't know how much recruiting you're actually doing."

Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson had an even more cynical view of satellite camps and who they might actually be benefiting, as the RedditCFB account tweeted.

Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi does a satellite camp with his program, but he admitted he wasn't much of a fan, saying he prefers to spend the offseason closer to his family and his players.

"If everybody else is doing it, I don't want to be left behind, if that makes sense," Narduzzi said. "Personally, I'm not excited about them. I don't know if anybody in the ACC is, from talking to a lot of my counterparts. I don't think student-athletes lose opportunities."

North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora's booming introduction Thursday—he had to ask the media if he was "being too loud for y'all" just a few seconds into his opening statement—kicked off what was a strong day for his defending ACC Coastal champion Tar Heels.

Cornerback Des Lawrence stole the show with his pre-Q&A selfie on the stage and his outfit, which was complete with what he called his "Jesus socks." Lawrence and UNC's message throughout the event was clear: The Heels aren't going anywhere after a breakout 2015, even if they aren't getting a lot of preseason buzz.

"I do feel like we have as many playmakers as the teams that had numerous players on watch lists," Lawrence said. "But we know. That's something we talk about all the time. We're going to make them respect us. ... I just want the respect. I don't need the fame."

The Tar Heels also proclaimed their complete confidence in new starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who is taking over for Marquise Williams this season. Trubisky will be the centerpiece of an offense that led the nation in yards per play last season and still brings back quite a lot of firepower.

"I joke with Mitch all the time at the house about how fortunate he is to step into the position that he is," wideout Ryan Switzer said. "I don't know of any other team that's returning what we're returning on offense. Not just the receivers, but we've got two veteran running backs. T.J. Logan, behind Elijah Hood, could start on virtually any team in the country. Returning four of our five offensive linemen is incredible."

Justin Vogel didn't even know what the ACC Football Kickoff was a few weeks ago. But when the Miami punter got a group text message with Hurricanes star quarterback Brad Kaaya and one of his team's media relations staffers, he soon found out what it was all about.

Vogel raised eyebrows in Charlotte on Thursday when he served as Miami's defensive player representative at the ACC Kickoff. Sending a special teams player to media days is rare, but new Miami head coach Mark Richt thought Vogel deserved the role.

"Justin, in my opinion, he's one of the best punters I've ever seen," Richt said. "He can bomb it high and deep, he can directional kick. When you're kicking in, he can pooch it in there and land it where he wants to land it. He's going to be one of our greatest weapons. I hope we don't have to use him a lot."

For a player at a position that normally doesn't get much media attention, Vogel did extremely well at media days. Vogel said he was honored to represent his team in a unique way, and he spoke candidly on Richt's comments that he could be the best punter in the country by season's end.

"I don't go out there each game and say, 'Here's what I need to punt in order to be the best,'" Vogel said. "I need to kick the best I can in that scenario. If I kick the best kick my team needs every time, I know the stats will work out in the end. ... But I'd rather win games than awards."

Vogel also revealed he holds the Miami all-time record for the fastest 40-yard dash and best vertical among kickers and punters. So if the opportunity arises in 2016, look for this ACC Kickoff winner to stand out on a fake punt or two.

Earlier this week, Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported "preliminary discussions have begun" on eliminating kickoffs in two of college football's major governing bodies. The idea has gained traction with some people in the name of player safety.

That didn't happen in Charlotte, though. Several special teams playmakers, including Duke's record-chasing kick return man DeVon Edwards, voiced their disapproval with the idea of getting rid of kickoffs.

"I feel like that's a game-changer play," Edwards said. "I'm pretty sure there are a lot of injuries that come with that, though. You have people coming full speed. ... I would think the returner is the person that would take the most punishment at the end of the day, and I don't really have a problem with it."

Edwards found an ally in a rival Thursday—North Carolina wide receiver Ryan Switzer, who is also going after an all-time record of his own in punt return touchdowns. Although Switzer has only returned a couple of kickoffs for UNC in his career, he doesn't want to see that part of special teams play go away.

"I think the game would take a big hit if that were to happen," Switzer said. "Football's a dangerous game regardless of what play it is. We know as players you put yourself out there risking injury every time you step out on the field. ... To see kickoffs taken out of the game, I don't feel would be positive for the game of football."

NC State head coach Dave Doeren said he "would hate to see what football would look like without" kickoffs, saying Alabama wouldn't have won the national title game last year without the momentum plays they had from kickoffs. In the ACC, this suggested brand of rules reform clearly isn't being embraced.

Lamar Jackson didn't want to go to the ACC Football Kickoff. The Louisville sophomore quarterback has already had to learn a lot this offseason, and getting media training wasn't high on his list of priorities.

But Jackson did well handling all the cameras and recorders in his face in Charlotte. After his fantastic end to the 2015 season, Jackson is one of the brightest stars of the league, and he's learning to embrace that spotlight.

"I think you guys are going to see a whole lot of everything from me," Jackson said. "Giving my all out there on the field. Last year we were trying to show everyone we were a young team; we could go out there and play. This year is a whole 'nother story."

Jackson provided some great one-liners and insight in his breakout interviews—he doesn't watch any TV (only Netflix), and he didn't know how to read a playbook last season (he didn't have one in high school). Over the last few months, his coaches and teammates have seen his improvement both on and off the field.

"He's much more fluid. He's getting better with his decision-making," Louisville linebacker Keith Kelsey said. "And he's even getting guys lined up now and telling them what to do. He's definitely got more mature. ... The sky is the limit for him. He can be as good as he wants to be, and I know he wants it badly."

Jackson was an entertaining presence at the ACC Football Kickoff and showed he is ready to take the next step as a star player and nationally recognized name. Not bad for someone who didn't originally want to be there.

The fashion choices at the ACC Football Kickoff were mostly basic this season, save for Des Lawrence's Jesus socks and this rather unique outfit from Clemson linebacker Ben Boulware, who told reporters he "wanted to look cute."

"Did you see what he was wearing?" Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "It's the type of energy he brings. He kind of beats to his own drums."

That's putting it mildly, Dabo. According to Aaron Brenner of the Post and Courier, Boulware got each piece of his outfit—including a wild paisley shirt, cream blazer and "fake capri pants"—from a different place. He even admitted to Brenner he stole his pink tie from Clemson walk-on wide receiver Adrien Dunn.

Boulware is a fantastic linebacker for Clemson, finishing third on the team last season in tackles and first in quarterback hurries. He was also a fantastic interview at media days who was not afraid to say something like Clemson's defense "played like crap" in last year's national championship game.

But his outfit was a negative in what was a mostly positive event.

Of all the first-year head coaches who took the stage at the ACC Football Kickoff this week, Syracuse's Dino Babers made the most of his time up there. The former Bowling Green head coach had perhaps the line of the event when describing his team's first practices at his trademark tempo.

"When you put this style of football in, this is the third time that I've seen a first day of spring ball practice underneath this system, and it always ends the exact same way—with a bunch of big guys over trash cans not saying much shaking their heads," Babers said. "When they get done with that ... I tell them, 'That's the slowest practice we're ever going to have.'"

At his first two head coaching gigs at Eastern Illinois and Bowling Green, Babers only stayed for two seasons. Babers said he knows what to expect from Syracuse in Year 1, and he gave fans reasons to stay patient for Year 2.

"The first year, it's like I'm watching reruns of Gilligan's Island," Babers said. "It's like I know what's going to happen next. It's kind of boring the first year. The second year is really cool. You get to the tempo and speed that you want."

Babers made no mistake in saying that rebuilding the Orange and fitting it into his fast-paced system won't be an instant success. His level of honesty and excitement, along with his quotes about the animal kingdom and Game of Thrones, made him an instant media days winner.

Per ESPN.com's David Hale on Twitter, Babers said: "I think we're Jon Snow, keeping the ice people out. The others are down south, eating grapes."

As the top returning quarterback in college football and a highly valued NFL draft prospect for 2017, Clemson's Deshaun Watson gets compared to a lot of players. Reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton and former Clemson great Tajh Boyd were two such quarterbacks mentioned to Watson on Friday.

But the Heisman contender made it clear that he's not trying to follow in anyone's footsteps. He just wants to be Deshaun Watson.

"I can't live in their shoes. I've got to build my own brand and build my own way," Watson said. "I want to create my own name. ... I don't follow anyone. I go about my own business. I can't worry about filling someone else's shoes. I've got to fill only my own."

One media member asked Watson for his comments on Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly, a former Clemson player, who claimed he was the best in the country at the position. Watson said he thought he was the best, but he believes every quarterback has to have that mentality about themselves.

"Chad's supposed to say that," Watson said. "It's competition. It's marketing. Everyone writes stories about that. Chad's my boy. He'd be cheating himself if he didn't say that. Every quarterback should be saying that. No one is going to compare them to someone else and say, 'No, he's the best.'"

Watson's comments show he has confidence in his own set of unique abilities and isn't worried about trying to equal or surpass other quarterbacks. Look for him to continue to blaze his own trail through the rest of his college football career and into the next level.

Dalvin Cook was one of the last players to take the podium at media days, and he delivered. The Florida State star running back said he was back at 100 percent for the 2016 season and is supremely confident in his abilities.

When asked who was the best running back in the country, Cook quickly said, "I am. I'm confident that I am."

"I'm very ready for this season," Cook said. "I'm very confident. I'm just really excited about this season going into it. You're gonna see a healthy Dalvin, and we're gonna see the outcome. ... I'm a guy of results, and I know if I keep putting in the effort and the time, everything's going to work out."

Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher said no other conference had the star power of Cook, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya. One of those ACC stars gave huge props to Cook and his skills during his own interview session.

"[Cook is] one of the best running backs in the country," Watson said. "He does a lot of great things. He pass-protects. He runs the ball well. He catches the ball well. He runs routes. He does everything. He's a great athlete and a great guy."

After being overlooked last season as a Heisman contender on a team that fell short of the College Football Playoff, Cook knows he's squarely in the spotlight for 2016. He was cool, calm and collected at media days, looking every bit like the running back who can carry the banner for the ACC this upcoming season.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings are courtesy of 247Sports.

Justin Ferguson is a National College Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.