ACC football notebook

By Andy Johnston

For the AJC

Clemson’s Kyle Parker can play football and baseball, for the time being. And it cost him only $800,000.

The sophomore two-sport star, who in 2009-10 became the only Division I player to throw 20 touchdown passes and hit 20 home runs in the same academic year, appeared ready to pass on playing baseball with the Colorado Rockies, who drafted him in the first round this summer.

The sides reportedly were far apart during negotiations, but with Major League Baseball’s midnight signing deadline approaching Monday, Parker and Rockies agreed on a deal that includes a $1.4 signing bonus and allows him to play football at Clemson beyond 2010.

However, if Parker plays football past this season, he will have to forfeit a portion of that bonus, his dad, Carl Parker, told the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier. The Denver Post reported that if Parker quits football after 2010, payment of his bonus will be accelerated.

Parker, the 26th overall pick, turned down a $2.25 million offer in July that would have kept him from playing football. He has been practicing with Clemson, but received permission to skip Monday’s practices as the contract was finalized.

"I told him he could take all of Monday off, but he wanted to be here for [Monday] morning’s practice,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said in a release. “He has done a great job focusing on football since he came back to school.”

Without Parker, Clemson would have been without its leading rusher (C.J. Spiller), its leading receiver (Jacoby Ford) and leading passer. With Parker, who threw for 2,526 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2009, the Tigers hope to win the Atlantic Division and reach the ACC title game for the second consecutive season.

The Rockies also drafted North Carolina State quarterback Russell Wilson in the fourth round. He hit .230 with two homers, four triples and 11 RBIs in 32 games with the short-season Class A Tri-City Dust Devils in Pasco, Wash., this summer before returning to school.

Mike Glennon ran the first-team offense in Wilson’s absence, but Wilson appears to have won his job back. He threw for 3,027 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2009.

"If Russell didn't have all the experience, that would be a great battle going on right now for the starting job," N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien told the AP.

Storm hits Miami

Storm Johnson has the right name and game for Miami.

The freshman running back who rushed for 1,937 yards and 31 touchdowns for Loganville in 2009 after transferring from Buford, recovered a blocked punt, returned a kickoff 41 yards and had a key block on a 23-yard touchdown run in the Hurricanes’ scrimmage last week.

Johnson is one of eight backs battling for playing time.

“He's getting better, a lot better than he was in January," coach Randy Shannon told the Miami Herald. “He's working on kickoff returns and all phases of special teams. But the running-back position is very competitive right now. They're really giving us a great opportunity to evaluate and see who's going to be the guy."

Around the conference

Florida State cornerback Dionte Allen, who started one game last season, has left the team and been released from his scholarship. The offseason hasn’t been kind to the Seminoles. Defensive tackle Moses McCray and running back Tavares Pressley will miss the season with knee injuries, wide receiver Jarmon Fortson was kicked off the team and linebacker Nigel Carr has been suspended indefinitely. … Virginia Tech and Texas are the only teams in the nation that have at least 10 victories in each of past six seasons. … Duke wide receivers Donovan Varner, Conner Vernon and Austin Kelly (South Cobb) each had at least 50 receptions and 600 yards last season, with Varner leading the way with 65 catches for 1,047 yards and eight touchdowns. … Clemson has received a commitment from Charlotte Latin (N.C.) tight end Colton Walls, whose father, Wesley, played tight end for San Francisco, New Orleans and Carolina. … Junior Skylar Jones appears to have the inside track to replace Riley Skinner as Wake Forest’s starting quarterback. He’s in a battle with redshirt freshman Brendon Cross (Chattahoochee) and sophomore Ted Stachitas. ... Virginia Tech backup quarterback Logan Thomas might see action at tight end or H-back this season.