The ACC sometimes seems like the forgotten conference out of the Power 4. They get the notion of being a two-three team conference each year that wouldn’t compete with many of the other blue bloods in “better” conferences. This year could be their year to really set their own stage, especially with new changes coming to the CFP format, this is the year they have to prove themselves. Let’s take a look at some early rankings:
1. Clemson Tigers
With an impressive 16 returning starters and quarterback Cade Klubnik coming off a breakout season (3,639 yards, 36 TDs), Clemson is the clear favorite to repeat as ACC champions. The receiving unit looks the best it has in years with a three headed monster on the outside. A fast, experienced defense, including impact players like TJ Parker and Peter Woods, also anchors their dominance. They also added Coach Tom Allen as their defensive coordinator, who has a good amount of experience to get the absolute most out of his guys. Mix in both the production returning production on offense and defense, and this could be Clemson's conference to lose.
2. Miami Hurricanes
Miami’s major offseason move was adding transfer QB Carson Beck from Georgia. With key defensive pieces like DE Rueben Bain, CB OJ Frederique, LB Wesley Bissainthe, and offensive weapons like RB Mark Fletcher and WR CJ Daniels, they will squarely be in title contention for the ACC all season long. The addition of Beck can raise this team to CFP title contention as well if he plays like he did for Georgia two years ago. Coach Cristobal is showing the consistency Miami fans have been looking for but can they take the next step? Can they strike gold twice for a QB in the portal?
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech is a dark horse, returning nearly two-thirds of their production. Led by dual-threat QB Haynes King, RB Jamal Haynes, WR Eric Rivers, and DT standout Jordan van den Berg, they project as a top‑tier contender. This is the sleeper team of the conference that can actually be the SMU of this year. They have all the key pieces in veteran QB play, hard nosed coaching, and experience all over the roster. The key is health and everyone staying on the field. Coach Key is an old school throwback type of guy that gets the most out of his players so expect this team to compete from week 1 until the end of the season.
4. SMU Mustangs
Following their ACC title game appearance and College Football Playoff berth last season, SMU now joins the ACC full time. QB Kevin Jennings returns behind a revamped offensive line featuring former Arkansas OL Addison Nichols, bolstering their top-tier projection. SMU was the definition of gritty last year and surprised many with their play. They’ll look to build off last season but it’s going to take a lot of hero ball from Jennings to get them back to the top of the conference.
5. Duke Blue Devils
Under Manny Diaz, Duke performed well in 2024, and Steele slots them in the middle tier. With transfer QB Darian Mensah, OT Brian Parker, and DB Chandler Rivers on the preseason All‑ACC rosters, expectations remain tempered. Let’s not also forget about Rivers’ counterpart in the secondary Terry Moore who should help form one of the best secondaries in the country. Coach Diaz paid Mensah a lot to come over from Tulane so his dual threat prowess will be scrutinized early and often to see the actual potential for this team. Coach Diaz is a team builder and this team seems poised for a big leap this year.
6. Louisville Cardinals
Jeff Brohm’s program continues trending upward. Steele slots Louisville into ACC’s upper middle tier behind transfer QB Miller Moss, backed by RB Isaac Brown, WR Caullin Lacy, and defenders like LB Stanquan Clark, DL Clev Lubin, Rene Konga, and TJ Quinn. Coach Brohm is the king of consistency thus far in his tenure at Louisville. He gets the best version out of his QB’s each year so if he can get Moss playing how he did early on last year with USC this team can win 8+ games.
7. Pittsburgh Panthers
Pitt enters the middle of the pack with talent like RB/returner Desmond Reid, center Lyndon Cooper, WR Kenny Johnson, and LB Kyle Louis drawing preseason attention. Let’s not forget that this team was 6-0 at one point last year with QB Eli Holstein playing lights out. With the talent returning on defense and another year for Holstein to grasp the offense, expect a more consistent team that will be a tough out on a weekly basis.
8. Florida State Seminoles
Despite last season's struggles, Steele believes FSU can rebound into the upper half of the ACC. QB Thomas Castellanos, WR Duce Robinson, and CB Jeremiah Wilson are key figures in this projected turnaround. Castellanos is an upgrade under center with his dual threat play but they also thought DJ Uiagelialu was too last year. This year will be crucial in deciding whether FSU is more like how they were in 2023 or 2024 and depending on how things roll will determine some coaching jobs possibly.
9. NC State Wolfpack
NC State checks in at ninth with TE Justin Joly and LB Sean Brown earning preseason All‑ACC accolades. Steele notes secondary issues but feels quarterback CJ Bailey and Joly could help lift the offense. The offense can be fun, but outside of that, there are more question marks than clear answers on this roster.
10. California Golden Bears
California lost by one point to Miami and went on to finish the season with a 6-7 record. Although California didn’t bring in any jaw-dropping talent this offseason, the team won’t face Miami or Clemson in the regular season this fall, which could allow them to finish with a surprisingly strong record. Interesting QB battle that can brew up into camp. Expect the defense to be very good again having LB Chris Ullave back. How the QB and offense go will be how the rest of this team goes. Maybe QB Devin Brown can have some Kyle McCord magic in him?
Bottom Tier: 11–17
North Carolina (11)
In a bold hire, Bill Belichick takes over at UNC. Players like RB Davion Gause, OL Daniel King, CB Thaddeus Dixon, and LS Spencer Triplett earned All-ACC preseason honors. This team is one of the bigger wild cards. Obviously getting one of the best NFL coaches of all time will put a target on your team but this is more of a rebuild than people think. How well transfer QB Gio Lopez plays, if he even wins the job, will be a key difference maker as their season goes. Lot of unknowns coming out of UNC so this year could get interesting.
Boston College (12)
Head coach Bill O’Brien came out with a bang for a program that has been lacking for some time now. They picked up solid wins over Michigan State, Syracuse and North Carolina. O’Brien is hungry to take another step forward and be in the race for the ACC Championship. Could take another couple years but the first step is building off last year and figuring out the QB situation. Fans will be eager to see who starts behind center for the Eagles, with returning QB Grayson James competing with Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan.
Virginia Tech (13)
The Hokies went 6-7 and 4-4 in conference play. Now, the pressure is on for head coach Brent Pry to deliver as he enters his fourth season at the helm. Virginia Tech didn’t get off to a hot start this offseason when returning QB1 Kyron Drones underwent a procedure this spring for an undisclosed injury. While Drones is expected to be available by the start of the season, he’ll now have to compete with backup QB William Watson for the starting spot. This could be another up and down season for this team that hasn’t found much rhythm over the years.
Syracuse (14)
Syracuse head coach Fran Brown has his work cut out for him entering his second year with the program. The Orange are returning just 37% of their production on offense from last season. Most notably, the team lost starting quarterback Kyle McCord to the NFL Draft but did bring in QB Steve Angeli from Notre Dame and have Rickie Collins from LSU. Great 2026 recruiting class coming in but that doesn’t help them this upcoming season.
Virginia (15)
Tony Elliot is yet to lead Virginia football to a winning season. Alas, last year was his best effort yet. The Cavaliers went 5-7 and 3-5 in conference play. Elliot is hungry to build on that success, and demonstrated his excitement through his offseason work. They did add an exciting QB in the portal from North Texas in Chandler Morris that can create some fireworks on offense if he plays how he did at UNT.
Wake Forest (16)
The team added 33 transfers this offseason and hired new head coach Jake Dickert. However, Dickert has serious promise. In four seasons at Washington State, Dickert turned the Cougars into a winning program, posting an 8-4 record last year along with developing two great talents at QB, Cam Ward and John Mateer. Now, Dickert will look to shock the experts and lead Wake Forest to similar success. Might take a few years for him to get his systems in place, but high hopes for this program’s future.
Stanford (17)
The school signed long-time NFL coach Frank Reich to lead the Cardinal for one season, while they search for a more long-term option to fill the role after the Troy Taylor situation. It’ll be intriguing to see what Reich brings to the program. Cardinal fans only have Andrew Luck to trust on turning the program around.
Final Thoughts
The ACC gets a bad rep for being the weakest of the Power 4 but this year offers some potential for certain teams. There’s a clear top tier in Clemson, SMU, Miami, and even Georgia Tech this year. Could another team sneak up the ranks the way SMU did last year? There’s some intriguing teams that can make some noise so expect the unexpected as always in college football.