ACC PREASON POWER RANKINGS
Miami’s Malachi Toney returns a punt against Texas A&M during the second quarter in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)
The ACC enters the 2026 season with plenty to prove. Ever since Clemson's reign atop the conference came to an end, the ACC has largely been an afterthought among college football's power conferences. Miami appears to have claimed the throne following its national championship appearance last season, but the conference still has questions to answer beyond the Hurricanes. Can the ACC's other contenders prove they belong among the nation's elite while navigating an increasingly competitive race for the conference title? Well, let’s take a look, here are my preseason power rankings of all 17 ACC programs entering the 2026 college football season.
Miami
We'll start our power rankings in Coral Gables, where Miami enters the 2026 season as the team to beat in the ACC after reaching the national championship game a year ago.
Mario Cristobal has built one of the nation's deepest rosters through elite recruiting and aggressive work in the transfer portal. Offensively, the Hurricanes landed former Duke quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate, giving Miami one of the most talented quarterback-receiver duos in the country.
Defensively, the Hurricanes rank fifth in the ACC in returning production and strengthened an already talented unit by adding former Missouri edge rusher Damon Wilson through the transfer portal. Miami also returns one of the nation's top playmakers in wide receiver Malachi Toney, who recorded 109 receptions for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman last season. If the transfer additions live up to expectations and Cristobal keeps the program from missing a beat, Miami has all the pieces necessary to repeat as ACC champions and make another run to the College Football Playoff.
2.SMU
Since Rhett Lashlee’s Mustangs joined the conference in 2024, SMU has an ACC-best 14-2 record in conference play.
I don't suspect a drop-off either with the Mustangs returning redshirt senior quarterback Kevin Jennings. Jennings will get to work with a seasoned offensive line as the Mustangs return a lot from the previous season. Lashlee also relied on the portal to replace their wide receiving core. The Mustangs landed the former No. 6 overall WR in the class of 2024 from Alabama, Jalen Hale. SMU also got a boost when Yannik Smith transferred in from East Carolina after two seasons totaling over 1,000 receiving yards.
The defense will be the ultimate question for the Mustangs this season. They struggled at times on that side of the ball last season but they returned the back end of their defense and filled the front end with transfers. If the new faces on defense come together quickly, SMU has a realistic chance to compete for an ACC title and earn another College Football Playoff berth.
3. Louisville
One of the biggest quarterback dominoes of the offseason was when Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz committed to the Cardinals. The former 4-star quarterback lost the starting battle to Julian Sayin in fall camp the previous season.
Kienholz will have some help with fellow incoming transfers Tre Richardson from Vanderbilt and Lawayne McCoy from Florida State who both have proven production in Major conferences. The Cards return some major pieces in Keyjuan Brown and Isaac Brown who are arguably the best running back duo in the entire country and a reason I am so bullish on the Cardinals heading into 2026.
4. Virginia
Many people are overlooking the Cavaliers heading into the 2026 season, but I believe there are plenty of reasons to expect another strong year.
While Virginia is losing starting quarterback Chandler Morris, the Cavaliers wasted no time finding his replacement by landing former Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula, a proven playmaker with valuable experience. Tony Elliott also strengthened the offense by adding former Tennessee running back Peyton Lewis, who totaled seven touchdowns last season and should provide an immediate boost to the ground game.
Perhaps most importantly, Virginia returns more production than any other team in the ACC on both sides of the ball, giving the Cavaliers one of the conference's most experienced rosters. That combination of continuity and key transfer additions is why Virginia comes in at No. 4 in these preseason power rankings.
5. NC State
Dave Doeren has turned NC State into one of the ACC's most reliable programs, and I don't expect that to change in 2026.
The Wolfpack return one of the conference's best quarterbacks in CJ Bailey, whose development gives NC State a legitimate chance to compete near the top of the standings. While there are new faces at the skill positions, Bailey's ability to create plays should help ease that transition. On the defensive side, the Wolfpack made it a priority to add talent and athleticism through the transfer portal after an inconsistent 2025 campaign. Penn State transfer safety King Mack is the headliner and should provide a safety net in the back end for the Wolfpack.
If those additions allow the defense to take a step forward, NC State has the roster to compete with anyone in the ACC and could find itself in the conference title race deep into November.
6. Clemson
The Tigers may not be the dominant force they once were, but their talent level still gives them one of the highest floors in the ACC.
Clemson has averaged a top-three recruiting class in the conference over the past four cycles, proving Dabo Swinney continues to bring elite talent to Death Valley even if the results haven't matched the program's championship standard in recent years. Clemson will turn to senior quarterback Christopher Vizzina, who enters the season with just 596 career passing yards, making him one of the biggest question marks among the conference's contenders. Fortunately for the Tigers, he'll have plenty of help with standout receivers Bryant Wesco Jr. and TJ Moore returning to lead the passing game.
Another major storyline is the return of Chad Morris as offensive coordinator, a role he previously held from 2011–14. Morris and Vizzina will be tasked with jumpstarting Clemson's offense and leading the Tigers back into College Football Playoff contention.
7. California
I am much more bullish on Cal this upcoming season than most. History has shown us you can win immediately with a first year head coach and an elite quarterback. Cal has both.
It was a busy offseason in Berkley, CA with Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi becoming the Golden Bears head coach and bringing a top 15 transfer class with him. Cal will lean heavily on Sophomore quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele who is a rising star in the sport after throwing for 3,454 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025.
I expect the Bears to surpass their 7-6 record from last season.
8. Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets are coming off one of their best seasons in program history but are dealt with replacing both coordinators and their starting quarterback.
Brent Key will turn to the transfer portal to replenish the offense in Alberto Mendoza who is the younger brother of former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Key will also grab Michigan running back Justice Haynes out of the transfer portal who immediately becomes one of the best running backs in the conference. The Yellow Jackets hired Jason Semore from Southern Miss as their defensive coordinator to fix a defense that finished 92nd nationally in 2025. As of now the defense remains a big question mark for the Yellow Jackets.
9. Virginia Tech
It's time for the most interesting team in the ACC. The Virginia Tech Hokies. I have no idea where to put this team so we'll start at No. 9.
James Franklin had an A+ offseason bringing in 27 total players from the transfer portal as well as retaining a significant amount of the roster. The big addition is Penn State transfer quarterback Ethan Grunkmeyer who committed to James Franklin while he was the head coach there. Similar to Cal, this is another team with a first year head coach I could easily see making noise in the ACC.
10. Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh returns one of the ACC's most promising young quarterbacks in Mason Heintschel, who threw for 2,354 yards and 16 touchdowns in just nine games as a freshman last season.
His continued development gives the Panthers a solid foundation heading into 2026. However, Pittsburgh is relying more on internal growth than transfer portal additions after failing to make a significant impact in the portal, while also averaging just the ninth-ranked recruiting class in the ACC over the past four recruiting cycles.
With the conference expected to be deeper and more competitive this season, the Panthers face a tougher road than they did a year ago. The Panthers will start at No. 10 in these preseason power rankings.
11. Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons exceeded expectations in Jake Dickert's first season, finishing 9-4, but I believe some regression is likely in Year 2. A bright spot is the arrival of former North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez, who reunites with offensive coordinator Rob Ezell after the two previously crossed paths at South Alabama. That familiarity should help Wake Forest's offense hit the ground running.
However, the Demon Deacons rank 16th in the ACC in returning production, bringing back the second-fewest returning contributors in the conference, while also facing a much tougher schedule. The path to another nine-win season is there, but with so much roster turnover and a more difficult slate, I expect Wake Forest to take a step back in 2026.
12. Duke
The Blue Devils would be higher in these rankings if not for Darian Mensah's late transfer to Miami. Losing one of the ACC's top quarterbacks cannot be overstated, and it significantly hurts Duke's chances of returning to the ACC Championship Game.
The Blue Devils responded by landing former San Jose State quarterback Walker Eget. The signal caller threw for 3,051 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. Eget is a capable replacement and should keep Duke competitive offensively, but expecting him to replicate Mensah's production right away is unrealistic. Its tough to imagine a world where Duke is back in the ACC championship game.
13. Florida State
Florida State enters the 2026 season with more questions than answers after back-to-back losing seasons. There is optimism as the Seminoles still possess one of the conference's most talented rosters, but turning that talent into consistent results has been an ongoing challenge and something that just has not happened.
Mike Norvell once again leaned on the transfer portal to address several key positions. The Seminoles brought in Auburn transfer quarterback Ashton Daniels who will be the starter come September. Florida State also brought in Texas transfer running back Trevion Wisner who has 1,739 career rushing yards and will be relied on heavily.
There's no denying the talent on this roster, but we've seen Florida State rely on talent alone over the past two seasons, and it hasn't translated into wins. Until the Seminoles prove they can consistently live up to their potential, I have them all the way down at No. 13 in these preseason power rankings.
14. North Carolina
Bill Belichick's first season at North Carolina was a major disappointment. After falling well short of expectations, the Tar Heels responded by making significant changes on the offensive side of the ball.
North Carolina hired veteran coach Bobby Petrino as its new offensive coordinator after finishing 129th nationally in total offense last season. Petrino has a proven track record of building explosive offenses, but he'll have his work cut out for him as he looks to revive one of the nation's least productive units. The Tar Heels also brought in veteran transfer quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. from Wisconsin to lead the offense. If Edwards Jr. adapts quickly and Petrino can maximize the talent around him, North Carolina's offense will improve.
15. Syracuse
Syracuse looked like one of the ACC's biggest surprises early last season before everything changed when starting quarterback Steve Angeli suffered a season-ending injury. The Orange struggled to regain that early momentum, and their season quickly unraveled without their leader under center.
Now, Angeli returns healthy, giving Syracuse reason to believe it can get back to competing for a bowl game. His experience and command of the offense should provide much-needed stability, and if he returns to the level he was playing at before the injury, the Orange have the pieces to be a much more competitive team in 2026. Syracuse still has questions to answer throughout the roster, but a healthy Angeli gives this program a much higher ceiling than it showed during last year's disappointing finish.
16. Stanford
Stanford was one of the premier programs in college football. New head coach Tavita Pritchard is now tasked with restoring the Cardinal to that level, but it's clear, the rebuild won't happen overnight.
Stanford is expected to turn to former Michigan quarterback Davis Warren as its starter entering fall camp. Warren showed flashes during his time in Ann Arbor but struggled with consistency, throwing for just 1,199 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions while starting part of the 2024 season. The Cardinals are hoping a change of scenery unlocks Warren's potential, but there are still plenty of questions surrounding a roster that lacks proven depth.
17. Boston College
The Eagles fell off a cliff in Bill O’Briens second season as the head coach. The Eagles didn't record their second victory until the final game of the season, as inconsistency on both sides of the ball plagued them throughout the year.
I still have confidence in Bill O'Brien as a head coach, but Boston College didn't do enough this offseason to convince me a dramatic turnaround is coming. The Eagles' transfer portal class ranked near the bottom of the ACC, and several of the roster's biggest weaknesses remain unaddressed.
One player to watch is quarterback Mason McKenzie, who arrives from the Division II ranks with the hope of providing a spark to an offense that struggled mightily last season. While there are reasons to believe Boston College will be more competitive in 2026, I don't see enough improvement on the roster to move the Eagles much higher in these preseason power rankings.