As the 2025 college football season kicks off, uncertainty still clouds the ACC’s long-term stability among the ever-changing landscape of conference realignment.
Yet for now, the attention will turn to the product on the field. As the ACC starts with three teams ranked in the top 25, lower-tier programs are facing some growing pains, multiple veteran coaches’ seats are getting hotter, we have a few potential CFP crashers, and one legitimate national title contender.
To hear more of my thoughts throughout the season, be sure to also check out “TWSN Tailgate” on YouTube; every Thursday at 6:00 PM ET starting on August 21, 2025.
More NCAA Football Content From TWSN:
ACC Preseason Power Rankings & Tiers
From coast to coast, literally now, here are how the teams in the ACC rank out against each other.
Rebuilding
#17 Stanford Cardinal
Widely considered the worst team in the ACC — and possibly the worst in all of the Power Four — the Stanford Cardinal comes in at #17 in these ACC Power Rankings.
Uncertainty clouds the top of the program, as former head coach Troy Taylor was fired in March, and GM Andrew Luck brought in his former NFL head coach Frank Reich as interim head coach.
Reich and the Cardinal will kick off their season with a Week 0 game in Hawaii (Saturday, Aug. 23, 7:30 PM ET on CBS/Paramount+).
#16 Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Former Washington State head coach (2022–2024, 20-17 record with 1 bowl appearance) Jake Dickert takes over a Wake Forest program that went 4-8 over the last two seasons and won only 3 ACC games during that span.
It’ll be interesting to follow how Coach Dickert adjusts and builds his program in Winston-Salem, as this will be his first time coaching in the Southeast.
Also, watch the run game: Senior RB Demond Claiborne, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2024, is looking to make noise for the Demon Deacons.
Wake opens the season hosting the Kennesaw State Owls (Friday, Aug. 29, 7:00 PM ET on ACCN).
Head Coach Hot Seat
#15 California Golden Bears
If Cal’s offense hadn’t been gutted by the transfer portal, they’d likely rank higher. But after losing their entire running back room, three of their top four receivers, and starting QB Fernando Mendoza (now at Indiana), the 2025 outlook looks bleak.
One situation to monitor: how junior transfer QB Devin Brown (from “THE” Ohio State) performs with highly recruited true freshman “transfer” Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (ranked 67th nationally and 7th QB overall by 247Sports Composite) waiting behind him.
#14 Virginia Cavaliers
It’s rare to see a head coach get a fourth year after three straight losing seasons, but that’s the case with Tony Elliott. UVA has gone 11-23 under Elliott since he replaced Bronco Mendenhall in 2022.
The offense will be led by transfer QB Chandler Morris (2020: Oklahoma, 2021–2023: TCU, 2024: UNT), protected by an experienced O-line featuring four grad transfers and one redshirt senior.
UVA opens against Coastal Carolina, Saturday, Aug. 30, 6:00 PM ET on ACCN.
#13 Florida State Seminoles
FSU is coming off its worst season in over 50 years, and to say Mike Norvell’s seat is hot would be an understatement.
Only one player returns from one of the worst offenses in program history — TE Landen Thomas. Eight of the eleven expected offensive starters are incoming transfers, including all three WRs and senior QB Thomas “Tommy” Castellanos. Five players return on defense, but the starting linebackers will all be new.
The Seminoles have received some votes in both the preseason Coaches Poll and AP Top 25.
They will have every opportunity to jump into the top 25 with a week one win, as they’ll host #8 Alabama (Saturday, Aug. 30, 3:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN+).
#12 NC State Wolfpack
Dave Doeren enters his 13th season with the Wolfpack, now joined by two new coordinators: Kurt Roper and D.J. Eliot.
“One of the most underrated QBs in the country,” according to PFF, CJ Bailey returns after stepping in during what was expected to be a redshirt year. He’ll be joined by last season’s leading rusher, Hollywood Smothers (on the Paul Hornung Award Watch List), plus three of his top four receiving weapons.
NC State has a home-friendly schedule to start, not leaving the state of North Carolina until October 11 (at Notre Dame).
The Wolfpack opens vs. East Carolina (Thursday, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM ET on ACCN) looking for revenge for last season’s bowl loss to ECU.
Bowl Game Hopefuls
#11 Boston College Eagles
Hired late in the offseason (Feb. 9, 2024), this feels like Bill O’Brien’s first true season back in college football.
Expect Boston College to be run-heavy with RBs Alex Broome (Jr.) and Jordan McDonald (Sr.) both named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List. Don’t sleep on TE Jeremiah Franklin (Sr.), who’s been named to the John Mackey Award Watch List.
BC opens against Fordham (Saturday, Aug. 30, 2:00 PM ET on ACCNX/ESPN+).
#10 Syracuse Orange
The Orange shocked many last year by winning 10 games in Fran Brown’s first season as head coach. However, the 2025 outlook isn’t as promising, which is why they’re middle-of-the-pack in the ACC.
QB Kyle McCord and his 42.6 passes per game in 2024 are gone, and taking over is either Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli or LSU transfer Rickie Collins. It’ll be interesting to see if they lean more on the run — with their RB duo of Will Nixon (Sr.) and Yasin Willis (So.) who both earned Doak Walker Award preseason hype.
The good news for Cuse fans: if the offense struggles early with the QB change, they have Ray Guy Award watch list punter Jack Stonehouse with a fantastic ability to flip field position.
Syracuse opens the year receiving 16 points in the Coaches Poll and will play in Atlanta vs. Tennessee (Saturday, Aug. 30, 12:00 PM ET on ABC/ESPN+), in one of the two Aflac Kickoff Games.
Conference Title Crashers
#9 North Carolina Tar Heels
It’s Bill Belichick in college football — and the offseason rumors swirling around UNC have been wild. Add in the fact that no team in the ACC hit the portal harder (41 transfers), and this Tar Heel team becomes must-watch TV.
They’ll have the entire stage in Week 1 when they host TCU (Monday, Sep. 1, 8:00 PM ET on ESPN).
#8 Virginia Tech Hokies
College football is better when Lane Stadium is a feared place to play. Sadly, after another disappointing 7-6 season, we get further and further from those days. Virginia Tech hasn’t played in the ACC Championship Game since 2016 and hasn’t won an ACC title since 2010.
The duo of QB Kyron Drones and RB Terion Stewart (both on the Maxwell Award preseason watch list) hope to change that — but their schedule won’t make it easy.
Virginia Tech opens against Shane Beamer and South Carolina in Atlanta on Sunday, August 31 (3:00 PM ET on ESPN) in the second of the Aflac Kickoff Games.
#7 Duke Blue Devils
Could Duke shock the world and be this year’s Indiana — building off a 9-4 2024 season to make the ACC Championship Game?
They’ll only face two teams ranked above them currently: Georgia Tech (Oct. 18) and Clemson (Nov. 1), and they get to host GT. Two names to watch are QB Darian Mensah (transfer from Tulane) and CB Chandler Rivers.
Duke’s currently not ranked but has received votes in both preseason polls.
Their season kicks off Thursday, August 28, versus Elon at Wallace Wade Stadium (7:30 PM ET on ACCNX/ESPN+).
CFP Sleepers
#6 Pittsburgh Panthers
This is where the “true” ACC Championship Game contender tier begins.
After a 7-0 start and reaching as high as No. 18 in the AP Poll, Pitt lost their next five games. 14 players from that team return (2nd most in the conference behind only Clemson). That includes sophomore QB Eli Holstein and Sporting News Preseason All-American First Team members Kyle Louis (LB) and Desmond Reid (All-Purpose).
Pitt has only received votes in the AP Top 25, and will host in-city rival Duquesne in Week 1 (Saturday, August 30, 12:00 PM ET on ACCN).
#5 SMU Mustangs
Year 1 of SMU in the ACC couldn’t have gone much better as they went 11-1 and won the ACC “regular season championship” with an 8-0 record. They did, however, lose the ACC Championship Game 34-31 to Clemson and were then blown out by Penn State 38-10 in the CFP First Round.
Unfortunately for SMU, a program that tends to need to “rebuild” rather than reload, only 8 players return (6 on offense, 2 on defense) from last season, and a major reason why they come in at #5 in the power rankings.
That being said, the Mustangs fanbase is hoping the culture built by head coach Rhett Lashlee — and the strong play last season from QB Kevin Jennings (on the Davey O’Brien Award Watch List) — can carry over for another successful season.
SMU will open the season as #16 in both polls and play host to East Texas A&M in Week 1 (Saturday, August 30, 9:00 PM ET on ACCN).
#4 Miami Hurricanes
In most power rankings, “The U” is higher (ACC Media Poll has them #2, and ESPN’s FPI has them #1). In both college football rankings, they come in at #10 but we have to see it first.
The inconsistent play of QB Carson Beck (RS SR/TR) hindered UGA last year, and despite countless NFL-level talents plus a highly ranked 247Sports transfer portal haul (3rd), I believe Miami continues to struggle.
They’ll have a chance to silence the critics and move up the power rankings immediately if they can defeat Notre Dame at home in Week 1 (Sunday, Aug. 31, 7:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN+).
#3 Louisville Cardinals
I’ve talked about culture being built at SMU — and I’m buying what Louisville is building too. Since taking over his alma mater in 2023, Jeff Brohm has gone 19-8 and 12-4 in ACC play.
The Cards will be starting the year unranked in both polls but are receiving votes (90 points- AP Top 25 and 126 points – Coaches Poll). They’ll have every opportunity however to prove their worth as they face Miami (Fri, Oct. 17), host Clemson (Fri, Nov. 14), and travel to SMU (Nov. 22).
Louisville opens the season against EKU on Saturday, August 30, at 3:00 PM ET on ACCN.
#2 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
This ranking is based on QB play and how GT played UGA last season.
Outside of Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, there may not be a better CFB quarterback in the ACC than Haynes King. The senior QB threw for 2,114 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, while adding another 587 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
Questions remain about his ability to stay healthy and whether he can find a new #1 wide receiver. But if they can, Georgia Tech has a real chance of making the ACC Championship Game, especially with a favorable schedule. The Yellow Jackets don’t play Louisville, SMU, or Miami, and get to host Clemson [Sep. 13] plus Pitt [Nov. 22] at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
GT is unranked to begin the season, receiving votes in both polls, and draws “Prime Time” and the Colorado Buffaloes Friday night, August 29, to open the season. (8:00 PM ET on ESPN)
National Championship Contenders
#1 Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers have 16 players coming back from last year’s team (tied for 2nd most with Illinois and behind only Arizona State) that won the ACC Championship Game and made the CFP. However, goals are much higher in 2025 as they come into the season ranked #4 in the AP Top 25 plus #6 in the Coaches Poll.
Clemson will be led on offense by preseason watch list members for the Maxwell Award (CFB Offensive Player of the Year): QB Cade Klubnik and WR Antonio Williams. Defensively, they’ll be anchored by Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation’s most outstanding defensive player) preseason watch list members DE T.J. Parker, CB Avieon Terrell, and DT Peter Woods.
They’ll be tested right out of the gate in a Week 1 matchup when they host the LSU Tigers (Saturday, Aug. 30, 7:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN+).