ACC post-spring power rankings: Miami leads pack, Virginia Tech surges as Clemson languishes
The ACC provided sheer chaos in 2025 and could bring even more this fall
Miami served as the ACC's lone College Football Playoff representative last season and pushed Indiana to the brink before falling just short in the CFP National Championship. But the Hurricanes weren't the ACC champion and haven't won the league title since joining in 2004.
Is 2026 the year when the drought will finally end? The Hurricanes are stacked with talent and appear poised to remain players on the national scene for years to come under fifth-year coach Mario Cristobal. The title of conference champion remains elusive, however.
After emerging from a five-way tie for second in the conference standings and slaying Virginia in the ACC title game, the label of reigning champion belongs to Duke and ex-Miami coach Manny Diaz, who was once fired to make way for Cristobal.
The Blue Devils' improbable run to the ACC title as a five-loss team in 2025 was made possible in large part by the standout performance of quarterback Darian Mensah and his top target, Cooper Barkate. Both are now at Miami as the Hurricanes gear up to wreak some havoc.
But in the super conference era, which features radically imbalanced schedules, surprises can come from anywhere. Is Virginia poised to make another run after a breakthrough 2025? What about SMU and Clemson, who were both playoff teams in 2024? Then there's a formidable Louisville program and a strong brand in Virginia Tech, which is undergoing a revitalization under James Franklin.
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Here's a look at the ACC's best from top to bottom entering the summer months.
Odds to win the 2026 ACC championship provided via FanDuel Sportsbook.
1. Miami
Miami paid big to extract quarterback Darian Mensah from Duke, and it also landed his top target, Cooper Barkate, from the Blue Devils. They are the headliners from the nation's No. 5-ranked transfer class. With sophomore star Malachi Toney also back in the fold at receiver, the Hurricanes' passing attack should be lethal.
The defense looks ruthless as well. Miami brings back significant production under second-year coordinator Corey Hetherman and bolsters the unit with big-time transfer talents. Among them are edge rusher Damon Wilson II (Missouri), defensive lineman Keona Davis (Nebraska) and safety Omar Thornton (Boston College). There is absolutely no reason why Miami shouldn't win its first conference title since joining the ACC in 2004. Odds: -140
2. SMU
SMU boasts one of the most seasoned and productive returning quarterbacks in the country with redshirt senior Kevin Jennings. He'll be operating behind an upscale offensive line. Assuming a talented group of skill players entering via the portal lives up to their ratings, the Mustangs are poised to be even better offensively after ranking 31st in total offense last season.
The defense slipped a bit in 2025 after helping the Mustangs reach the 2024 CFP. The front line is full of transfers, but there is some returning production through the linebacking corps and in the secondary. With Miami and Clemson absent from the schedule, SMU is primed to compete for the league title. A late-season showdown with Notre Dame could carry playoff implications for both. Odds +750
3. Louisville
Louisville is turning to former four-star quarterback prospect Lincoln Kienholz, who finished second behind Julian Sayin in Ohio State's quarterback battle last season. The hope is that he can juice a Cardinals unit that fell from 13th in total offense in 2024 to 69th in 2025.
His group of targets will include a trio of highly rated transfers in receivers Lawayne McCoy (Florida State) and Tre Richardson (Vanderbilt), along with tight end Brody Foley (Tulsa). Each brings a track record of production as part of the nation's No. 13 transfer haul. The Cards return a proven group of linebackers from a unit that ranked No. 16 nationally in total defense. Quality transfers such as edge rusher Tyler Thompson (North Carolina) and Koen Entringer (Iowa) should make the defense formidable again. Odds +750
4. Pittsburgh
Pitt found a diamond in the rough with quarterback Mason Heintschel, who was the No. 43-ranked QB prospect in the Class of 2025 before bursting onto the scene last year. Heintschel finished 6-3 as a starter during his true freshman season while surpassing 300 yards on three occasions. Top rusher Ja'Kyrian Turner is back, and there is strong continuity on the offensive line. Receiver is where the questions lie.
The Panthers are also leaning heavily into continuity and internal development on defense after finishing as a top-35 unit nationally last season. Linebacker Braylan Lovelace is the name to know as he enters with 17 career tackles for loss. But there's plenty of proven heft up front. If the secondary rounds into form, the Panthers could surpass last year's mark of eight victories. Outside of trips to Miami and Louisville, the schedule is quite manageable. Odds +1800
5. Virginia
Virginia is coming off its first-ever 11-win season and first 10-win season since 1989. The Cavaliers are losing quarterback Chandler Morris, but they added a proven replacement in Beau Pribula from Missouri and appear well-fortified in the trenches on both sides of the football.
If a relatively unproven group of skill players highlighted by Tennessee transfer running back Peyton Lewis is ready to rock, the Cavaliers will be a threatening presence in the ACC again. From a talent perspective, Virginia is a rung below the frontrunners, but it's in a far more stable position than it was during an adversity-filled start to fifth-year coach Tony Elliott's tenure. Odds +1900
6. Clemson
Clemson's past two high school recruiting classes ranked No. 21 and No. 31 in the 247Sports team rankings. That's good by ACC standards but poor by the standards of a recent national powerhouse. Though the Tigers are now taking more transfers than before, they aren't using the portal to accumulate stars. This year's haul slots in at No. 66 in the 247Sports transfer rankings.
If there were an established star quarterback in the fold, maybe it would be easier to envision the Tigers returning to the top of the conference. But the job belongs to unproven redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina, who will be working under the direction of offensive coordinator Chad Morris, who is back in the OC role after holding it previously from 2011-14. There is enough skill talent around Vizzina and enough proven production on defense for Clemson to finish in the league's upper third. But reaching the playoff will be a tall task for a program coming off a 7-6 campaign. Odds +1600
7. Virginia Tech
Though new coach James Franklin is bringing in a beefy transfer class, Virginia Tech sits at No. 4 nationally in returning production, according to ESPN's Bill Connelly. That's remarkable for a program undergoing a leadership transition. Some of that may stem from the fact that fired coach Brent Pry is returning as the defensive coordinator, but the offense features plenty of familiar faces as well.
Between those who were at Virginia Tech last season and those who played for Franklin at Penn State, this feels more like the merging of two families than a true reset. Whether that will accelerate the Hokies' path back to ACC contention and national relevance is undetermined, but Franklin was a great hire, and he did well in the portal as the Hokies recommitted to investing in football. Odds +2500
8. NC State
NC State has won between 7 and 9 games in 10 of the past 12 seasons under veteran coach Dave Doeren. The Wolfpack should be right back in that neighborhood after retaining star quarterback CJ Bailey, who totaled 25 passing touchdowns and six rushing scores during a breakout sophomore season. He'll have a totally overhauled group of pass-catchers, though.
The defense features a handful of former four-star prospects transferring in from big-time programs for a shot at major roles. Among them are linebacker Raul Aguirre Jr. (Miami), cornerback Ondre Evans (Georgia), safety King Mack (Penn State) and linebacker DaKaari Nelson (Penn State). If they can sniff out their potential, the Wolfpack should finish much better than last year's mark of 109th in total defense. Odds: +2200
9. Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech is replacing its quarterback and both coordinators following the program's best season in over a decade. The Yellow Jackets rose as high as No. 7 in the AP Top 25 amid an 8-0 start behind the gritty play of Haynes King. His replacement has a familiar last name. It's Indiana transfer Alberto Mendoza, who is the younger brother of Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
A defense that produced some dud performances down the stretch is rebooting under new coordinator Jason Semore, who led a Southern Miss unit that finished fourth nationally with 29 takeaways last season. The Yellow Jackets will hope he brings that stinginess with him after Georgia Tech ranked tied for 121st with just nine takeaways in 2025. Odds: +3500
10. California
The return of rising star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele gives first-year coach Tosh Lupoi a cornerstone to build upon. With a top-15 transfer class also on the way, the Bears could -- and maybe should -- be competitive immediately. Sagapolutele tossed for nearly 3,500 yards as a rookie and has a couple of potential stud receivers entering via the portal. Chase Hendricks surpassed 1,000 yards receiving at Ohio last season, and Ian Strong is a big target at 6-foot-4 who caught 52 balls at Rutgers in 2025.
Lupoi spent the past four seasons as Oregon's defensive coordinator and will presumably tout a competent unit on that side of the football. Miami and Louisville aren't on the schedule, and the Bears get five ACC home games, which helps make this team a threat to surpass last year's 7-6 (4-4 ACC) mark. Odds: +4000
11. Duke
Given the 11th-hour timing of quarterback Darian Mensah's transfer to Miami, Duke did well to find a suitable replacement in Walker Eget. He threw for 3,051 yards at San Jose State last season and should help keep the floor high for the reigning ACC champions. But losing Mensah was still a devastating blow, and any visions of a step toward playoff contention are on hold as the Blue Devils try to repair a defense that finished 119th last season.
Through two seasons, Manny Diaz is 18-9 (11-5 ACC) with consecutive 9-win seasons. Perhaps if Mensah had returned, an uptick to 10 wins would feel more realistic. As it stands, this should still be a bowl team. With a much stronger recent track record than Florida State, the Blue Devils come in just ahead of Florida State in a power ranking format, despite having significantly longer title odds. Odds: +7000
12. Florida State
Mike Norvell is reclaiming play-calling responsibilities for a do-or-die 2026 season. With the Seminoles coming off consecutive down years and their fourth losing season out of six, Norvell needs to win big. There are some portal splashes, such as former Texas running back Tre Wisner and No. 5-ranked offensive tackle transfer Xavier Chaplin from Auburn.
Where the 'Noles didn't make a splash is at quarterback. Former Stanford and Auburn signal-caller Aston Daniels is seasoned, but he's never been a needle-mover. Daniels slotted as the 30th-ranked transfer quarterback this past offseason. He will need to elevate his game to previously unseen heights if this iteration of FSU football is going to be significantly better than the last couple. Odds: +4000
13. Wake Forest
Wake Forest surged to a surprising 9-win total in Jake Dickert's first season. The schedule is less favorable this time around, but there is still reason for optimism. UNC transfer quarterback Gio Lopez is reuniting with offensive coordinator Rob Ezell after the two thrived together at South Alabama in 2024. That partnership and the return of significant production from a defense that ranked No. 26 nationally are indicators that the Demon Deacons could be here to stay.
The offensive line is loaded with uncertainty, as are the skill positions. But the Demon Deacons should be good enough defensively to give themselves a chance against a schedule that features many of the ACC's top squads from a year ago. Odds: +8000
14. North Carolina
After an abysmal first season, 74-year-old coach Bill Belichick is bringing in offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino to breathe life into an offense that ranked 129th in 2025. The biggest question -- though there are many -- is whether veteran transfer Billy Edwards Jr. is the quarterback to take the Tar Heels to respectability. Coming off a season-ending knee injury in the season opener with Wisconsin last season, the former Maryland starter is getting one last crack at college football with UNC.
The defense was statistically OK last season, but it wasn't good enough to mask the offense's myriad issues. The Tar Heels decided Belichick was the man to raise the standard after six straight bowl appearances under Mack Brown. But even meeting the Brown-era standards would mark a huge step forward, and it's far from a guarantee for a UNC squad that plays TCU and Notre Dame in non-conference action. Odds: +10000
15. Syracuse
Syracuse's 2026 season turned into a quarterback disaster when Steve Angeli went down with a torn Achilles after a 3-1 start. This version of the Orange isn't a 10-win team like the 2024 squad, but it should certainly be better than last year's mess.
If Angeli is close to his pre-injury caliber, Syracuse can be a bowl team. It will require a strong start vs. a manageable opening stretch of New Hampshire, Cal, Pitt and UConn. Among the final five opponents are SMU, Clemson, NC State and Notre Dame. Games at North Carolina (Oct. 24) and at Boston College (Nov. 21) could decide whether Syracuse is able to recapture the good vibes of Fran Brown's first season. Odds: +12500
16. Boston College
Boston College dipped from 7-6 to 2-10 in Bill O'Brien's second year, as it took until the final game of the season for the Eagles to notch a victory against an FBS opponent. It's hard to imagine BC being that bad again, but envisioning some quantum leap occurring on the shoulders of the nation's No. 63-ranked transfer class is a bridge too far.
The best hope is that Division II transfer Mason McKenzie from Saginaw Valley State can control the action as a dynamic dual-threat player. McKenzie was the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2025 while totaling 17 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing scores. Odds: +30000
17. Stanford
The days of double-digit victories and Rose Bowl appearances under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw feel like a distant memory as Stanford gears up for the Tavita Pritchard era. The former Cardinal quarterback and assistant coach is taking over after three years as the Washington Commanders' quarterbacks coach. He's got a tall task ahead after five straight seasons of four wins or fewer.
Unlike most rebooting programs, Stanford isn't full of transfers. But ex-Michigan quarterback Davis Warren did arrive via the portal and appears to be in line to take the first snaps. The schedule is not particularly forgiving, which adds to the challenge the Cardinal face in returning to bowl eligibility. Odds: +25000
