The ACC should improve this year as the top is becoming more competitive. Florida State and Clemson will act as the top dogs of the conference with teams like Miami, NC State, Virginia Tech, and Louisville just under them. Georgia Tech, Syracuse, and North Carolina could be interesting but don’t expect anything crazy. Let's dive right in.
Let’s start with the defending ACC champions, the Florida State Seminoles. Mike Norvell has brought the Florida State program back to the national stage following a stretch of dark years in Tallahassee. This will be one of the most fascinating storylines in the country this year following the snub from last season’s college football playoff.
This team will look completely different, the Seminoles lost 37 players from the 2023 roster between the NFL draft and transfer portal. Offensively this includes QB Jordan Travis, RB Trey Benson, WR Keon Coleman, WR Jonny Wilson, TE Jaheim Bell, TE Markeston Douglas, OL D’Mitri Emannuel, and OL Casey Roddick.
On the defensive side of the ball: EDGE Jared Verse, DT Braden Fiske, DT Fabian Lovett, DB Renardo Green, DB Jarrian Jones, DB Akeem Dent, LB Tatum Bethune, & LB Kalen DeLoach. That’s eight starters on the defense alone who are no longer on the roster.
That is a lot of production to replace, yet Norvell and his staff again excelled in the offseason transfer portal window. We’ll start at the quarterback position, where Norvell and company brought in Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei. DJU enters the program as a familiar face, having spent his first few seasons at Clemson before leaving for Corvallis.
While he’s shown flashes of his talent, Uiagalelei has struggled with consistency even going back to his time at Clemson. He joins the best offensive system suited for his playstyle, a power run game with a vertical passing attack. I would argue Norvell is the best offensive mind he will play under, and expect him to have his best collegiate season this year.
We’ll move over to the skill positions. With the top three pass catchers and leading rushers exiting the program, these were pivotal roles to be filled. The staff first brought RB Jaylin Lucas from Indiana, an explosive athlete who will be lightning in a bottle on special teams.
Joining the running back room as well is Alabama transfer Roydell Williams. The former four-star recruit brings that same physical downhill running style that Seminole fans loved with Trey Benson, a great fit for the Norvell system and elite pairing with Lawrence Toafili returning.
Now for the pass catchers. The ’Noles started by bringing in speedster Jalen Brown from LSU, a former four-star recruit and high school state-qualifier athlete in track. Next up was Malik Benson from Alabama, another standout high school track athlete and former #1 overall JUCO prospect out of Hutchinson Community College before his time in Tuscaloosa.
The skill room does feature some returning faces in Kyle Morlock, Ja’Khi Douglas, Kenton Poitier, Deuce Spann, and former five-star Hykeem Williams. All of which will be called upon heavily in this next rendition of the Norvell and Atkins offense.
Despite losing eight starters, defensively FSU returns several pieces including: EDGE Patrick Payton, DL Darrell Jackson Jr, DB Fentrell Cypress, DB Shyheim Brown, DB Kevin Knowles II, DB K.J. Kirkland, and LB DJ Lundy.
The defensive portal acquisitions set up the unit nicely: EDGE Marvin Jones Jr. (Georgia), DB Earl Little Jr. (Alabama), DB Davonte Brown (Miami), DB Omarion Cooper (Colorado), DL Tomiwa Durojaiye (West Virginia), DL Sione Lolohea (Oregon State), LB Cam Riley (Auburn), and LB Shawn Murphy (Alabama). That makes five total Alabama transfers.
The biggest question for the Garnet & Gold will be the offensive line. Last year saw a rotating door every week with constant injuries to starters. Once again, Norvell addressed it in the portal by bringing in two massive SEC linemen: Florida’s Richie Leonard IV and Alabama’s TJ Ferguson. The interior of this unit will be the strength with C Maurice Smith returning as well. Expect tons of counter and power run schemes once again in Tallahassee.
Florida State opens up its schedule with a matchup vs Georgia Tech in Ireland, don't sleepwalk through that game. Their first true test comes on October 5th in a home battle with Clemson. Outside of Notre Dame and Miami, the road schedule is very manageable. The Sunshine Showdown will be back in Tallahassee this season.
If some of these key portal acquisitions prove worthy, expect Florida State to be back in Charlotte for the ACC title game and competing for a spot in the new college football playoff.
Let’s move over to the Clemson Tigers, who last season saw their first season with under double-digit wins since 2010. Dabo Swinney has received criticism from pundits and fans alike for his unwillingness to use the transfer portal to its fullest extent.
Cade Klubnik is back at quarterback, entering his second season with offensive coordinator Garrett Riley who came over from TCU following their 2022 postseason run. While he hasn’t showcased his full ability consistently, I expect him to take a massive leap. It’s no mystery that chemistry between the coaching staff and quarterback is crucial, getting another offseason under Riley’s system should only evolve his performance.
The skill position at Clemson the past couple of seasons isn’t what we’ve been accustomed to seeing, in part due to a lack of portal acquisitions and just overall pure development of talent.
The receiver room returns several players, and Phil Mafah is back at running back. Despite the absence of additions, one could expect a jump in production as the unit gets another year together to build chemistry.
Defensively, we know Clemson will be good. It’s been their calling card for years now. Losing safety Andrew Mukuba to the transfer portal is a massive blow, they will look to other young talents to fill his void. Retaining Barrett at linebacker was a crucial move. The dude’s a stud.
Schedule-wise, the Tigers open up with a home matchup against Georgia. Outside of that, the rest of the way is manageable. They get NC State and Louisville at home but are on the road at Virginia Tech and Florida State.
If the offense can clean up the turnover issues from a year ago and evolve at least marginally, expect Clemson to be competing at the top of the ACC and in the playoff hunt.
How about last year’s ACC runner-up, the Louisville Cardinals? Jeff Brohm did an excellent job in his return to his alma mater in 2023 after leaving Purdue. I expect Louisville to resemble last season, a scrappy hard-nosed football team that wears you out.
The downside of this year’s team is they lost almost 40 players from the 2023 season to the NFL draft and transfer portal. This list includes QB Jack Plummer, RB Jawhar Jordan, RB Isaac Guerendo, WR Jamari Thrash, WR Kevin Coleman, WR Ahmari Huggins-Bruce, DB Jarvis Brownlee Jr, DB Storm Duck, & eight offensive linemen.
Much like the Florida State staff, they hit the portal hard. Starting at quarterback, Tyler Shough is transferring in from Texas Tech. He was recruited to Oregon out of high school before taking his talents to Lubbock. Shough projects to be a good fit in the Brohm offense as long as he can stay healthy, he’s never played more than seven games since his career began in 2019.
At running back, Don Chaney Jr. transferred in from Miami. The Cardinals at one point landed sensational Toledo transfer Peny Boone, but since flipped his commitment to UCF.
For the rest of the offense, WR Ja’Corey Brooks transfers in from Alabama alongside South Alabama’s Caullin Lacy. Mark Redman at tight end is a sneaky addition from San Diego State. The defense reloaded the front seven and secondary, they should once again be a quality unit on that side of the ball.
The Cardinal's schedule is interesting. They don’t play Florida State, Virginia Tech, NC State, or North Carolina. The road schedule is highlighted by a September matchup in South Bend with Notre Dame and a November matchup at Clemson. They get Miami at home.
I expect Louisville to be similar to last season, scrappy and in the thick of every game. I do however foresee a potential exponential decline in production offensively. The absence of last year’s top skill players and Tyler Shough’s injury history make this a show-me situation.
Is Mario Cristobal going to figure it out in Coral Gables? It’s looking like this 2024 team will be the best one he’s had yet. With the mix of returning talent and key transfer portal acquisitions, Miami faithful are hoping for a sign of improvement in the program.
Cristobal’s first two seasons after coming over from Oregon have been nothing short of underwhelming. A 12-13 record (6-10 ACC) in that span has him potentially finding himself on the hot seat if the 2024 season is full of mediocrity.
This year’s Hurricanes will look very different on offense. The following players from last year’s unit are gone: QB Tyler Van Dyke (Wisconsin), RB Henry Parrish (Ole Miss), RB Donald Chaney Jr. (Louisville), WR Frank Ladson Jr. (UMASS), WR Colbie Young (Georgia), WR Brashard Smith (SMU), and Jaleel Skinner (Louisville).
Cristobal landed a pair of upper-echelon transfers on offense, starting with Washington State QB Cam Ward. Ward was one of the best quarterbacks in a loaded Pac-12 conference the past two seasons, the first two years of his collegiate career were spent at Incarnate Ward. Many people, including myself, would argue this is the best signal caller that Mario Cristobal has had since Justin Herbert during his time in Eugene.
The staff also brought in a 2023 Doak Walker semifinalist at running back in Oregon State transfer Damien Martinez. Last season in Corvallis, he ran for 1,185 yards at 6.1 YPC with 9 touchdowns, securing him an All-Pac-12 First-Team selection. Xavier Restrepo is back at receiver, rounding out the big three offensively for the Hurricanes.
Defensively, Miami needs to take a step forward. They rank 77th nationally in returning production on that side of the ball but return their chess piece in Rueben Bain Jr. at linebacker. Portal acquisitions of EDGE Tyler Baron from Louisville and DB Mishael Powell from Washington bring a needed boost in production to the first and third levels, especially with Kam Kinchens off to the NFL.
Miami’s schedule is in the middle. The road schedule isn’t the friendliest: Florida, South Florida, Louisville, and Georgia Tech. They do however get Florida State and Virginia Tech at home. They will look to beat the rival Seminoles for the first time since the 2020 season.
Despite the belief that Cristobal is a higher quality recruiter than he is as a game-day coach, many expect a jump in performance this year from Miami. The additions of Cam Ward and Damien Martinez alone will completely revamp the offense production, this team could be fun to watch.
I can not wait for Virginia Tech football this season. I’m buying all the Brent Pry stock I can get right now. This is my sleeper team in the ACC to make noise and compete for a spot in the conference title game. A strong finish to the 2023 season that saw the Hokies win five of their last seven games has fans in Blacksburg eager for this upcoming year.
Let’s start with the roster, they return almost everyone. The Hokies rank fourth nationally in returning production (84%), with a whopping 91% of the offensive production returning. We’ve talked about it before, chemistry and continuity of a roster equates to winning football.
The offensive unit will be led by QB Kyren Drones, a rising star in college football. He took over the signal-caller duties last season after Grant Wells suffered a leg injury and took the Hokie offense to an entirely new level. Drones ranked 19th nationally in total QBR week 5 and on, finishing the season with 2,903 yards and 22 touchdowns.
At the skill positions, they return all their key guys: RB Bhayshul Tuten, WR Da’Quan Felton, WR Stephen Gosnell, WR Jaylin Lane, and WR Ali Jennings are all back. Oh yeah, and the entire starting offensive line unit is back.
Defensively, they return their top pass-rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland, and their top defensive backs Dorian Strong plus Mansoor Delane. The transfer portal addition of Duke DT Aeaneas Peebles makes for a nice pairing with Josh Fuga on the interior of the defensive line.
The schedule is extremely favorable. The Hokies' only true road test will be a September matchup in Coral Gables with the Miami Hurricanes. They get Clemson and Georgia Tech at home. In the regular season, they do not face Florida State or Louisville.
The pieces are in place for Virginia Tech and Brent Pry to take a big step forward in 2024. I fully expect them to compete with the top of the conference and be in the hunt for a spot in the ACC championship game. Get your popcorn ready in Blacksburg and enjoy the ride.
NC State is a serious dark horse in the ACC this season if you even want to call them that. Dave Doeren enters his 12th season at the helm in Raleigh, eclipsing eight or more wins for the sixth time since 2017 last year.
Grayson McCall transferred in from Coastal Carolina and is slated to be the full-time starter at quarterback. In four seasons as the starter with the Chanticleers, he recorded 9,980 passing yards and 87 touchdowns with just 14 interceptions. This dude is an absolute stud when healthy, he saw playing time in only seven games during the 2023 season due to injury.
The offense returns its leading receiver in Kevin “KC” Concepcion and brought in Noah Rogers via the portal from Ohio State, giving them a solid one-two punch outside. Concepcion was a freshman All-American and All-ACC player in 2023.
The staff also acquired Duke transfer Jordan Waters for the running back room. A sneaky addition to this unit is UCONN transfer Justin Joly at tight end, who went for 578 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. The offensive line will be something to watch, but the staff feels good about that room following the portal acquisition of Zeke Correll from Notre Dame.
Defensively, the Wolfpack returns a ton of key pieces. All four starters on the defensive line, the top two linebackers, and All-ACC cornerback Aydan White are returning to this unit.
The schedule is extremely favorable, they do not draw Florida State, Miami, or Louisville in the regular season. The matchup with Tennessee at home in early September will be an enticing game. They are on the road against Clemson, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina. They should once again get eight or more wins with this schedule.
I expect the Wolfpack to compete at the top of the ACC in 2024. If Grayson McCall can stay healthy, with those offensive weapons and returning production on defense, watch out for NC State this season.
How about Georgia Tech and Brent Key down there in Bobby Dodd? Key enters his 2nd season at the helm, guiding the program to its first winning season last year since 2018. They won five of their final eight games, capped off with a 30-17 win over UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Like Virginia Tech, the returning production on offense for the Yellow Jackets sets them up to take a step forward in 2024. Georgia Tech ranks 7th nationally in returning production on that side of the ball, the lone departures being OG Connor Scaglione and WR Dominick Blaylock.
The defense will be the question mark for them this year, where they rank 105th nationally in returning defensive production. This doesn’t project as a huge issue as the unit was one of the worst in the country last season.
QB Haynes King is back, he was one of only two players in college football with at least 2,700 passing yards, 600 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes, and 5 rushing touchdowns. He led the ACC in touchdown passes and ranked fourth in yards in the ACC for 2023.
The conference’s top rushing offense from a year ago returns Jamal Haynes in the backfield. He finished fifth in the ACC in rushing yards after converting from receiver.
At receiver, Eric Singleton Jr and Malik Rutherford are back. Singleton’s 704 receiving yards and six touchdowns both rank top 10 in the conference. Malik Rutherford was the second-leading pass catcher, he caught 44 passes for 462 yards, averaging 10.5 YPC with three touchdowns. The starting offensive line unit from 2023 returns four starters as well.
Schedule-wise, it’s in the middle. They open with a neutral site game in Ireland against the defending conference champs, Florida State. The home schedule is solid, drawing Miami, NC State, and Notre Dame. On the road, they draw Georgia, Virginia Tech, and Louisville.
I expect Georgia Tech to leap forward in 2024, this will be incumbent on Haynes King and the offense's ability to keep the defense off the field. I don’t see them competing for the conference title but expect them to be competitive every week, and steal a marquee game or two.
Syracuse could be an interesting wildcard team in the ACC in 2024. Fran Brown takes over as head coach, the nation’s top recruiter and former defensive backs coach at Georgia. Brown brings with him deep ties to the northeast region, this should grant him immediate success in recruiting and the transfer portal.
The staff brought several quality transfer portal players for the offense, starting with IOL Joshua Miller and WR Yazeed Haynes from Georgia. Kyle McCord is coming in at quarterback from Ohio State, in an easier conference many expect a jump in his performance.
The offensive unit also returns some key pieces, headlined by RB LeQuint Allen. He is coming off a second-team All-ACC campaign in 2023. Oronde Gadsden II is back as well, a hybrid athlete at tight end. WR Trebor Pena brings an explosive presence to the outside, a truly dynamic athlete with elite route running and versatility across the formation.
Defensively, the Orange are set up nicely. One of Brown’s major moves upon taking the job was hiring Elijah Robinson as defensive coordinator. Coming from Texas A&M, Robinson commanded a unit that placed top 20 nationally in rush defense for three of his six seasons.
Syracuse returns key production on this side of the ball. Two of the ACC’s most versatile linebackers, Marlowe Wax and Derek McDonald are back. While the perimeter at the second level has a few holes to fill, the safety trio of Duce Chestnut, Alijah Clark, and Justin Barron have the versatility and playmaking ability to cover up some of that weakness.
The Orange might’ve drawn the best schedule in the conference. They get Miami, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech all at home. The only true road test is against NC State in the middle of October. Syracuse will not face Florida State, Clemson, Louisville, or North Carolina in the regular season.
With this schedule, returning production, and portal acquisitions do not be surprised to see Syracuse win eight or more games. Give Fran Brown one full offseason cycle and expect Syracuse to be competitive in this conference, a bright future awaits.
What should be expected of Mack Brown and the Tarheels in Chapel Hill this season? Is it possible, in some weird way, that the team is better without having to rely on Drake Maye being a superstar?
With Drake Maye, Cedric Gray, and Tez Walker off to the NFL, it’ll be a new-look offense for the most part outside of offensive line and tailback.
Offensively, they should still be good. Star tailback Omarion Hampton returns, he went for 1500 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2023, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. The staff added a pair of key pieces in the transfer portal, acquiring QB Max Johnson and TE Jake Johnson from Texas A&M in December.
If the defense can at least have a pulse this season, the Tarheels should be competitive. It was one of the worst units nationally and cost them several games in 2023. Former Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins will take over the defensive coordinator role, replacing Gene Chizik.
The schedule is interesting. They don’t face Clemson, Louisville, or Miami. They draw NC State and Georgia Tech at home and travel to Tallahassee for a matchup with Florida State in early November.
I don’t expect fireworks from this team, but they will make a bowl game. The future of Mack Brown’s job may be in question come the end of the season, as many fans have already mentally moved on.
Let’s move into the next tier of ACC programs: Boston College, Duke, Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Wake Forest. I won’t be buying much stock into any of these programs in 2024, but they are interesting programs to watch for the next few years.
Duke should see a decline with Mike Elko leaving for Texas A&M. However, Manny Diaz is coming over from Penn State where he served as defensive coordinator from 2022-2023. I want to give him a full offseason cycle to get something rolling.
Boston College could be interesting. Bill O’Brien takes over as head coach, he brings a veteran coaching presence and background to the program. Offensively they should be fun to watch with Thomas Castellanos returning at quarterback.
Virginia and Wake Forest will be mediocre yet again, I don’t expect Tony Elliot to be the coach in Charlottesville following this 2024 season. Dave Clawson had those fun seasons with Sam Hartman, outside of that it hasn’t been much to write home about. Pat Narduzzi is a good head coach, but yet again I struggle to see them competing with minimal talent on the roster.
How about the conference newcomers in California, Stanford, and SMU? California and Stanford will be the bottom teams in the ACC for 2024, but SMU could be sneaky.
Rhett Lashlee as head coach with Preston Stone at quarterback will be fun to watch. The staff was active in the transfer portal, bringing in loads of SEC players and dynamic athletes at the skill positions. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them win a few games they shouldn’t and secure a spot in a quality bowl game.
The ACC should improve this year as the top is becoming more competitive. Florida State and Clemson will act as the top dogs of the conference with teams like Miami, NC State, Virginia Tech, and Louisville just under them. Georgia Tech, Syracuse, and North Carolina could be interesting but don’t expect anything crazy.