With spring practices and scrimmages in the books, the countdown until the fall season officially begins.
The ACC has a new-look championship this season, with the top two teams in the conference, regardless of division standings, facing off in Charlotte in December to decide the champion.
With Clemson retaking the title, marking their sixth championship in seven years, it means that many would love to take it away from the Tigers, and there are many teams that have the power to take it from them in a talented conference in this upcoming season.
Here’s how I believe the ACC power rankings are as of the summer, with an exciting fall fast approaching, beginning from worst to best.
14. Virginia Cavaliers
The Cavaliers tied for the fewest amount of wins in the conference last season, and they could have a chance to record an even lower amount with the number of departures in the offseason. Most notably, cornerback Fentrell Cypress II and starting quarterback Brennan Armstrong will be the two who will be most missed in Charlottesville later this year. It will be interesting to see who steps up to help Virginia get wins this year.
13. Boston College Eagles
The Eagles finished with the lowest amount of total yards in the conference last season, and with many key departures on the offensive side, it is a question of who will run the offense this fall. Most notably, Boston College lost wide receiver standout Zay Flowers, who was taken in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft. With a new quarterback behind center and the loss of a first-round talent of Flowers, it will be tough to replicate the passing success, where Boston College finished in the top four in the ACC last season with an average of 247.1 yards per game.
12. Virginia Tech Hokies
The Hokies are looking for a different outcome this season, taking to the transfer portal to revamp their offense. They picked up Baylor transfer Kyron Jones to fill in the quarterback spot as well as three wide receivers to improve from second-worst passing yards in the conference in 2022. I think the Hokies will improve from last season, but it is going to be tough with a competitive conference, so I’m throwing them in the No. 12 spot.
11. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The worst passing offense last season, Georgia Tech has done a good job of improving the offense in the offseason. They picked up Buster Faulkner as their new offensive coordinator, who was an analyst with the Georgia Bulldogs over the last three seasons. Joining him from Athens is receiver Dominick Blaylock, who should have an instant impact. Former Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King also joins the Yellow Jackets. However, Georgia Tech has lost a lot of assets on defense this offseason, putting them in this spot.
10. Syracuse Orange
Syracuse turned a lot of heads at the beginning of the season last year, starting the season 6-0 and reaching as high as the No. 14 team in the country. The problem with the Orange is that they have lost many key players that helped them reach this spot. Last year’s leading rusher Sean Tucker left for the NFL, and a lot of the Syracuse secondary has left too, which was second-best in the conference in passing defense.
9. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
The Demon Deacons lost perhaps one of the biggest names in the transfer portal in the offseason, with quarterback Sam Hartman leaving Winston-Salem for Notre Dame in his final year. Wake Forest will rely on sophomore Mitch Griffis to fill the huge shoes of Hartman, as well as being given new receivers with the loss of A.T. Perry. The main reason this team is at this spot is its defense. The Demon Deacon defense finished second-worst in total yards and did not add much through the transfer portal to help it.
8. Pittsburgh Panthers
It’s a story of who’s going to step up for the Panthers this season, with many of their playmakers leaving for the draft. Most notably, star running back Israel Abanikanda and wideout Jared Wayne were two Panthers who are hard to replace this year. Pittsburgh picked up former Boston College signal-caller Phil Jurkovec, who looks to turn around his collegiate career, joining forces with former Florida receiver Daemaejon Reynolds to help the Panthers on offense.
7. Louisville Cardinals
The Cardinals did an incredible job in the transfer portal, filling in the holes to potentially contend for an ACC championship bid. They focused a lot on their offense, picking up former Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm and signing his brother, Brian, as the new offensive coordinator. The new signal-caller is former Cal starter Jack Plummer, who played under Brohm in his first three collegiate seasons before transferring to Cal for the 2022-2023 season. Don’t be surprised if Louisville surpasses their 8-5 record from last season this year.
6. NC State Wolfpack
After a disappointing end to the Wolfpack’s season, head coach Dave Doeren looks to bounce back with a positive 2023 campaign. With Devin Leary entering the transfer portal in the offseason, former Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong is the new man behind center. Despite NC State losing several options on offense for Armstrong, the defense is why they are in the top spot, returning six starters from a defense that allowed the least amount of points per game and second-fewest yards per game last season.
5. Duke Blue Devils
Another team who turned heads last season was Duke, who had an impressive 9-4 record and were only a game behind North Carolina for a spot in the ACC championship game in December. The Blue Devils return plenty of offensive starters who averaged 32.8 points per game, which was fifth in the conference last season. Among those returning starters is standout quarterback Riley Leonard, who will continue to develop in his third year with the team. Duke has the tools to be very successful this year, but a hard strength of schedule could hold them back record-wise.
4. North Carolina Tar Heels
Yes, the Tar Heels lost their top two wide receivers this season. They also allowed the most points per game last season. However, when you have, arguably, the best quarterback in the conference and a potential top-10 pick in next year’s NFL Draft, you have a chance of winning games. Drake Maye will only improve in his sophomore season, leading the Tar Heels to the second-most passing yards per game in his freshman year. The only thing stopping this team is their defense. Expect plenty of high-scoring games from this team.
3. Miami Hurricanes
Despite a disappointing season for the Hurricanes, head coach Mario Cristobal has a much improved and more experienced team to work with this season. With a top-five passing offense last season, Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke will look to build off of a great season with a rebuilt offensive line. With a younger defense last year, the Hurricanes will use last season to look for better results.
2. Florida State Seminoles
These two teams in the No. 1 and 2 spot could easily be a 1a and 1b situation. Florida State is a dangerous team to watch and a potential College Football Playoff team. Quarterback Jordan Travis is a Heisman contender that could torch offenses in many ways. However, the defense is what could give opponents problems this season. Head coach Mike Norvell returns nine starters on defense, headlined by Jared Verse, who could be one of the first defensive players taken off the board in next year’s NFL Draft. Florida State has all the tools to succeed this season, which makes sense why many people have them winning the ACC this year.
1. Clemson Tigers
The reigning ACC champion holds the top spot in the conference as we look towards the fall. Clemson has all of the tools to repeat, or even potentially reach the College Football Playoff once again. The difference? The offensive side. The Tigers got one of the best offensive coordinators in the country, Garrett Riley, who will bring his air raid offense to Death Valley. The defense will play like one of the best in the country, and as long as the offense holds its own, which I think it will with the addition of Riley, the Tigers are in the driver’s seat to repeat once again.
