Early ACC Football Predictions for 2026

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Early ACC Football Predictions for 2026

Steven Lassan

Wed, Jan 28, 2026 ·

10 min read

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The 2026 college football season is still months away, but the early signs point to another unpredictable year in the ACC . Behind running back Mark Fletcher and receiver Malachi Toney, along with coach Mario Cristobal's standout recruiting and roster building, Miami is the way-too-early frontrunner. However, Louisville, SMU, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Georgia Tech, and Pitt are all within striking distance of a trip to the conference title game.

The ACC has plenty of quality depth in '26. In addition to the top contenders, Florida State hit the portal hard for help after back-to-back losing seasons, and NC State returns standout quarterback C.J. Bailey. Additionally, Wake Forest and California are dark horse teams to watch. Syracuse should also improve with quarterback Steve Angeli returning. North Carolina remains a difficult team to project entering coach Bill Belichick 's second year.

Related: Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25 for 2026

It's never too early to think about predictions or rankings for the 2026 college football season. With that in mind, Athlon provides its very early power rankings for the ACC for 2026:

Early ACC Predictions for 2026

Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) © Robert Myers-Imagn Images

1. Miami
The Hurricanes should be a heavy favorite to win the ACC next season. Coach Mario Cristobal's team will miss defensive standouts up front in Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor and Jakobe Thomas and Keionte Scott in the secondary. Quarterback Carson Beck and right tackle Francis Mauigoa headline the list of key departures on offense. Miami is expected to bring in a transfer to replace Beck under center, and the new starter will have two of the ACC's top weapons in running back Mark Fletcher and receiver Malachi Toney at his disposal. Tackle Ahmad Moten returns to lead the rebuilding effort on defense.

2. Louisville
Coach Jeff Brohm already scored a big win this offseason by convincing running back Isaac Brown to return to Louisville after a brief entry into the portal. The Cardinals must have better quarterback play in '26 to return to the ACC Championship Game, with Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz expected to provide a spark under center. Rebuilding the offensive line and defense top the list of spring priorities for Brohm.

3. SMUWith quarterback Kevin Jennings back under center, the Mustangs should be among the top contenders for a spot in the ACC title game. Additionally, coach Rhett Lashlee's squad has plenty of reinforcements on the way with one of the conference's top transfer classes. SMU's defense has ranked near the top of the ACC in each of the last two seasons but will miss standout defensive backs Isaiah Nwokobia, Deuce Harmon, and Ahmaad Moses and lineman Isaiah Smith.

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talks to an official.© Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

4. Clemson
Clemson was one of college football's biggest disappointments in 2025. Last year's seven-win season represented the fewest victories for the program since posting six in '10. Can coach Dabo Swinney get this team back on track? The Tigers enter '26 with more question marks than in recent seasons, starting at quarterback with Christopher Vizzina slated to replace Cade Klubnik under the tutelage of new play-caller Chad Morris. T.J. Moore should be among the ACC's top receivers, and the defense can retool around linebacker Sammy Brown and end Will Heldt.

5. Virginia Tech
James Franklin is one of the top hires in the 2025-26 coaching cycle and should get the Hokies back on track next fall. Also, an increased investment for the long haul will only help Virginia Tech contend for playoff appearances in the near future. Helping the case for quick improvement in '26 is a deep haul of transfers that includes quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer ( Penn State ) among over 20 additions. Former head coach Brent Pry will work as the team's defensive coordinator.

6. VirginiaAfter a surprise run to an appearance in the ACC Championship Game, the Cavaliers have some retooling to do in order to get back to Charlotte. Former Penn State and Missouri signal-caller Beau Pribula is slated to take over under center with Chandler Morris departing. Running back J'Mari Taylor (1,062 yards) and top receiver Trell Harris (59 catches) must also be replaced. The offensive line should be a strength to help ease the transition in '26. Coach Tony Elliott also hit the transfer portal hard for help to rebuild a defense that allowed only 19.6 points a contest in '25.

Nov 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) throws a pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images© Brett Davis-Imagn Images

7. PittA pair of promising youngsters - quarterback Mason Heintschel and running back Ja'Kyrian Turner - return to anchor Pitt's offense in '26. A few changes are coming to coach Pat Narduzzi's defense. Cory Sanders takes over as coordinator after Randy Bates retired, with standouts in lineman Francis Brewu and linebackers Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles departing.

8. Georgia Tech
With quarterback Haynes King departing and new coordinators on both sides of the ball, the Yellow Jackets are a team in transition in '26. Indiana transfer Alberto Mendoza is the frontrunner to replace King under center, with the offense likely to lean on the one-two punch of running backs Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley. Former Georgia Tech quarterback George Godsey is set to take over the offensive play-calling duties, while Jason Semore arrives from Southern Miss to coordinate the defense.

9. Florida State
Despite back-to-back losing seasons in Tallahassee, Mike Norvell returns to the sidelines in '26. A large buyout certainly played a role in that decision, but optimism is hard to find in the fanbase, so a fast start next year would help the entire program gain confidence. Norvell once again dipped into the portal for reinforcements. Quarterback Ashton Daniels ( Auburn ), running back Tre Wisner (Texas), and a handful of additions to restock the offensive line and defense arrive to help Norvell get this team back into the postseason. Keeping linemen Mandrell Desir and Darryll Desir out of the portal was a key offseason win for the program.

10. NC StateThe Wolfpack scored a huge offseason victory when quarterback CJ Bailey announced his return for '26. Bailey - one of the ACC's promising young players - threw for 3,105 yards and 25 touchdowns last season and will only get better next fall. His supporting cast must be retooled after running back Hollywood Smothers and receivers Terrell Anderson and Noah Rogers departed as transfers. Standout left tackle Jacarrius Peak's transfer to South Carolina was also a big loss for coach Dave Doeren. NC State also has room to improve on defense after giving up 31.4 points in ACC play last year.

11. Wake Forest
Jake Dickert exceeded all expectations in his first season at Wake Forest by delivering a 9-4 record and a bowl victory over Mississippi State . Another year of surpassing preseason predictions wouldn't be a surprise for Dickert, especially after the program added a proven quarterback in Gio Lopez through the portal, along with significant transfer help coming to restock the offensive line and in the receiving corps. Running back Demond Claiborne (907 yards) will be missed.

Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (3) looks for a pass while under pressure from North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Khmori House (7) in the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

12. California
New coach Tosh Lupoi takes over at his alma mater with one of the ACC's top quarterbacks in Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele returning after a standout freshman season. Sagapolutele has to adapt to a new coordinator (Jordan Somerville), but Lupoi replenished the skill talent from the portal with receivers Ian Strong ( Rutgers ) and Chase Hendricks (Ohio) and running back Adam Mohammed (Washington). Losing linebackers Cade Uluave and Luke Ferrelli and edge rusher T.J. Bush to the transfer portal was a setback for Lupoi's defense.

13. Duke
Quarterback Darian Mensah's late decision to hit the portal clouded Duke's spot in the way-too-early ACC power rankings. In addition to Mensah's departure, the Blue Devils also lost their top two receivers (Cooper Barkate and Que'Sean Brown) to the portal. Standout right tackle Brian Parker II is off to the NFL . The good news for coach Manny Diaz? Running back Nate Sheppard (1,132 yards) is back and help from the portal will restock a defense undergoing offseason transition.

14. SyracuseAn Achilles injury to quarterback Steve Angeli essentially ended Syracuse's '25 season after a promising 3-1 start. With Angeli returning, the Orange should have a good shot to push for another bowl trip under coach Fran Brown. Angeli's supporting cast needs an overhaul after leading rusher Yasin Willis (558 yards) and receivers Johntay Cook (45 catches) and Darrell Gill (32) transferred. Brown made one of the ACC's top assistant hires of the offseason by bringing Vince Kehres from Toledo to coordinate the defensive unit.

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill BelichickMark Konezny-Imagn Images

15. North CarolinaBill Belichick's first season (4-8) was a massive disappointment and major question marks remain entering the '26 campaign. The Tar Heels had only one player (defensive lineman Melkart Abou Jaoude) earn All-ACC honors last season and ranked at the bottom of the conference in most offensive categories. The hire of Bobby Petrino as the team's new offensive coordinator should immediately help this unit, with former Maryland and Wisconsin signal-caller Billy Edwards Jr. penciled in as the likely starter. Belichick's defense fared better (25.4 points allowed in ACC play last season) but must navigate personnel turnover to improve on that total in '26.

16. Boston College
After a solid 7-6 debut for coach Bill O'Brien in Chestnut Hill in '24, the Eagles regressed to a 2-10 mark last year. Over 20 transfers are on their way to Boston College to generate improvement, including a pair of quarterbacks in Mason McKenzie (Saginaw Valley State) and Grayson Wilson (Arkansas) to battle for the starting job. Long-time coordinator Ted Roof was hired to improve a defense that allowed 34.8 points in ACC play last season.

17. StanfordIt's a new era on the Farm as a familiar face and former quarterback Tavita Pritchard takes over as head coach. Pritchard is a first-time head coach but should provide much-needed program stability after a couple of years of uncertainty. Pritchard's first order of business is sorting out a quarterback battle featuring Michigan transfer Davis Warren and incoming freshman Michael Mitchell.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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