FSU Football Lands in Middle of ACC Pack in Early Power Rankings

With the NCAA Transfer Portal closed and National Signing Day in the books, early projections about who will be at the top, middle, and bottom of the ACC this upcoming season have already begun. With the lone transfer window closed, it should make it a little easier without another hectic shuffling of rosters in years past.

That said, it brings up the question of how the Florida State Seminoles will stand when it is all said and done, and most Seminole fans will not be happy with the way the national media views the outlook in Tallahassee, Florida.

CBS Sports Places Florida State in the Lower Tier of ACC Power Rankings

Nov 15, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell during the second half against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

CBS Sports gave Florida State a grade of D after the 2025 season and placed the Seminoles at No. 10 in its latest ACC Football Power Rankings. FSU went 5-7 last year and an alarming 2-10 the year before, and the departures of over 30 players to the transfer portal, paired with a new offensive coordinator, Tim Harris, Jr., didn't help its case entering such a brutal first stretch of the season.

"Quarterback will be a big question as Ashton Daniels arrives from Auburn to lead an offense that will now be coordinated by Tim Harris after Gus Malzahn's retirement," Chip Patterson wrote. "The Seminoles face a brutal schedule that will challenge their bona fides early and often with games against SMU, Alabama, Louisville, and Miami all before mid-October."

"The 2023 College Football Playoff snub marked a rapid decline that saw the ’Noles go 3–13 in ACC play, casting doubt over a one-season turnaround. “It’s tough to see how one season could spark a return to the top of the league,” Patterson continued.

Despite some positives with key players returning, such as Duce Robinson, Kevin Wynn, and Mandrell and Darryll Desir, the quarterback position remains a huge question mark heading into spring.

Where Do Florida State's Rivals Stack Up?

Miami's Carson Beck (11) throws during the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Miami Hurricanes took the No. 1 spot after a wild national championship run and brought in Duke quarterback Darian Mensah to fill the void left by Carson Beck's departure.

"Mensah will be joined by returning stars Mark Fletcher, Jr. and Malachi Toney to lead a group that could be among the best in the conference, and the portal also provided some pass rush help withMissouri star Damon Wilson joining the fold," Patterson wrote. "In total, we've got a program that's been recruiting out of high school at an elite level that just added the fourth-best portal class in the country."

Meanwhile, Clemson took the No. 7 spot despite doubts about its recent decline from being a year-in, year-out title contender. The idea of a new wave of younger, talented players seems to have placed them higher up on the list. The Tigers brought in the No. 69 transfer class, which ranked them 15th in the ACC, but Patterson said that there were too many unknowns to place them in the Top 5.

"Betting on Clemson's success in 2026 is belief in a new wave of talent taking over in the wake of a mass exodus from last year's squad, which started the year with title hopes and plenty of NFL-bound talent but never found its footing as a legit contender." Patterson continued. "Maybe new blood can yield new results after a couple of seasons of underperforming, but there's enough unknown to prevent a placement inside the top five of the league when it comes to power rankings.

It is still too early to make an accurate prediction about where the teams will end up, but if one thing is for sure, the Seminoles will have a steep hill to climb in 2026.

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