CBS Sports Gives Georgia Tech an Interesting Placement In Way-Too-Early ACC Power Rankings

CBS Sports did an offseason ACC Power Rankings at the conclusion of the 2025 college football season. The power rankings are interesting to say the least.

Let’s take a look at the top five according to the rankings by Chip Patterson. He had Miami coming in at the No.1 spot. No.2 SMU, No.3 Virginia, No. 4 Louisville, and No.5 Virginia Tech.

It makes sense to have the Hurricanes at the top spot, especially after the season they had in 2025. Plus, they return their entire running back room that consists of Mark Fletcher Jr, Chamar Brown, Girald Pringle Jr, and more. The Hurricanes made big acquisitions this offseason, landing Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate offensively. They also landed standout edge rusher Damon Wilson from Missouri.

SMU brings back their star quarterback, Kevin Jennings, for another season. Since joining the ACC, the Mustangs have been competitive and hold a 14-2 record against the conference. In 2025, they finished 9-4. Key transfers they brought in were Kendrick Raphael and edge rusher Ira Singleton. It feels like No.2 is a little bit high for the Mustangs despite not having as strong a class in the portal.

Virginia was very productive in the transfer portal and will have one of the best quarterback rooms in the country in Eli Holstein and Beau Pribula. They also did a solid job of replenishing their running back room with the additions of Jekail Middlebrook, Peyton Lewis, and Solomon Beebe. They look primed to be a contender in the ACC again.

Louisville is intriguing to see at the No.4 spot after losing a top wide receiver, Chris Bell, and their quarterback from last season, Miller Moss. The Cardinals landed former Ohio State QB Lincoln Kienholz, who should be the starter. One of the biggest headliners was bringing back Isaac Brown, who should help the offense a ton and be one of the best in the conference. However, there are still some holes on the roster, and it will be interesting to see if they can solve some depth questions with the incoming freshman class. Overall, No.4 seems high for Louisville after all they lost.

A surprising ranking was seeing Virginia Tech at No.5. However, they brought in former Penn State head coach James Franklin and have been rolling in recruiting and in the transfer portal. A couple of big transfers include Ethan Grunkmeyer and Que’Sean Brown. Coach Franklin had the fourth-best portal class in the ACC, which shows the top recruiter he is. You never want to be overly optimistic in year 1, but the Hokies will be a surprise team to watch out for next fall.

Where did Georgia Tech end up?

latest — Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Malachi Hosley (0) runs the ball against the BYU Cougars in the third quarter during the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Yellow Jackets ranked right in the middle of the pack at No.8, which makes a lot of sense when you look at it. They lost a good majority of their coaching staff on both sides of the ball and double-digit players who decided to enter their names into the transfer portal.

However, head coach Brent Key was very active in the portal and made a number of splash acquisitions, bringing in Justice Haynes, Alberto Mendoza, Jaylen Mbakwe, and Noah Carter. Each should be a major impact player next fall and help the team as they embark on a new chapter. Georgia Tech also retained all but one of its running backs from a season ago and should have another strong room. Some of the questions will be at wide receiver and tight end. The Yellow Jackets did bring in Jaiven Plaummer and Isaiah Fuhrmann from the portal to fill out the wide receiving corps. They brought in three new tight ends in Spencer Mermans, Gavin Harris, and Chris Corbo. The Yellow Jackets are banking on them having a significant role in the offense.

Defensively, bringing in Carter, Jonas Duclona, Tim Griffin, and Tawfiq Thomas should help the defense tremendously. All have the potential to be impact players for the Yellow Jackets. It was a solid portal class for Coach Key and co after losing so much.

The No.8 ranking isn’t bad because it gives the Yellow Jackets a little bit of hunger coming into the season, as they are being slept on once again. With some of the key pieces they landed, they have a chance to be dangerous, which is right where they want to be.

The rest of the rankings are like this: No.6 NC State, No.7 Clemson, No.8 Georgia Tech, No.9 California, No.10 Florida State, No.11 Duke, No.12 North Carolina, No.13 Pittsburgh, No.14 Wake Forest, No.15 Syracuse, No.16 Stanford, No.17 Boston College.

Click here for the full article