Way Too Early ACC Power Rankings For 2026

How does the ACC teams shape out after the transfer portal and brand new recruiting classes coming in. Who got better and who will struggle in 2026? Let's take a closer look.

17. Boston College

latest — Nov 29, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Boston College Eagles head coach Bill O'Brien reacts against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Boston College is in a rebuild mode and lost 29 players to the transfer portal this past offseason. Some of the significant losses include Dylan Lonergan, Omar Thornton, Reed Harris, and Turbo Richard. The Eagles brought in 25 prospects from the portal to help fill the void, but none were at the top of their position or rated higher than a 90 overall rating, according to 247Sports. Boston College went 2-10 and 1-7 in the ACC and a team that needs more talent to be competitive.

16. Stanford

Stanford finished 4-8 and 3-5 in the ACC with an interim coach. They now have a new head coach in Tavita Pritchard, who will be establishing a new regime. To be frank, it could take some time for the Cardinals to get back into form. However, they have general manager Andrew Luck, who is planting the right seeds to build the program back to the powerhouse it used to be.

15. California

It was a mass exodus from Oregon to California in the transfer portal. The Bears landed the No.2 transfer portal class in the conference and really invested in the portal to make the team better. A number of big acquisitions were Ian Strong, Dorian Thomas, Solomon Williams, Chase Hendricks, Adam Mohammed, and Daniel Harris this past offseason. The jury is still out on the Bears, so in the meantime, it is a wait-and-see.

14. Duke

Will the Blue Devils be able to repeat their success in 2026? Duke won an ACC Championship and had one of the best quarterbacks in Darian Mensah, who was second in passing yards in the FBS and tied-second in touchdowns. However, he left for the transfer portal to join the Miami Hurricanes. Leaving with him was the Blue Devils best wide receiver Cooper Barkate. A team is more than just two players, but those are significant losses to Duke.

13. Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh finished 8-5 last season and was 6-2 in the ACC a year ago. They had a big win, which ended the hopes of Georgia Tech making the ACC title game. The Panthers were in position to clinch a berth but failed todo so against the Miami Hurricanes in the final game of the regular season. One thing they can hang their hat on is the development of true freshman QB Mason Heintschel. However, Pittsburgh lost a good amount of its players in Desmond Reid, Kyle Louis, and Rasheem Biles. The Panthers had one of the worst portal classes in the ACC, ranking No.16, per 247Sports. It will likely be a year in which the Panthers regress in 2026.

12. NC State

The Wolfpack went 8-5 this past year and brought back star quarterback CJ Bailey after a number of teams were after him. The Wolfpack ranked No.9 in the portal and brought in Raul Aguirre Jr, Joshua Trader, and Hunter Provience as a couple of big-time players who should help the team. Losing Hollywood Smothers was big for NC State, and they will now turn to Jayden “Duke” Scott. Will that be enough in the backfield, along with Bailey, to take another step forward?

11. Syracuse

The Orange is another team that lost a number of players to the portal after 28 players hit the portal. Syracuse only brought in 18 players from the portal. A big pickup was Malachi Nelson, who was a former five-star prospect who is looking for his footing. The Orange lost some of their best playmakers in Darrell Gill and Johntay Cook, leaving. It is tough to know how good Syracuse will be with so many changes and new players.

10. Wake Forest

A tough spot to put Wake Forest after they had a surprisingly good season in 2025 and won nine games, Jake Dickert. The losses in the portal were massive. The Demon Deacons lost Deshawn Purdie, Chris Barnes, and Melvin Siani. One of the biggest questions is who will be the starting quarterback with Purdie leaving and Robbie Ashford out of eligibility. They also won’t have Demond Claiborne, who graduated as well. I think the Demon Deacons will take a step back next season after all of the losses.

9. Louisville

Louisville is usually a team you always have to take into account when evaluating them in the ACC. They finished 9-4 last season and 4-4 in the conference, which still felt like a disappointing year for the Cardinals. They did bring in the No.3 portal class in the ACC and have a number of new players who should help the team play at a high level. Quarterback play for the Cardinals hasn’t been elite since they had Lamar Jackson at the helm, a former Heisman trophy winner. Like Wake Forest, that will be the biggest question for the Cardinals. Is Lincoln Kienholz ready?

8. North Carolina

It was a tough season in Chapel Hill for first-year head coach Bill Belichick as the Tar Heels went 3-8. They will have a tough schedule again with Notre Dame, Clemson, Miami, Louisville, and Virginia on the schedule in 2026. Coach Belichick did make some good acquisitions in the portal in Jelani Thurman, Kaleb Jackson, and Donovan Hoilette. The defense should be much better for the Tar Heels next fall, but the schedule is gruesome and will be tough in the second year of Coach Belichick.

7. Clemson

The Tigers disappointed in 2025, finishing 7-6 and not getting close to an ACC title or the College Football Playoff with an NFL-laden roster. Despite the disappointment and lack of the transfer portal (only landed nine players), Clemson will still be a tough team next fall. They will have a new quarterback and playmakers, but the Tigers hit again on their recruiting class. It has been a staple of Dabo Swinney doing a stellar job in recruiting and developing talent to play as soon as they are freshmen. Some names you can expect to be contributors are Naeem Burroughs, Kentavion Anderson, Gordon Sellars, Shavar Young Jr, Kameron Cody, and Brayden Reilly. They should have some kind of role for Clemson in 2026.

6. Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets underwent a lot of change in the offseason and saw the coaching staff and players leave. They were active in the portal to replenish the roster and make it better despite the departures. A number of big names are coming to the Flats, including Justice Haynes, Noah Carter, and Jaylen Mbakwe. Will it lead to the success of the program in 2026? It remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: the Yellow Jackets will be a competitive team next fall.

5. Virginia Tech

The Hokies are probably one of the most exciting teams to watch next year in the ACC after they hired head coach James Franklin. They have a top 4 transfer portal class in the ACC and a top 25 class in the 2026 class. The Hokies will be a better team with the big acquisitions of Ethan Grunkmeyer and Luke Reynolds from Penn State, who should fulfil starting roles. It is hard to expect success with a new head coach, but we have seen with prominent names like Curt Cignetti that success is possible in the first year of the program.

4. SMU

Rhett Lashlee and Kevin Jennings showed the Mustangs will continue to be a team to look out for. After making the College Football Playoff, in their first year in the ACC, they nearly won an ACC Championship over Clemson. Last year, the Mustangs finished 9-4 and were 6-2 in the conference. SMU made some good additions in the portal landing Kendrick Raphael, Jalen Hale, and Jamal Anderson as significant pickups. Jennings will return for another season and have the Mustangs in contention.

3. Virginia

Virginia is a team that revamped and even improved after a historic 11-win season by attacking the portal. They have the best quarterback room in the ACC, with Beau Pribula and Eli Holstein having a great amount of experience and starting at a high level. The Hoos also have a very impressive running back room in Peyton Lewis, Solomon Beebe, and Jekail Middlebrook. Defensively, the Hoos will bring back Kam Robinson and Maddox Marcellus, who both improved and got better last season.

2. Florida State

The Seminoles finished 5-7 overall and just 2-6 in the ACC after one of the biggest wins of the season over Alabama. Despite the disappointment a year ago, Florida State should be able to rebound. They brought back star wide receiver Duce Robinson. Have a really good running back room of Quintrevion Wisner, Ousmane Kromah, Roydell Williams, and Samuel Singleton, which should take pressure off their starting quarterback. The Seminoles have a top-five portal class to go along with an elite 2026 class coming in. They should be able to be more competitive next fall and be a top team in the ACC. The biggest position they have to get right is quarterback.

1. Miami

The Hurricanes will be the favorite again after having a phenomenal run to the national championship game. The Hurricanes finished 13-3 and will bring back a lot of their talent, including their running back room, significant defensive players, and a good amount of the offensive line. Miami acquired one of the top pass rushers in the portal in Damon Wilson, who will help fill the void of Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. Miami got one of the top quarterbacks in the country after landing Darian Mensah and will have a complementary wide receiver coming in Cooper Barkate. Miami will be a force to reckoned with again in 2026.

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