Power Ranking Every ACC Starting Quarterback For 2025: Who Starts The Year On Top?

With the 2025 season fast approaching, it is time to take a look and power rank the top quarterbacks in the ACC come this fall. Some have been in the league for years, and some are coming off breakout campaigns in 2024. Let’s take a look at how they stack up.

17. Wake Forest QBs Deshawn Purdie/Robby Ashford

Latest — Sep 7, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte 49ers quarterback Deshawn Purdie (15) passes the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels defensive lineman Desmond Evans (10) pressures in the third quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Who will emerge as the starting quarterback for the Demon Deacons this fall? With so much roster turnover and coaching changes, there will be a new offense for the quarterback to grasp this offseason. Head coach Jake Dickert will likely have a QB competition likely go through early fall camp. Deshawn Purdie is an elite deep ball thrower who is known for his ability for the big plays, but often struggles in the intermediate part of the field. Purdie threw for 1,806 yards and 10 touchdowns as a true freshman with the Charlotte 49ers and has the most upside. Robby Ashford has been all over the country trying to find a landing spot and has been to three other schools in five seasons, and has a year of starting experience in college football.

16. California QBs Devin Brown/EJ Caminong/Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele

Another quarterback competition that will take time to see who emerges. California will have three quarterbacks battling it out to see who will be the starter for the Golden Bears. The first name to watch is Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who is clearly the quarterback of the future after transferring in from Oregon. Last year, he was a true freshman, but he has all the tools to be the signal caller for years to come. Devin Brown comes in hungry to win the starting job after sitting out at Ohio State and being a backup for the national champions behind Will Howard. EJ Caminong has a little bit of experience after making an appearance last season as a redshirt, but still lacks the experience of a viable starter.

15. Boston College QBs Dylan Lonergan/Grayson James

Another QB battle to watch in the ACC will be the one at Boston College. Grayson James was a part-time starter last year after Thomas Castellanos (Florida State) was benched for poor play. During his starts, he went 2-2 for the Eagles, showing he could be a dependable starter moving forward. James threw for 1,202 yards and six touchdowns a season ago. Lonergan comes over from Alabama and already has a relationship with head coach Bill O’Brien, who recruited him to come to the Crimson Tide as a high school prospect.

14. Stanford QB Elijah Brown

With some front office changes including the hiring of Andrew Luck, which led to the firing of head coach Troy Taylor, the Cardinals will embark on a new regime. Head coach Frank Reich will be the man for the job. Elijah Brown saw some playing time as a true freshman, appearing in three games a season ago. While his play wasn’t spectacular, he gives you a player who can manage the game and starting experience. It is tough to predict where this Brown will be able to lead the Cardinals in 2025 because the Cardinals are bereft of weapons, but he does have one of the best quarterbacks in college football history in Luck, who can give him pointer,s albeit from the front office.

13. Virginia QB Chandler Morris

For Chandler Morris, this is the last year he can make a name for himself in college football. This will be year six for the former North Texas QB. He had a career season throwing for 3,774 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. This led Morris to being an all-conference player from a season ago. An area of concern is with his increased usage, Morris was more prone to turnovers and putting his team in tough spots. Will he be able to clean up some of his mistakes in 2025, and help Virginia pull off some upsets?

12. North Carolina QB Gio Lopez

This is probably the most intriguing situation out of all in the ACC, especially with legendary head coach Bill Belichick as your head coach. Coach Belicheck can only evoke the best out of you as a player, as he has shown on many occasions. Lopez comes over from South Alabama where he had a productive season for the Jaguars. Lopez threw for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He also showcased his dual-threat ability, running for 465 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. With the departure of Omarion Hampton to the NFL, the Tar Heels have a guy who has viable starting experience and one who can be a threat in the RPO game this season for North Carolina.

11. North Carolina State QB CJ Bailey

Bailey started as a true freshman a season ago for the North Carolina State Wolfpack, throwing for 2,413 passing yards and 17 touchdowns. Like any true freshman, he had his ups and downs, but showed towards the end of the season he can be a building block for the Wolfpack. His dual-threat ability, coupled with his ability to complete passes at a high rate (64.9%) and churn out big plays, makes him an intriguing quarterback to watch in 2025. The Miami native got NC State to a bowl game a season ago.

10. Florida State QB Thomas Castellanos

Yes, he did get benched last season at Boston College and traded in his crimson for another crimson but head coach Mike Norvell has continued to rave about Castellanos. Coach Norvell had this to say about his quarterback, according to College Sports Network.

“He's got great skill with his arms and his legs. But the thing I've been most impressed with is his leadership.”

Castellanos certainly has produced at a high level in college, combining for nearly 5,000 yards in two seasons at Boston College and being a threat with his arm and legs. The question now is, can he get Florida State back to relevance after a tumultuous 2024 season?

9. Syracuse QB Steve Angeli/Rickie Collins

A great addition to the Syracuse Orange after Kyle McCord lit it up on the gridiron a season ago and was named second-team All-ACC. Head coach Fran Brown brought in Angeli and transfer Rickie Collins to compete for a starting job. Angeli has the most experience and has shown that he can step into an adverse situation and lead his team to victory. He did so last year in the College Football Playoff Semifinal, leading Notre Dame over Penn State. Angeli is ready to come in and be a starter for the Orange and build on what they accomplished last season. Collins will have his work cut out trying to earn a starting bid.

8. Virginia Tech QB Kyron Drones

Another big season is on the prowl for Kyron Drones and the Virgnia Tech Hokies who was claimed as the big breakout team in 2024. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, and the Hokies took a step back. Drones did led them to a bowl game but the expectations were much higher. Drones threw for 2,084 yards and 17 touchdowns a season ago, but threw a career-high six interceptions. Drones is a key returning starter for the Hokies and will look to get Virginia Tech back to a bowl game and in the conversation for an ACC title. What better test for the Hokies and Drones than opening the season against South Carolina on ESPN in Week 1.

7. Duke QB Darian Mensah

The Blue Devils took a huge risk this offseason after the departure of Malik Murphy (Oregon State), signing former Tulane QB Darian Mensah to a reported 4 million NIL deal to be its next quarterback. Although the market has gotten inflated for the quarterback position in college football, that is still a huge risk to take for a quarterback. Mensah had a productive 2024 campaign, throwing for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns. He’s taken a big step forward playing ACC football in a conference with a bevvy of top-end quarterbacks who can sling it. Can Mensah get Duke to an ACC title game and be competitive in the conference? We will find out soon enough.

6. Louisville QB Miller Moss

It is hard to put a quarterback in the top five who lost his starting job from a season ago, and that is just what happened to Moss with the USC Trojans. He started the season leading the Trojans to a 3-1 record knocking off ranked LSU and Michigan, and a win over Wisconsin. During that span, Moss threw for 1,198 yards and eight touchdowns to just two interceptions. As the season wore on, the struggles began to mount, and he was replaced. Moss has the tools to be a successful quarterback in college football, but at times struggles with what he is seeing on the field. With last season being his junior year, Louisville is likely his last opportunity for Moss to be a viable starting quarterback in college football.

5. Pittsburgh QB Eli Holstein

Holstein and the Panthers got out ot a blazing start last fall, starting the season 7-0. The true freshman was magnificent, throwing 17 touchdowns to just five interceptions during that span. As the schedule got tougher, Holstein and the Panthers struggled against SMU and Louisville and lost a head-scratching game at home to Virginia. Holstein showed during that hot start that he can be a quarterback of the future for Pittsburgh. Now, it is just putting it together for a full season for Holstein in 2025. He has the personnel and weapons to do it and will now carry a heavier expectation in the fall.

4. Miami QB Carson Beck

Beck was the biggest free agency/transfer portal acquisition in the sport. The Hurricanes paid Beck 4 million in NIL money to come to Miami. It is a steep price to pay for a one-year rental but the Hurricanes feel like they put together another strong season. Beck put together another productive year last season for the Bulldogs, but the turnovers were alarming and his decision-making at times. Beck finished with 3,485 yards passing, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions on a 64.7% completion percentage. The good thing is Beck has played SEC ball and has won multiple SEC championships, but can he get Miami to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history?

3. SMU QB Kevin Jennings

Jennings had a big year for SMU, leading them to the ACC championship game. In that game, the Mustangs nearly made a historic comeback against the Clemson Tigers but fell just short. Jennings threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 35 yards and a touchdown. A season ago, Jennings led the Mustangs to their first-ever College Football Playoff. In 2024, Jennings finished with 3,245 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. He was selected third-team All-ACC for his productive year. The biggest question surrounding Jennings is cleaning up some of his mistakes and not turning over the football at inopportune times. He’s a talented quarterback and one of the best dual-threat players in the conference. Now, can he help the Mustangs take another jump forward?

2. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King

I think this goes without saying, but King is won tough son of a gun. He showcased that in the Georgia game and had the rival Bulldogs on the ropes. In that game, King did it all. He was dominant through the air, throwing for 303 yards and two touchdowns. He really did his damage on the ground, rushing for 110 yards and three touchdowns and nearly pulled off the upset in a game that went to eight overtimes. King dealt with a UCL injury in his elbow last season that limited his production, but you could see the steps forward he took as a junior. King finished with 2,114 passing yards and 14 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He’s made a number of top 10 quarterback lists heading into the season, and for good reason. King holds the keys to this Yellow Jackets offense and can get Georgia Tech into an ACC championship game this year, especially with all the talent they have on both sides of the ball. Yes, he is that good.

1. Clemson QB Cade Klubnik

You can make the argument that Klubnik is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He’s a proven starter with a ton of experience and got the Tigers to a College Football Playoff a season ago. In 2024, he threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns. He was also a big threat with his legs, rushing for 463 yards and seven touchdowns. He won ACC Championship MVP after throwing for 262 yards and four touchdowns in a victory over SMU, helping clinch the Tigers eighth ACC title in the past 10 seasons. Clemson could be a national title contender this year with their stout defense and Klubnik at the helm for the Tigers. Although he wasn’t named to an All-ACC team in 2024, you have to believe Klubnik could be in contention for ACC Player of the Year, especially if Clemson is one of the top teams in the country. Klubnik has all the tools to have a great season and has continued to grow his game whether it is processing the field, launching his powerful deep ball, and improvising and making a play with his legs. This kid is talented and could potentially see his name rise on draft boards next April if he puts it all together for another season.

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