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Athlon Sports
ACC Football: Preseason 2024 Power Rankings
By Steven Lassan,
2024-08-01
Fall practice for the 2024 college football season will soon be underway for all 134 teams, which means the start of the year with actual games Week 0 on Aug. 24 isn't far behind. With the '24 season right around the corner, it's time to power rank all 17 teams in the ACC.
Florida State opens the year as the favorite but a handful of teams - Clemson, NC State, Louisville, Miami, Virginia Tech, and SMU - aren’t far behind the defending ACC champs. North Carolina, Georgia Tech, and California headline the next tier, with intrigue surrounding new coaches at Syracuse (Fran Brown) and Boston College (Bill O’Brien). Pitt aims to rebound after a disappointing 3-9 season, while Duke, Wake Forest, Stanford, and Virginia aim to fight for bowl eligibility.
How do the 17 teams in the conference stack up this fall? Athlon Sports power ranks the ACC teams for 2024:
The Seminoles return only eight starters from last year's ACC Championship squad, but coach Mike Norvell landed a standout haul of transfers to keep this team at the top of the conference. Former Clemson and Oregon State signal-caller DJ Uiagalelei takes over at quarterback, while the offense can lean on a deep backfield and experienced line until all of the new pieces jell. End Patrick Payton headlines a defense that should rank among the best in the ACC. Transfers Marvin Jones Jr. (Georgia) and Earl Little (Alabama) will have a major impact from the opening snap.
The Tigers return only two starters on defense, but there's little concern about this group for coach Dabo Swinney. In addition to senior standout Barrett Carter and safety RJ Mickens, coordinator Wes Goodwin has a promising group of young players on this side of the ball, including linemen Peter Woods and TJ Parker and true freshman linebacker Sammy Brown. For Clemson to return to the top of the ACC, improving the offense in coordinator Garrett Riley's second year is a must. Quarterback Cade Klubnik needs to show marked improvement, but a pair of freshmen receivers - Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore - arrive to add needed playmakers on the outside.
With a roster that's loaded with talent and a couple of crucial transfers arriving from the portal in quarterback Cameron Ward (Washington State) and running back Damien Martinez (Oregon State), the pieces are in place for coach Mario Cristobal's team to push for a spot in the ACC Championship Game. Three starters are back to form a strong offensive line, and Xavier Restrepo returns after a 1,000-yard campaign (1,092) to headline a standout receiving corps. End Rueben Bain Jr. is one of the ACC's top rising stars and the foundation for a strong defensive front in '24. The secondary is the biggest concern for Cristobal's defense.
Could 2024 be the first time NC State plays in the ACC Championship Game? The arrival of transfers in quarterback Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina), running back Jordan Waters (Duke), receivers Noah Rogers (Ohio State) and Wesley Grimes (Wake Forest), and tight end Justin Joly (UConn) to go with rising star sophomore receiver Kevin Concepcion adds firepower to an offense that averaged only 22.6 points in ACC contests last year. NC State's defense allowed only 20.8 points a game last fall but lost All-American linebacker Payton Wilson to the NFL. Coach Dave Doeren's team also has a favorable slate. The Wolfpack won't play five of the other top six projected ACC teams .
After winning 10 games and playing for the ACC Championship in his first season, former Louisville QB Jeff Brohm has set the bar high for his encore in '24. The Cardinals have a favorable slate once again and the pieces in place to earn a trip to the conference title game again. Texas Tech transfer quarterback Tyler Shough has struggled with injuries throughout his career but brings an upgrade in talent to the position. Brohm should have no trouble manufacturing a solid offense once again, and the defense ranks among the best in the ACC with seven returning starters. Lineman Ashton Gillotte and cornerback Quincy Riley are two of the league's top defenders.
6. Virginia Tech
The Hokies are trending up entering coach Brent Pry's third season. After going 5-2 in the final seven games, Pry's squad should be even better in '24, especially as the roster (19 returning starters) is loaded with experience and talent. Quarterback Kyron Drones is a rising star, and the return of receiver Ali Jennings Jr. from injury is a huge boost to the passing game. Virginia Tech's defense has room to improve (30.8 points a game allowed against teams with a winning record), but an infusion of transfers up front will help this unit.
Making the jump from the American Athletic Conference to the ACC won't be easy, but the Mustangs are equipped to successfully navigate this transition in '24. The defense showed marked improvement last fall, limiting teams to 17.8 points a game - down from 33.8 the previous year. The return of six starters, along with a few key additions from the portal, should give coach Rhett Lashlee one of the ACC's top units. Scoring points won't be a problem for the Mustangs under Lashlee's watch, and the '24 offense is loaded with quarterback Preston Stone in charge, along with tight end RJ Maryland, running back Jaylan Knighton, and receiver Jordan Hudson.
The Yellow Jackets face a tough schedule in coach Brent Key's second full year in charge, but this team has a chance to exceed expectations thanks to a high-powered offense behind quarterback Haynes King. Over 13 games last season, Georgia Tech finished fourth in the ACC in scoring (31.1 points a game) and return a strong foundation again for King, including four starters up front and receiver Eric Singleton Jr. New coordinator Tyler Santucci is tasked with improving a defense that allowed 6.3 yards a snap last season. Only four starters are back, but Key and Santucci landed a couple of impact transfers, while the new scheme should help this unit improve in '24.
Fall practice is all about solving two question marks for coach Mack Brown's squad. A three-man competition between Max Johnson, Jacolby Criswell, and Conner Harrell is set to unfold at quarterback to replace Drake Maye. Also, the defense under new coordinator Geoff Collins needs to make major progress after allowing 31.8 points in ACC contests last year.
With a veteran team returning (15 starters), coach Justin Wilcox's squad should be able to make a smooth transition to the ACC. Jaydn Ott is one of the nation's top running backs, while new play-caller Mike Bloesch has two talented signal-callers battling for the job in Chandler Rogers and Fernando Mendoza. For the Golden Bears to finish higher in their ACC debut, the offensive line needs to show improvement, and a defense bringing back eight starters has to take a step forward on the stat sheet after giving up 32.8 points a game last year.
Optimism is running high for Syracuse to surprise in coach Fran Brown's debut in 2024. Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord is a big-time pickup under center, while the Orange also return one of the ACC's top running backs in LeQuint Allen and a standout at tight end in Oronde Gadsden II. New defensive signal-caller Elijah Robinson plans to shift Syracuse to a four-man front this fall, anchored by Texas A&M transfer Fadil Diggs. This unit is in transition up front but has experience at linebacker and in the secondary to lean on in '24.
The Panthers bottomed out under coach Pat Narduzzi last season with a 3-9 mark and just two wins in ACC play. As a result, Narduzzi made big changes to the staff, hiring Kade Bell from Western Carolina to implement a quick tempo/spread attack to jumpstart an offense that struggled mightily (20.2 points a contest) last year. Narduzzi usually churns out solid defenses in the Steel City, but this unit enters '24 with more concerns than usual. Pitt returns only two starters and a revamped front needs to quickly jell for this team to have any shot at a bowl.
13. Boston College
New coach Bill O'Brien has the pieces in place for the offense to lead the way for Boston College in 2024. The former NFL head coach inherits a dynamic signal-caller in Thomas Castellanos, along with plenty of intriguing pieces at the skill positions to go with three starters back up front. The Eagles return only five starters on defense, and new coordinator Tim Lewis needs to get this group back on track after giving up 32.6 points in ACC play last year.
Rebounding from last season's disappointing 4-8 record will heavily depend on improvement from an offense that averaged only 20.3 points a game. Coach Dave Clawson needs better quarterback play, which could come in the form of Louisiana Tech transfer Hank Bachmeier or true freshman Jeremy Hecklinski. The Demon Deacons return two standouts at receiver (Taylor Morin and Donavon Greene) and a All-ACC contender at running back in Demond Claiborne. Clawson also needs more from a defense that allowed 27.2 points a game last year and has significant concerns in the secondary.
A tough schedule and a roster returning just eight starters from '23 are two huge obstacles for new coach Manny Diaz to navigate in his Durham debut. Texas transfer Maalik Murphy is an intriguing addition at quarterback, and there's solid skill talent in place with running back Jaquez Moore and receiver Jordan Moore. Both lines of scrimmage will be a work in progress early in the '24 season.
Coach Tony Elliott enters a critical third season looking for improvement in the win column after a 6-16 start to his tenure. The Cavaliers were more competitive overall last year and lost five games by one score, showing Elliott's program might be on the cusp of a turnaround in '24. Tony Muskett and Anthony Colandrea will battle for the quarterback job once again, while top receiver Malik Washington (110 catches) will be missed. Eight starters are back on defense, but this unit took a step back after a promising '22 campaign and allowed 33.1 points in ACC play.
The Cardinal are trending in the right direction under second-year coach Troy Taylor, but a tough schedule could limit gains in the win column in '24. Receiver Elic Ayomanor is back after a 1,000-yard season, and the offense has two quarterbacks with upside in Ashton Daniels and Elijah Brown. A defense that returns seven starters needs major improvement (37.7 points a game allowed in '23).
Steven Lassan is the senior college football writer and editor for AthlonSports.com. Follow him on Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook .
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