Ranking the top ACC quarterbacks ahead of the 2025 season

Ranking the ACC’s quarterbacks is complicated because so many programs either aren’t entirely sure what they’re doing at QB or are starting a QB who played elsewhere last season. Competitions will rage through camp and possibly into the season across the conference, and at least five schools (Duke, Florida State, Louisville, Miami and North Carolina) already plan to start transfers.

In fact, two of those transfers could be among the three best signal-callers in the conference…

1. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

Klubnik grew so much from his first full season as a starter in 2023 to 2024, when he blossomed into a star. Part of the growth was maturity. Part of it was Clemson putting better receivers with Klubnik. Part of it was Klubnik learning when to use his legs — which are quite formidable. (Pittsburgh learned this the hard way.)

Now Klubnik enters his senior season in full command of the offense, and he’s surrounded by more talent than any other QB in the ACC. Anything short of another College Football Playoff berth would be a massive disappointment.

2. Darian Mensah, Duke

The Blue Devils paid a truckload of money to land Tulane transfer Mensah, who probably was neck-and-neck with Washington State-to-Oklahoma transfer John Mateer for the title of most sought-after player in the portal. 

This time last year, Mensah was about to climb the depth chart in camp with a first-year coaching staff in New Orleans. After showing the nation his command, athleticism, patience and efficiency, everyone knows what Mensah can do. He averaged 9.5 yards per attempt — tied with Miami’s Cam Ward, Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke and Ohio State’s Will Howard for third in the nation — and threw 22 touchdown passes with six interceptions. 

Fellow transfers Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma) and Cooper Barkate (Harvard) will need to help by giving Mensah reliable targets, but Duke’s other returning receivers might see their production increase with a better passer at quarterback.

3. Carson Beck, Miami

Unlike Mensah, who is attempting a step up in competition, Beck has already seen and done it all. As Georgia’s QB, Beck dealt with massive expectations and faced elite competition. He looked incredible when he had Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey running routes in 2023, less so without those stars in 2024. Now, he’s coming off an ugly elbow injury and joining a team that surged offensively with Ward at QB last year.

Miami is breaking in a new group of receivers, but this is a talented group. The offensive line should be excellent. Beck should have all the help he needs to bounce back from the injury.

4. Kevin Jennings, SMU

A rough first half in the ACC title game and a meltdown in the first-round CFP loss at Penn State took some of the shine off what Jennings did last season after taking the job from Preston Stone, but Jennings remains one of the ACC’s most dynamic QBs. 

Jennings averaged 8.5 yards per attempt last season while completing 65 percent of his passes. He also threw for 22 touchdowns. If he remains static, he could have the Mustangs in the ACC title game again. If he can play better in the huge spots, the ceiling is quite high.

5. Haynes King, Georgia Tech

King has come a long way from the Texas A&M QB who threw a pass to me in the waning moments of a loss at Alabama in 2022. (It was a truly spectacular one-handed catch above the head of then-Aggies athletic director Ross Bjork. Unfortunately for King, we were on the wrong side of the sideline.)

Georgia Tech coach Brent Key and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke have done an excellent job unlocking in King what Jimbo Fisher couldn’t. He’s an excellent athlete with a solid arm and an attitude that makes teammates want to follow him. He completed 73 percent of his passes last season and threw only two interceptions. Fourteen passing touchdowns in 11 games isn’t a lot, but King also added 11 rushing touchdowns.

The Yellow Jackets lost dynamic receiver Eric Singleton Jr. to Auburn, but they return Malik Rutherford and add Eric Rivers, who racked up 1,172 receiving yards on only 62 catches at Florida International last year.

6. CJ Bailey, N.C. State

The original plan at N.C. State last year was for Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall to cap an illustrious college career with a season in the ACC, but head injuries ended McCall’s season and career.

True freshman Bailey was thrown into the fray, and Bailey played quite well considering the circumstances. He completed 65 percent of his passes and averaged eight yards per attempt. He needs to cut down on his interceptions, but he could make a major leap after a full offseason as the starter with an offense designed around him. Kurt Roper, the QB coach who meshed well with Bailey last season, was promoted to offensive coordinator when Robert Anae was fired.  

7. Gio Lopez, North Carolina

Bill Belichick’s biggest free agent acquisition of the offseason is an exciting lefty who also drew attention from SEC schools when he decided this spring to leave South Alabama. But those schools intended to develop Lopez as a potential 2026 starter, and North Carolina wanted him to take over right away.

The 6-foot, 220-pound Lopez completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also ran for 463 yards and seven touchdowns. 

8. Eli Holstein, Pittsburgh

Holstein lit up defenses in the first half of last season, but injuries — a concussion and then an ankle injury — derailed the second half. It’s also true that Pitt’s early-season schedule was easier than the back half of the schedule. So it’s difficult to tell if a healthy Holstein could post similar numbers against better competition. We’ll get a chance to find out this season.

9. Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech

Drones took a step back during an injury-riddled 2024 season, but he still has the arm and the wheels that offered so much promise when he came to Virginia Tech from Baylor. 

After OC Tyler Bowen left to coach the offensive line at Ohio State, Hokies coach Brent Pry brought in former Baylor OC and Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery to run the offense. Montgomery’s offense is fairly quarterback-friendly, so we’ll see if it can make the most of Drones’ skillset.

10. Steve Angeli, Syracuse

Well, this is awkward. Syracuse is bringing quarterback Rickie Collins to next week’s ACC media days. Coach Fran Brown named Collins the starter in the spring. But then former Notre Dame backup Angeli entered the transfer portal following spring practice and Brown quickly signed him.

This is a bet Angeli winds up winning the job. If he wanted to be a backup, he would have just stayed at Notre Dame. He’ll need to be good, too. Syracuse opens with Tennessee and then faces the ACC’s toughest conference schedule draw.