The Sporting News ranks ACC quarterbacks first to last for 2025 season

Entering the 2025 college football season, the ACC boasts big-time quarterbacks in Clemson‘s Cade Klubnik, Miami‘s Carson Beck and SMU‘s Kevin Jennings just to name a few.

Klubnik and Jennings led their respective programs to a College Football Playoff appearance last season, while Beck led Georgia to the SEC Championship before suffering a season-ending injury.

The Sporting News ranked the 16 ACC starting quarterbacks for the upcoming season, featured below.

1. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

Clemson‘s Cade Klubnik enters the 2025 season as The Sporting News‘ No. 1 ranked quarterback in the ACC.

As a junior in 2024, Klubnik passed for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He is one of only three two-time ACC Championship Game MVPs all-time and ranks in the top five in Clemson history in nearly every passing category. “I came to Clemson to win [a National Championship], and it’d be really cool,” Klubnik told On3’s Pete Nakos. “But I think more than anything, I want to be remembered for the person I was off the field as well, and the impact that I had on people. Because I think that’s going to carry on for a long time, too. To do both of those would be really awesome.”

2. Haynes King, Georgia Tech

Haynes King returns to Georgia Tech this season for his sixth and final year of college football.

Over his first two seasons with the Yellow Jackets, King has passed for 4,956 yards, 41 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Georgia Tech is 14-10 in games the Longview, TX native has started in. “I’m not the one to mainly focus on individual accolades or individual success,” King told On3’s Pete Nakos. “If your team’s having success, that stuff is going to come.”

3. Carson Beck, Miami

After spending his first four seasons at Georgia, Carson Beck is heading to Miami for his final year of college football.

Beck won back-to-back National Championships (2021 & 2022) as Stetson Bennett‘s backup and was named a Second Team All-SEC selection in 2023. In two seasons as Georgia‘s starter (2023 & 2024), he threw for 7,426 yards, 52 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He’ll be replacing Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

4. Kevin Jennings, SMU

SMU‘s Kevin Jennings is one of two returning ACC quarterbacks that led their team to a College Football Playoff appearance last season (Klubnik).

Jennings, who was named a Third Team All-ACC selection last season, passed for 3,245 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2024. He also rushed for 354 yards and five scores. He struggled mightily in SMU‘s College Football Playoff First Round loss to Penn State however, as he tossed three interceptions.

5. Miller Moss, Louisville

Two years after dropping 372 passing yards and six touchdowns on Louisville in the 2023 Holiday Bowl, Miller Moss will spend his final year of eligibility playing for Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals.

In four seasons at USC, Moss passed for 3,469 yards, 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. “I think he can throw a good football, he’s played a lot of games, he has a ton of experience,” Brohm said in February. “[Miller’s] had ups and downs, kind of like Tyler (Shough), kind of like Jack (Plummer), but I think he’s played against good football teams, and he’s been battle tested, and I think he’s picked up what we’ve done to this point very well.”

6. Darian Mensah, Duke

After emerging as one of the best freshmen quarterbacks in the country last season at Tulane, Darian Mensah transferred to Duke in the offseason.

Mensah passed for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Green Wave to the AAC Championship game. “[Duke] had a clear vision for me that they set out,” Mensah told On3’s Pete Nakos. “I liked that. Coach Manny [Diaz] has a defensive mind, and just having that perspective when watching film. We try to watch tape two to three times a week, and having an elite defensive perspective when it comes to knowing defenses is crucial.”

7. Chandler Morris, Virginia

Veteran quarterback Chandler Morris will spend his sixth and final season of college football with his fourth different program.

In his five seasons with Oklahoma (one), TCU (three) and North Texas (one), Morris boasts 6,207 career passing yards, 47 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He is coming off the best year of his career with the Mean Green in 2024, as he passed for 3,774 yards, 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

8. Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech‘s Kyron Drones returns to Blacksburg this season for his third year as the Hokies’ starting quarterback. He did not play in their final three games of the 2024 season due to a back injury.

Over his first two seasons, Drones boasts 3,647 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He’s also compiled 1,154 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground. With Drones at quarterback, Virginia Tech is 12-11 since the beginning of the 2023 season

9. Grayson James, Boston College

Grayson James, who took over the Boston College starting quarterback role from Thomas Castellanos on November 16 last season, opens the 2025 season as the Eagles’ starter.

In the three games James started last season, he passed for 746 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Boston College was 1-2 in games he started, including a loss to Nebraska in the Pinstripe Bowl.

10. Tommy Castellanos, Florida State

Thomas Castellanos, who transferred to Florida State from Boston College, is ranked one spot lower than the quarterback that took his starting job.

He started Boston College‘s first eight games last season, passing for 1,366 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. “We need to get back to that mentality of ACC championship, to a good playoff run, to a national championship,” Castellanos told On3’s Pete Nakos. “But for me, I know I have the skill set to be a Heisman contender. To be up in New York.”

11. CJ Bailey, NC State

CJ Bailey, fresh off a successful freshman campaign, is back for his second season as the starter at NC State.

Last season, Bailey passed for 2,413 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 279 yards and five scores. He led the Wolfpack to a 6-7 record and a 26-21 loss to East Carolina in the Go Bowling Military Bowl. His best performance in 2024 came in the Wolfpack’s 24-23 win over California, in which he passed for 306 yards and two touchdowns.

12. Max Johnson, North Carolina

Surprisingly, The Sporting News has tabbed Max Johnson as North Carolina‘s starting quarterback over South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez. New Tar Heel coach Bill Belichick has yet to reveal whether Johnson or Lopez will start in their season opener against TCU.

Johnson, who is at his third program, broke his leg in Carolina‘s season opener against Minnesota last season. In five seasons (two at LSU, two at Texas A&M and UNC), he has thrown for 5,923 yards, 47 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

13. Eli Holstein, Pittsburgh

Eli Holstein, just like NC State‘s CJ Bailey, is returning for his sophomore season and second season as QB1.

The Zachary, LA native passed for 2,225 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2024. The Panthers won in Holstein’s first seven starts, but lost their next three games he started. He suffered a season-ending left leg injury during the first quarter of Pitt‘s 37-9 loss to Louisville after being sacked by defensive end Ashton Gillotte.

14. Rickie Collins, Syracuse

Baton Rouge, LA native Rickie Collins spent his first two collegiate seasons as a backup at LSU, but transferred to Syracuse in the offseason to replace Kyle McCord.

Collins has taken just seven career snaps, passing for 38 yards. “He seems to be moving into (being) the leader of our football team,” head coach Fran Brown said. “I’m liking what I’m seeing. I think the players are behind him, everyone’s behind him. So, it seems like he’s going to be our quarterback.

15. Devin Brown, California

Devin Brown is yet another career backup quarterback transferring to the ACC for a starting job.

Brown spent three seasons at Ohio State, where he attempted just 48 passes for 331 yards, three touchdowns and just one interception. He was the No. 24 ranked QB and the No. 228 overall transfer in On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings.

16. Robby Ashford, Wake Forest

Former Auburn and South Carolina quarterback Robby Ashford has finally departed the SEC and will start at Wake Forest this season.

Over three campaigns, Ashford boasts 2,082 career passing yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. “Just what coach [Jake] Dickert is building and his vision for the program and wanting to win now, and the opportunity to come in and be the guy,” Ashford said when asked why he transferred to Wake.

17. Elijah Brown, Stanford

Stanford‘s Elijah Brown enters the 2025 season as The Sporting News‘ lowest ranked quarterback in the ACC.

As a freshman in 2024, Brown passed for 274 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. With Andrew Luck taking over as Stanford‘s GM, Cardinal fans can only hope Luck and interim head coach Frank Reich cane help Brown make a leap as a solid quarterback in the conference.