College Football Rankings: ESPN ranks ACC Football programs during Spring practice from first to last

The ACC ended in chaos last season after Duke won the conference championship, but didn’t appear in the College Football Playoff. While nobody knows for certain how the competitive conference will shake out this year, ESPN recently provided its preseason rankings.

ESPN’s Bill Connelly used team’s SP+ rating to rank them. Connelly describes the SP+ as “a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking.”

The rating takes numerous factors into consideration, including teams’ returning production, recent history, coaching changes and recruiting. With 17 teams to discuss, let’s dive into ESPN’s ACC rankings.

1. Miami Hurricanes (8)

Miami suffered two losses in conference play last season, but ultimately emerged as the ACC representative in postseason play. The Hurricanes didn’t disappoint their fellow ACC members. Miami won three CFP games to appear in the national championship, where they ultimately fell to Indiana.

ESPN expects Miami to carry its momentum into this season. Miami is only returning 49% of its production from last season, but has 13 incoming transfers. Most notably, the Hurricanes added former Duke quarterback Darian Mensah.

2. Clemson Tigers (23)

Clemson’s 2025 campaign didn’t go according to plan. The Tigers were ranked No. 4 in the country in Week 1, but finished the season with a mere 7-6 record. Dabo Swinney and Co. will be hungry to bounce back this fall.

In many ways, Clemson will have a clean slate. The team lost several key players this offseason, including longtime starting quarterback Cade Klubnik. In turn, Clemson was more active in the portal than in years past, reeling in 10 fresh faces.

3. Louisville Cardinals (27)

Louisville’s Jeff Brohm was in discussions to become Penn State‘s next head coach, but is ultimately running it back with the Cardinals. Brohm went to work this offseason, picking up 32 players from the transfer portal.

Additionally, Louisville is returning 53% of its production from last season. Like most teams across the country, Louisville’s success will hinge on its quarterback. Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz is currently the frontrunner to be Louisville’s QB1 in 2026.

4. SMU Mustangs (28)

Following a stunning run to the CFP in 2024, SMU pieced together a solid effort last season. Now, the Mustangs are determined to return to the biggest stage in college football. In their efforts to do so, they are returning an impressive 66% of their offensive production.

SMU also focused on bulking up its defense through the portal, adding safety Jayvon Thomas and linebacker Jamal Anderson. New defensive co-coordinators Maurice Crum Jr. and Rickey Hunley Jr. will lead SMU’s defensive efforts.

5. Virginia Tech Hokies (32)

A new era is dawning at Virginia Tech. The program hired head coach James Franklin this offseason, and it hasn’t taken him long to make a splash. The Hokies landed at No. 6 in On3’s 2026 Team Transfer Portal Rankings, with players like TE Luke Reynolds and CB Jaquez White joining their cause.

While Franklin hopes to lead Virginia Tech to new heights, the program will have some continuity. In a shocking move, Franklin hired former VT head coach Brent Pry to be the Hokies’ defensive coordinator.

6. Florida State (35)

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell is under pressure to succeed after back-to-back lackluster seasons. He will be the Seminoles’ primary play-caller in the upcoming season due to Gus Malzahn‘s sudden retirement.

For the third consecutive season, Florida State will have a new starting quarterback. The competition for the QB1 title will be between Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels and second-year Kevin Sperry. Daniels had a strong stretch for Auburn at the end of the 2025 regular season.

7. Virginia Cavaliers (40)

Virginia was arguably the most surprising team in the ACC last season. The Cavaliers posted a school-record 11 wins and appeared in the ACC Championship. Now, Virginia is searching for a way to keep its ball rolling in the right direction.

The Cavaliers are returning 59% of their production from last season and hauled in 28 players from the transfer portal. Nonetheless, Virginia must successfully replace quarterback Chandler Morris and leading ACC rusher J’Mari Taylor if it hopes to repeat its success this year.

8. Pittsburgh Panthers (41)

Pittsburgh knows how to start a season strong, but it must learn to finish. The Panthers started last season with a 7-2 record, but lost three of their final four games. The team will look to get over that hump this fall.

Second-year quarterback Mason Heintschel will be pivotal to the Panthers’ efforts. He excelled as a true freshman last season and will need to step up again if Pitt hopes to exceed fans’ preseason expectations.

9. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (43)

Georgia Tech is in unfamiliar territory this year. The Yellow Jackets lost three-year starting QB Haynes King this offseason, along with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. Simply put, Brent Key has his work cut out for him.

Alas, the gritty HC isn’t one to back down from a challenge. The Yellow Jackets added 20 players via the transfer portal this offseason, including QB Alberto Mendoza, the little brother of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.

10. Duke Blue Devils (44)

ESPN isn’t expecting Duke to be an ACC contender despite the Blue Devils hoisting the conference championship trophy last season. In fairness, QB Darian Mensah left the program for Miami, along with standout wide receiver Cooper Barkate.

Duke head coach Manny Diaz must find an answer at quarterback if he wants his team to be in the hunt for another ACC title. The Blue Devils added San Jose State transfer QB Walker Eget this offseason, but many analysts suspect redshirt freshman Dan Mahan could be Duke’s Week 1 starter behind center.

11. NC State (48)
12. North Carolina (54)
13. California (56)
14. Wake Forest (58)
15. Syracuse (69)
16. Boston College (74)
17. Stanford (75)