ACC Preview 2025: Can the Miami Hurricanes finally break through?
The first year of the expanded, 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference saw a familiar face in the Clemson Tigers and a newcomer in the SMU Mustangs meet in the conference title game and make the 12-team College Football Playoff, although both teams had first-round exits.
The Miami Hurricanes were on the cusp of making one or both of those, but fell just short.
Those three should continue at the top of the league, while a few other regulars look to break through and make noise.
Here’s a quick look at all 17 teams in the conference.
1. Clemson Tigers
Coach: Dabo Swinney
Players to watch: QB Cade Klubnik, DL Peter Woods, DL T.J. Parker, OL Blake Miller
Key Games: vs. LSU, Aug. 30; vs. SMU, Oct. 18; at South Carolina, Nov. 29
Clemson went from being blown out by Georgia to begin the season to winning the ACC and making it back to the College Football Playoff. With Cade Klubnik back for his senior season and a defense that should be solid, the Tigers are in a position to once again be among the best in college football.
2. Miami Hurricanes
Coach: Mario Cristobal
Players to watch: QB Carson Beck, OL Francis Mauigoa, DL Rueben Bain
Key Games: vs. Notre Dame; Aug. 31; vs. Florida, Sept. 20; vs. Louisville, Oct. 17; at SMU, Nov. 1
The Hurricanes started a perfect 9-0 last season before losing two of their final three regular-season games to see their hopes for appearances in the ACC title game and College Football Playoff slip away. A loss in the Pop-Tarts Bowl capped a sour finish to the season. Miami will look to Carson Beck to keep the offense humming after the Hurricanes led the country in multiple categories a year ago and a revamped defense under new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman should show marked improvement, as well. Will it be enough for the Hurricanes to finally get over the hump?
3. SMU Mustangs
Coach: Rhett Lashlee
Players to watch: QB Kevin Jennings, DB Isaiah Nwokobia, OL PJ Williams, LB Alexander Kilgore
Key Games: at Clemson, Oct. 18; vs. Miami, Nov. 1; vs. Louisville, Nov. 22
SMU surprised many last year by making the ACC title game in its first season in the conference. The Mustangs look to pick up where they left off. Returning All-ACC safety Isaiah Nwokobia should lead the defense while quarterback Kevin Jennings will run the offense for a second consecutive season. SMU also added 20 players through the transfer portal.
4. Louisville Cardinals
Coach: Jeff Brohm
Players to watch: RB Isaac Brown, WR Caullin Lacy, C Pete Nygra, LB Stanquan Clark
Key Games: at Miami, Oct. 17; vs. Clemson, Nov. 14; at SMU, Nov. 22
Louisville is the team beyond Clemson, Miami and SMU most likely to break through and have a chance to compete for the conference title. They were a top-15 offense nationally last season and should be among the country’s best again in 2025. The defense, however, will need to improve if the Cardinals want to contend. Louisville’s schedule does it little favors as well, with the Cardinals facing all three teams in the top tier of the conference, with two of those games on the road.
5. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Coach: Brent Key
Players to watch: QB Haynes King, RB Jamal Haynes, OL Keylan Rutledge, LB Kyle Efford
Key Games: at Colorado, Aug. 29; vs. Clemson, Sept. 13; vs. Georgia, Nov. 28
Georgia Tech has gone 7-6 in each of its first two years under coach Brent Key, its first time with consecutive winning seasons since 2013 and 2014. The Yellow Jackets had the second-best rushing offense in the ACC last year (187 yards per game), and that should continue with Jamal Haynes returning for his senior year.
6. Florida State Seminoles
Coach: Mike Norvell
Players to watch: QB Tommy Castellanos, WR Duce Robinson, OL Luke Petitbon, DL James Williams
Key Games: vs. Alabama, Aug. 30; vs. Miami, Oct. 4; at Clemson, Nov. 8; at Florida, Nov. 29
It was a season to forget for FSU in 2024, with the Seminoles going from preseason favorites in the conference and a top-10 ranking to an abysmal 2-10 finish with their only wins being against Cal and FCS Charleston Southern. The DJ Uiagalelei experiment failed miserably, and the offense was one of the worst in the country. FSU should be much better this year — it can’t get much worse, right? — but the schedule is rough, with nonconference games against Alabama and Florida plus ACC matchups with Miami and Clemson on the docket.
7. Duke Blue Devils
Coach: Manny Diaz
Players to watch: OL Brian Parker II, DB Chandler Rivers, DB Terry Moore
Key Games: vs. Illinois, Sept. 6; at Clemson, Nov. 1; at UNC, Nov. 22
Duke surprised many in Year 1 under Manny Diaz, going 9-4 overall and 6-1 in games decided by one score. While it most likely will be in the middle of the pack in the league at best this season, Duke has a chance to make a statement with an interesting nonconference slate with games against Illinois and Tulane and a reasonably favorable ACC schedule outside of its game with Clemson.
8. Pittsburgh Panthers
Coach: Pat Narduzzi
Players to watch: QB Eli Holstein, LB Kyle Louis, RB Desmond Reid, LB Rasheem Biles
Key Games: at West Virginia, Sept. 13; vs Notre Dame, Nov. 15; vs. Miami, Nov. 29
The Panthers started the season 7-0 and reached as high as No. 18 in the rankings before losing their final six games. Which team is the real Pittsburgh? Probably somewhere in the middle, but they have a chance to make some noise this season if things go their way. Eli Holstein should build on a solid freshman season, while Desmond Reid is a dynamic threat in the backfield. Linebackers Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles combined for 30 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks a year ago.
9. NC State Wolfpack
Coach: Dave Doeren
Players to watch: TE Justin Joly, RB Hollywood Smothers, DL Brandon Cleveland, LB Sean Brown
Key Games: at Notre Dame, Oct. 11; at Miami, Nov. 15; vs. UNC, Nov. 29
The Wolfpack began the season ranked No. 24 in the country but finished 6-7 with losses to both ranked teams it faced (Tennessee and Clemson) and a 3-5 record in league play. They will likely be in the middle of the pack again this season.
10. Virginia Tech Hokies
Coach: Brent Pry
Players to watch: OL Tomas Rimac, RB Terion Stewart, DL Ben Bell, LB Caleb Woodson
Key Games: at South Carolina, Aug. 31; vs. Miami, Nov. 22; at Virginia, Nov. 29
The Hokies were a dark horse team to make noise in the ACC last season; instead, they went .500 in the regular season before falling in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to Minnesota to finish 6-7. This is Year 4 of the Brent Fry era, and they will have to replace a lot of talent, namely first-team All-ACC defensive linemen Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Aeneas Peebles, top running back Bhayshul Tuten and their top four wide receivers.
11. Syracuse Orange
Coach: Fran Brown
Players to watch: DB Duce Chestnut, P Jack Stonehouse, RB Yasin Willis
Key Games: at Tennessee, Aug. 30; at Clemson, Sept. 20; at Notre Dame, Nov. 22
Syracuse is coming off its first 10-win season since 2018 and just its fifth since 1990, but replacing star quarterback Kyle McCord (4,779 passing yards, 34 touchdowns in 2024), their top three threats in the passing game (tight end Oronde Gasden II and receivers Jackson Meeks and Trebor Pena) and their top running back in LeQuint Allen will be a tall task. A schedule with all five of its big games — Tennessee, Clemson, SMU, Miami and Notre Dame — being on the road doesn’t help, either.
12. North Carolina Tar Heels
Coach: Bill Belichick
Players to watch: OL Daniel King, DL Pryce Yates, DB Thaddeus Dixon
Key Games: vs. Clemson, Oct. 4; at Syracuse, Oct. 31; at N.C. State, Nov. 29
While the Tar Heels likely won’t contend in the ACC this year, they will be a national story line with Bill Belichick at the helm in his first coaching stint since parting ways with the New England Patriots after 24 seasons and six Super Bowls. UNC was very active in the transfer portal, adding 41 players that way during the offseason.
13. Boston College Eagles
Coach: Bill O’Brien
Players to watch: OL Jude Bowry, RB Turbo Richard, LB Daveon Crouch, DB KP Price
Key Games: vs. Clemson, Oct. 11; at Louisville, Oct. 25; vs. SMU, Nov. 8
Boston College went 7-6 for the second consecutive season and has now gone 15 consecutive seasons since reaching an elusive eighth win.
14. Cal Golden Bears
Coach: Justin Wilcox
Players to watch: LB Cade Uluave, DL Aidan Keanaaina
Key Games: at Oregon State, Aug. 30; at Stanford, Nov. 22; vs. SMU, Nov. 29
Cal went 6-7 in its first season in the ACC, with five of its six conference losses being by one score.
15. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Coach: Jake Dickert
Players to watch: RB Demond Claiborne, LB Dylan Hazen, DB Nick Andersen, OL Fa’alili Fa’amoe
Key Games: vs. SMU, Oct. 25; vs. UNC, Nov. 15; at Duke, Nov. 29
Since a two-year run in which it went 19-8 and even cracked the top 10 in the CFP poll, Wake Forest has gone 4-8 each of the past two years. Running back Demond Claiborne should be a bright spot for the Demon Deacons after a breakout junior year (1,049 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns).
16. Virginia Cavaliers
Coach: Tony Elliott
Players to watch: OL Brady Wilson, LB Kam Robinson, RB Xavier Brown, DB Antonio Clary
Key Games: at Louisville, Oct. 4; at Cal, Nov. 1; vs. Virginia Tech, Nov. 29
Virginia hasn’t had a winning record since 2019 and is 11-23 overall (6-17 in ACC play) in three seasons under Tony Elliott.
17. Stanford Cardinal
Coach: Frank Reich
Players to watch: DB Collin Wright, TE Sam Roush, LB Tevarua Tafiti, OL Simione Pale
Key Games: at SMU, Oct. 11; at Miami, Oct. 25; vs. Cal, Nov. 22
The Cardinal went 3-9 (2-6 ACC) in its first year in the league and has gone six consecutive seasons with four or fewer wins.
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 8:37 AM.
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