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The newest era of ACC football officially begins next week with the Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and SMU Mustangs all in action. The aforementioned SMU Mustangs join the California Golden Bears and Stanford Cardinal as the newest members of the conference.
In anticipation of the upcoming season, the US LBM preseason coaches poll and AP poll were released over the last couple of weeks. A total of four ACC teams were ranked among the top 25, while five more received votes in the coaches poll.
Here is a look at every ACC team that is featured on either preseason poll:
Boston College Eagles
Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
No votes or ranking
As Bill O’Brien takes over the Eagles football program, a new era begins at Boston College. He inherits quarterback Thomas Castellanos and brought a pair of WRs in to give him support. Jerand Bradley is a massive target at 6’5″ and has the top hands to match. Can BC have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2017 and 2018?
California Golden Bears
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
No votes or ranking
The Cal Bears joined the ACC after the mass exodus from the Pac-12 that was finalized ahead of the 2024 season. They earned a bowl berth despite finishing with a fourth straight losing season after Texas Tech beat them in the Independence Bowl. Jadyn Ott returns for the offense giving them a much-needed boost. Can Justin Wilcox keep himself off the hot seat with a winning season for the first time since 2019?
Clemson Tigers
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
No. 14 in the Coaches Poll and AP Poll
Once again the Tigers are among the top 15 programs in the country ahead of the season. They haven’t seen the success of recent years but the expansion of the playoff could help them return. The team will find out where they belong among the elites in week 1 when they play the Georgia Bulldogs.
Get more Clemson coverage on Clemson Wire
Duke Blue Devils
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
No votes or ranking
Had Mike Elko and Riley Leonard stuck it out in Durham, this team would likely have been among the country’s top 25 to 30 teams. Manny Diaz gets another shot to be the head coach and he brings former Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy in to run the offense. Duke will be interesting to watch to see if Diaz can continue what Elko brought to the Blue Devils.
Get more Duke coverage on Duke Wire
Florida State Seminoles
Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports
No. 10 in the Coaches Poll and AP Poll
The Seminoles were kept out of the College Football Playoffs in 2023 despite winning the ACC and going undefeated. This year they would be back in the CFP for the first time since Jimbo Fisher roamed the sidelines if they repeat their performance. The journey begins in Week 0 as they face fellow ACC foe Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland.
Get more FSU coverage on FSU Wire
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
No votes or ranking
The Yellow Jackets are heading into unfamiliar territory in 2024, they are coming off their first winning season since 2016. The last time that Georgia Tech won a bowl game as well. Brent Key has won 11 of his first 21 games as the head coach since taking over for Geoff Collins midway through the 2022 season. Quarterback Haynes King will be the key to success this upcoming season, as long as he can stay healthy. They get Florida State first up in Dublin, Ireland.
Louisville Cardinals
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
95 votes (Coaches Poll) | 111 votes (AP Poll)
The returns on Jeff Brohm coming back to his alma mater were on full display in year one. The Cardinals marched all the way to the ACC title game and ultimately fell to the Florida State Seminoles. The QB play left a lot to be desired, which is why they went out and got Tyler Shough in the transfer portal. If he stays healthy, the sky is the limit for this team. With virtually a whole new offense, it will be worth a watch to see how quickly they gel together.
Miami Hurricanes
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
No. 19 in the Coaches Poll and AP Poll
This will be a big year for Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes. They believe they should compete in the ACC. The team did add the top transfer quarterback Cam Ward to the roster and they face the Florida Gators right off the bat. Welcome to the “Anxiety Bowl” for two teams with a plethora of questions entering the season.
NC State Wolfpack
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
No. 22 in the Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the AP Poll
Dave Doeren and the Pack are ready to take hold of the ACC in 2024. They added one of the top G5 quarterbacks this offseason in Grayson McCall. He should find former Ohio State WR Noah Rogers plenty this season. If McCall returns to his pre-injury form, watch out for NC State.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
6 votes (Coaches Poll) | No votes (AP Poll)
North Carolina doesn’t seem to have the same level of fanfare coming into the season that the Tar Heels have received in recent years. They turn to transfer quarterback Max Johnson who replaces top draft pick Drake Maye. Omarion Hampton will need to be the leader of this offense to get them rolling this season. The key will be the defense under first-year DC Geoff Collins, who replaced Gene Chizik after his defense finished in the bottom three in total defense for the ACC.
Get more UNC coverage on Tar Heels Wire
Pitt Panthers
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
No votes or ranking
The positive news for Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt Panthers is that it can’t get much worse than the 3-9 (2-6) finish from a season ago. It was only the second losing season for the Panthers under Narduzzi, but can he return them to their winning ways in 2024? The first three weeks should give a clear indication with two games against the Big 12’s Cincinnati Bearcats and West Virginia Mountaineers.
SMU Mustangs
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
47 votes (Coaches Poll) | 33 votes (AP Poll)
The SMU Mustangs are the newcomers with the best chance at success in 2024. Quarterback Preston Stone is one of the best signal callers you might not know much about. He runs the Rhett Lashlee offense to perfection. This roster will make some noise in 2024 and upset a few teams that underestimate them.
Stanford Cardinal
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
No votes or ranking
This season will be about improving upon last year’s 3-9 finish for second-year head coach Troy Taylor. The Cardinal have some talent on this team including sophomore wide receiver Elic Ayomanor, who finished with over 1,000 yards receiving and six touchdowns. They host the TCU Horned Frogs in Week 1.
Syracuse Orange
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
1 vote (Coaches Poll) | No votes (AP Poll)
There is a renewed excitement for the Orange with new head coach Fran Brown. Not only did he come over from the Georgia Bulldogs, he brought some SEC talent along with him. He also brought former five-star Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord to run the offense. The duo will look to avoid the second-half meltdowns that the previous staff was prone to.
Virginia Cavaliers
Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
No votes or ranking
Virginia looks to get above the three-win threshold of the last two seasons under Tony Elliott. The team will need to improve on both sides of the ball finishing in the bottom three in the ACC for both offense and defense. The team is banking on adding former Notre Dame WR Chris Tyree will give the offense a boost.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
64 votes (Coaches Poll) | 77 votes (AP Poll)
Year 3 under head coach Brent Pry looks completely different than their in-state counterparts. The Hokies are poised to make a push in the ACC. Kyron Drones will lead the offense once again as it felt like a team that caught their stride down the stretch after starting 1-4 and finished 6-2 over the final eight games including the bowl victory over Tulane. They will get tested with four of the first six games of the season on the road.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
No votes or ranking
Former Boise State and Louisiana Tech QB Hank Bachmeier becomes the latest QB to play for Dave Clawson. After his first losing record in a full season since 2015, they turn to a veteran quarterback to turn things around. Week 3 features a home game against the No. 6 ranked Ole Miss Rebels, you better buckle up for that matchup it will get bumpy.
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Courtesy : https://collegesportswire.usatoday.com/lists/acc-football-top-25-teams-coaches-ap-polls/