ACC post-spring overreactions: Miami is ready to finish the job, Virginia Tech poised for quick turnaround

California

Tosh Lupoi has completely upgraded recruiting: After coaching under Nick Saban and Dan Lanning for a combined seven seasons, Lupoi learned what it takes to grind out wins on the recruiting trail. It appears as though Lupoi has carried those lessons with him to Berkeley. Cal already has four blue-chip commitments in its 2027 recruiting class -- double the number that signed with the Golden Bears in 2026. It's still very early, but Lupoi seems to be a clear upgrade in the talent acquisition department.

Clemson

Chad Morris is back to end all the offensive woes: The last time Morris helmed the offense at Clemson, the Tigers averaged more than 40 points per game in back-to-back seasons from 2012-13. That was also more than a decade ago -- and with all due respect to presumed starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina -- I'm not sure how well he compares to Tahj Boyd. It's certainly plausible that the Tigers' offense improves after a disappointing 2025 campaign, but recent dips in recruiting may have capped that unit's ceiling.

Duke

The Blue Devils can still hit nine wins without Darian Mensah: Duke is coming off an ACC championship and its second nine-win season in as many years under Manny Diaz, but it also suffered perhaps the biggest loss of any team in the transfer portal, losing star quarterback Darian Mensah to Miami. It's reasonable to expect a big drop off from the Blue Devils because of that, but is it insane to think they could hit nine wins again? Diaz has already proven he can patch together a nine-win team with duct tape and super glue, having led the Maalik Murphy-led team there in 2024. The ACC isn't exactly a gauntlet either.

Florida State

The stable of running backs can carry the offense: The decision to go with Ashton Daniels at quarterback presents a lot of questions about the passing game, but there are none about the rest of the backfield. Quintrevion Wisner posted 1,661 rushing yards and eight touchdowns over the last two seasons at Texas, Ousmane Kromah averaged 5.7 yards per carry for the Seminoles in 2025, and the duo of Samuel Singleton Jr. and Gemari Sands offers even more depth. New offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. should be able to lean on his run game.

Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets can survive coordinator turnover on both sides of the ball: Brent Key had to replace both of his coordinators this offseason, and while there will be an adjustment period, it doesn't mean Georgia Tech has to take a big step backward. That's especially true of the offense, where first-year coordinator George Godsey will work with a reloaded backfield that includes Indiana transfer quarterback Alberto Mendoza, Michigan transfer running back Justice Haynes and Alabama transfer receiver Jaylen Mbakwe. That makes the loss of Aaron Philo and Buster Faulkner a little easier to take.

Louisville

Lincoln Kienholz will take the passing game to the next level: The Cardinals will be able to run the ball -- there's no doubt about that. After averaging 163.9 rushing yards per game as a team last season, lead back Isaac Brown returns to wreak more havoc on the ground. There is, however, room for improvement through the air. Louisville ranked 14th in the ACC with 220.6 passing yards per game, so the team brought in Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz to remedy that issue. A three-star prospect out of high school, Kienholz may be unproven, but he did push Julian Sayin for the starting job last year.

Miami

The 'Canes are going to win the national championship: It's tough to blame any Miami fan who feels this way because this team should certainly be in the running. After reaching the title game last season, the Hurricanes probably upgraded at quarterback with Darian Mensah entering the fold. Elsewhere, Miami returns 10 starters with seven of those on the defensive side of the ball. The only question about this roster is the offensive line, which must replace significant talent and experience. If that unit holds up, this may not be an overreaction at all.

NC State

The offense will be fine without Hollywood Smothers: NC State's leading rusher from last season is now at Texas, and the team didn't do much in the portal to replace his production, but don't get too worried. The Wolfpack have a top-three quarterback in C.J. Bailey, who is entering his third season as a starter. Bailey just threw for 3,105 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 68.8% of his passes as a true sophomore. If things break correctly, Bailey might even be a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate. Whatever steps Bailey takes in his development will offset the impact of losing Smothers to the Longhorns.

North Carolina

Bobby Petrino will bail out Bill Belichick: Coming off a disastrous first season in the college ranks, Belichick needs a big bounce-back in 2026. The good news for Belichick is that the offense can't possibly get much worse. Last fall, North Carolina averaged 19.2 points per game, which ranked 120th nationally. That's why Belichick brought in Petrino to run that side of the ball, and he was the architect of some good offenses at Arkansas. Petrino will have to get more out of quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., whose 2025 season at Wisconsin was derailed by injury.

Pittsburgh

The Panthers can compete for the ACC Championship: Pitt returns 11 starters from last season's team, which went 6-2 in conference play. The most important of those returnees is quarterback Mason Heintschel, who had a bit of a breakout campaign last fall. If Heintschel can build on his strong debut, it should give the Panthers a shot at reaching Charlotte, as the ACC is relatively wide open behind Miami. Circle road trips to Virginia Tech and Louisville as critical conference battles for Pitt this season.

SMU

Jalen Hale can realize his potential in the SMU offense: With Kevin Jennings returning for another season, SMU has one of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football, and he has an interesting collection of weapons around him. The most fascinating might be Hale, an Alabama transfer who suffered a significant knee injury entering his sophomore season in 2024. That was a major setback for Hale's development, but the raw talent is there. He was a four-star prospect and the No. 37 receiver in the 2023 signing class. If Rhett Lashlee can help Hale break out, the Mustangs will have a serious weapon on the outside.

Stanford

The Cardinal won't reach three wins: The simple truth is that the Cardinal got a horrific draw with their schedule this year. If Stanford was hoping to take advantage of long travel for ACC opponents, that goes out the window with Miami, NC State and SMU visiting Stanford Stadium. Most games against beatable opponents (Wake Forest, Duke and Virginia Tech) involve cross-country travel. Oh, and there's a road game against Notre Dame mixed in there. It could be another very long season for the Cardinal.

Syracuse

Steve Angeli will pick up right where he left off: Prior to suffering a torn Achilles against Clemson in Week 4, Angeli was off to a blistering start. In just three-plus games, Angeli threw for 1,317 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. Before Angeli went down, it looked like the Orange could be one of the biggest surprises in the ACC. So, can Angeli recover from the injury and keep that production up for a full season? By all accounts, Angeli is progressing well, and he should only be more comfortable in Jeff Nixon's offensive system entering his second year.

Virginia

The Hoos can hit double-digit wins again: With Chandler Morris failing to get an extra year of eligibility, Virginia avoided a huge drop off at quarterback by landing Missouri transfer Beau Pribula out of the portal. The defense also returns a handful of key players, including defensive lineman Fisher Camac and linebacker Kam Robinson. Perhaps most importantly, the schedule is very manageable. The Cavaliers don't play Miami, Notre Dame, Louisville or Clemson. The only four true road games come against Florida State, SMU, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. Some things will have to break the right way, but Virginia could finish the regular season at 9-3.

Virginia Tech

Returning production will give James Franklin a head start: No ACC team returns more starters than Virginia Tech's 14. There's a fair debate over whether returning that many players from a 3-9 team is a good thing, but there is something to be said for stability and continuity in an era of all-time-high roster turnover. That's especially true on defense, where the freshly fired Brent Pry returns as the defensive coordinator on Franklin's staff. Given how murky the middle of the ACC is, would anyone be surprised to see Franklin turn this program around rather quickly?

Wake Forest

**Gio Lopez will rebound after being united with his former OC:**When Lopez committed to North Carolina ahead of the 2025 season, it looked like an early win for Bill Belichick in Chapel Hill. In two seasons at Southern Miss, Lopez totaled 3,651 yards and 31 touchdowns over the course of 16 games. However, his lone season with the Tar Heels was tumultuous, and he needed a fresh start. In transferring to Wake Forest, Lopez will reunite with former Southern Miss offensive coordinator Rob Ezell, who helped put Lopez on Belichick's radar in the first place. If they can recapture some of that magic, it'll mean good things for the Demon Deacons' offense.