Darian Mensah stays on top of the ACC quarterback board heading into Week 11, even after Miami came up just short against Notre Dame. The Hurricanes’ late push didn’t change the big picture much: Mensah still owns the No. 1 spot, and the league’s quarterback race keeps tightening behind him.
Week 10 opened with the kind of quarterback showcase that had plenty of buzz before kickoff. Virginia Tech and SMU brought two productive passers to the stage in Ethan Grunkemeyer and Kevin Jennings, but the game tilted hard after halftime. SMU took a 23-14 lead into the break, then came out and scored touchdowns on its first three second-half possessions on the way to a 51-28 win.
Notre Dame’s 31-24 win over Miami gave fans another high-level duel, this time between CJ Carr and Mensah. It played out in two very different halves.
Carr and the Fighting Irish built a 21-point cushion early in the third quarter, only for Mensah and the Hurricanes to claw back and trim it to one score. Miami even had a potential game-tying touchdown pass ruled incomplete late in the fourth quarter.
The best quarterback matchup on the Week 11 ACC slate is the early one between No. 13 Wake Forest and SMU. Gio Lopez and Kevin Jennings have both been driving offenses that have scored at least 20 points in every game this season, and the stakes are huge for both teams’ ACC Championship hopes.
There’s also a chance for another strong duel in the nightcap between Stanford and Virginia Tech. Davis Warren has quietly put together a solid season for the Cardinal, while Grunkemeyer and the Hokies keep rolling offensively.
Here’s how the eight best ACC quarterbacks stack up entering Week 11 of the 2026 college football season.
Eget makes the list for the first time this year after helping Duke blast NC State 41-3. The Blue Devils leaned on Nate Sheppard and the ground game as usual, but Eget still delivered when the passing game needed a spark, finishing with 208 yards and repeatedly finding receivers near the sidelines.
Duke heads to Miami next, with kickoff set for Noon EST on ABC. The Hurricanes have NFL talent all over their defense, but they’ve looked worse than expected over the last month.
Edwards Jr. turned in a clean, efficient performance in North Carolina’s 38-21 win at Connecticut. After an early interception, he settled in and managed the game well, finishing with 255 passing yards and three touchdowns. One of his best throws came on a 23-yard screen to Demon June.
North Carolina is back home for its penultimate game at Kenan Stadium against Louisville, with kickoff at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN2. The Cardinals’ defense has been up and down through ACC play, though they did just turn in one of their better efforts in a blowout of Georgia Tech.
Warren and Stanford were idle in Week 11 for a second time because of their Week 0 game against Hawaii. Through nine games, Warren has thrown for 2,203 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions.
Stanford travels east one last time this season to face Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. EST on ACC Network. The Hokies just gave up 569 yards and 51 points to SMU last Friday.
Grunkemeyer had to keep Virginia Tech in the fight against SMU, and he did his part early. He threw for 291 yards and a touchdown, added another score on the ground in the first half, then ran into trouble late with a fumble before halftime and a forced throw that turned into a pick in the closing minutes.
Virginia Tech returns home to Lane Stadium for Stanford at 7:30 p.m. EST on ACC Network. The Cardinal defense has struggled all year and allowed 545 total yards in a 52-24 loss at Louisville two weeks ago.
Jennings took over the second half against Virginia Tech and put the game away. He finished 24 of 32 for 350 yards and four touchdowns, with Yamir Knight catching six passes for 103 yards and three of those scores. His lone blemish was an interception on a ball tipped at the line of scrimmage.
SMU closes its home schedule against Wake Forest this week at Noon EST on ESPN. The Demon Deacons get plenty of attention for their offense, but their defense has not given up more than 14 points in a game since the end of September.
Louisville’s 44-17 win over Georgia Tech was another game where the run game carried the load, but Kienholz still made his mark. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns, including a tight-window throw to TreyShun Hurry, and also led the Cardinals on the ground with 81 of their 251 rushing yards.
Louisville heads to North Carolina in Week 11 for a 7 p.m. EST kickoff on ESPN2. The Tar Heels have dropped back-to-back ACC games at home to Syracuse and Miami, and both losses featured some of their worst defense of the season.
Lopez sat out Wake Forest’s 77-0 win over Merrimack as a precaution, but his season numbers still jump off the page. In eight games, he has thrown for 2,176 yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception, while also rushing for 317 yards and six scores.
Wake Forest goes to SMU for a major ACC showdown at Noon EST on ESPN. The Mustangs have been dominant at home, even if their defense had one of its shakier outings of the year against Virginia Tech last week.
Mensah’s first game without Malachi Toney ended in a loss, but he still gave Miami a chance. He threw a season-high 19 incompletions against Notre Dame, yet still produced 269 passing yards and three touchdowns, with Elija Lofton and Cooper Barkate helping fuel the Hurricanes’ late rally.
Miami is back at Hard Rock Stadium this week for a matchup with Mensah’s old team, Duke, at Noon EST on ABC. The Blue Devils have been one of the ACC’s better defensive teams, giving up just five combined points in wins over Boston College and NC State.
In Other News...
Louisville Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About Tyran Stokes Kentucky Comments
Tyran Stokes gave Louisville fans something to chew on after a game against Kentucky, and not just because of what he did on the court. The Louisville native and former five-star recruit said the rivalry felt personal because of where he is from, noting that the matchup carried the kind of edge he would expect if he were wearing a Louisville uniform.
Stokes ultimately chose Kansas, but his comments made clear that the Louisville connection still runs deep. After finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, he sounded like a player who understood exactly what the Kentucky game means in that part of the state, which is sure to spark plenty of reaction from Cardinals fans who have followed his path closely. [Read more 🡒]
Mikel Brown Jr. Is Starting To Look Like Louisville's Next NBA Hit
Mikel Brown Jr. is beginning to look more comfortable as the calendar has turned, and that has been a welcome development for anyone in Louisville who watched his rise and wondered how quickly it might translate to the next level. The Brooklyn Nets rookie has sharpened his production in November, averaging 16.3 points and 3.3 assists per game while shooting it better, a sign that the game is slowing down for him rather than speeding up.
Brown has also put together back-to-back 18-point outings against the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks, the kind of steady scoring that usually comes with growing confidence. Through seven games, he is averaging 12.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, and the early returns suggest Louisville may have another name to add to its NBA track record if this stretch keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Offense Looks Ready But Two Problems Still Loom
Louisvilles offense keeps giving the Cardinals a reason to believe the season can still move in the right direction. In the latest game, the unit piled up more than 450 yards and kept stringing together scoring drives, a sign that the scheme and the personnel are starting to click in a way that should travel well as the schedule tightens up. Individual contributors have done their part, and the overall arc of the season suggests real progress on that side of the ball.
The concern is that the rest of the operation still has too many loose ends. The defense gave up far too much yardage, and the special teams mistakes continue to linger as a recurring source of frustration. For a team trying to turn offensive momentum into something more sustainable, those two issues remain the biggest obstacles between looking dangerous and actually being complete. [Read more 🡒]