The ACC quarterback pecking order took a few hits in Week 6, but Darian Mensah is still sitting on top as Week 7 arrives.
Mensah and SMU were off last week, and the break did nothing to shake his hold on No. 1.
Through five games, he’s thrown for 1,438 yards and 15 touchdowns while leading college football with an 84.2% completion rate. The Mustangs return to action against Virginia on Saturday at noon EDT on the CW.
The other marquee name at the top of the league’s quarterback race is Kevin Jennings, who also came out of Week 6 idle. He opened the year with 1,588 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions in SMU’s first five games, helping the Mustangs pick up conference wins over Florida State and Boston College.
Week 6 didn’t exactly produce many clean quarterback duels. Louisville turned Florida State’s Friday night trip into a runaway, storming back from a two-touchdown hole and then pounding away on the ground for 397 rushing yards in a 44-20 win.
The Cardinals scored 44 of the final 50 points, and quarterback Miller Kienholz did his part as a game manager, adding 40 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Louisville heads to Syracuse in Week 7 for a 7:30 p.m.
EDT matchup on ACC Network.
Florida State, meanwhile, stays in the rankings despite injuries around the position. The Seminoles jumped out fast, then saw the game swing hard the other way after a puzzling fourth-and-goal screen and a rough defensive stretch.
Daniels finished 21-of-37 for 209 yards with two passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown and an interception. Florida State now heads to Miami for a 7 p.m.
EDT showdown on ESPN.
Wake Forest also made a statement in the most lopsided of the quarterback performances. Gio Lopez was sharp in the Demon Deacons’ 38-14 win at NC State, going 26-of-33 for 303 yards and three touchdowns.
He also added a rushing score late in the third quarter and hit Jack Foley and Carlos Hernandez on a pair of deep throws. Wake Forest crosses three time zones next, taking on California at 10:30 p.m.
EDT on ESPN2.
NC State’s CJ Bailey had a far quieter night after a first-quarter fumble put the Wolf Pack behind early. He helped engineer scoring drives on NC State’s next two possessions, but the offense vanished after that, and the Wolf Pack were shut out over the final 39 minutes.
Bailey finished 14-of-25 for 87 yards over the last six possessions. NC State is on its second bye this week because of its Week 0 trip to Virginia, and a matchup with a struggling Stanford defense waits afterward.
Georgia Tech’s Haynes Mendoza earned his first spot in the rankings after steering the Yellow Jackets to a game-winning drive against Duke. Georgia Tech is only 2-3, but Mendoza has kept the offense steady, completing just under 70% of his passes while averaging 238 yards per game.
The Yellow Jackets travel to Virginia Tech on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ACC Network.
Virginia Tech’s quarterback situation got plenty of attention in Week 6, and Jackson Grunkemeyer was a big reason why. He nearly lifted the Hokies at California, finishing 21-of-30 for 288 yards with a touchdown to Ayden Greene and a late rushing score, but his final throw to Luke Reynolds in the end zone fell incomplete as time expired. Virginia Tech now returns to Lane Stadium for that date with Georgia Tech.
California’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is trending toward a return from concussion protocol for the matchup with Wake Forest. Even with a rough start to his season, a strong showing against the Demon Deacons could push him back into the top eight next week. And after his own strong afternoon against Virginia Tech, Jackson Brousseau deserves mention as the real star of that upset win, finishing 29-of-43 for 321 yards and a touchdown in California’s 25-20 victory.
Syracuse also enters Week 7 with an eye on its quarterback situation. Former five-star prospect Malachi Nelson got the start for the injured Amari Odom and threw for 217 yards and a touchdown in the Orange’s 28-25 loss to Virginia. Syracuse goes home to face Louisville, still searching for its first ACC win and still having trouble slowing opposing run games through its first three conference contests.
In Other News...
Duke Is The ACC Favorite Again But The Pressure Just Changed
Duke is back atop the ACC preseason conversation after the leagues 2026-27 poll gave the Blue Devils 45 of 48 first-place votes, a reminder of how quickly the conference tends to circle back to Durham when the roster talent looks overwhelming. Virginia landed second in the voting, and the Cavaliers also had the leagues top individual nod in forward Thijs De Ridder, who was named ACC Preseason Player of the Year.
For Louisville and everyone else in the conference, the headline is less about the ranking itself than the familiar target it puts on Duke before a league game has even been played. The Blue Devils also collected the ACCs preseason rookie honor for freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, adding another layer to a roster that will be judged against expectations from day one. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Offense Faces One Syracuse Weakness That Could Change Everything
Syracuses defense has taken a real step forward under first-year coordinator Vince Kehres, who arrived from Toledo and has helped clean up a unit that has been steadier across the board. The Orange have gotten solid play in pass defense and from the linebacker group, with Keyshawn Johnson, Tunmise Adeleye, Chris DAppolonia and Antoine Deslauriers all part of the improved look.
Still, there is at least one area Louisville can study closely before lining up against them. Safety Chris Peal has had coverage issues, particularly when opponents challenge him deep, and that sort of vulnerability can change how an offense attacks even a defense that has otherwise been sound. For the Cardinals, identifying where to test Syracuse could be the difference between a routine afternoon and a much bigger night. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Conwell Is Already Giving Louisville Fans A Reason To Watch Miami
Mikel Brown Jr. made a solid first impression in his NBA preseason debut with the Brooklyn Nets, scoring 15 points in 18 minutes against the Miami Heat. But for Louisville fans, the more intriguing subplot may have been on the other side, where Ryan Conwell, his former Cardinals teammate now with Miami, turned in a steady showing of his own and reminded anyone watching that he may have a real role to carve out this season.
Conwell finished with 13 points and contributed across the box score, a useful sign for a player trying to settle in with a new team and new expectations. It also drew praise from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who singled out Conwells play and said he was excited about the chance to share the floor with him this season, a notable early nod that should give Louisville fans another reason to keep an eye on Miami. [Read more 🡒]