Miami’s Darian Mensah sits alone at the top of the ACC quarterback conversation heading into 2026, and after that, the board gets messy in a hurry.
That’s the fun of these way-too-early rankings. Once Mensah is off the page, the conference turns into a mix of proven production, breakout candidates, transfers looking for fresh starts, and a few quarterbacks who are still more idea than finished product.
The names are familiar enough. The certainty is not.
Mensah doesn’t need much explanation. He’s already one of the top quarterbacks in college football, and nothing in this setup suggests that changes at Miami in 2026.
Behind him, the upside gets loud. Alabama transfer Ty Simpson Bailey brings a rare blend of size and athleticism at 6'6", and his passing has taken a real step forward over the last two seasons. He looks primed for a huge year, the kind that could send him rocketing up 2027 NFL Draft boards.
SMU’s Kevin Jennings is another quarterback with obvious tools. His vision and mechanics stand out, especially when he’s layering throws into different parts of the field. The one glaring issue is the turnover total - 24 interceptions over the past two seasons - and if he gets that cleaned up in 2026, he and SMU could be in for something special.
North Carolina State’s "JKS" made a strong first impression in 2025. As a true freshman, he showed above-average accuracy in the intermediate game and moved well in the pocket. He absolutely lived up to the hype in year one, though the next step is obvious: trimming down the interceptions after throwing 9 last season.
Pittsburgh’s Mason Heintschel had his uneven moments as a freshman, but when he hit, he hit hard. After taking over for Eli Holstein, he helped lead the Panthers to a 6-3 record and put together dominant performances against North Carolina State and Georgia Tech. He looks like one of the better sophomore quarterbacks in the ACC.
There’s also a strong case for Notre Dame transfer Angeli, who was playing like one of the conference’s best quarterbacks before an Achilles tear ended his season. In his first four games, he threw for 1,317 yards, 10 touchdowns and 2 interceptions while completing 62.8% of his passes. If he gets back to that level, 2026 should look a lot like the start of 2025.
At Virginia Tech, Grunkemeyer arrives after a solid 2025 at Penn State and a move with James Franklin this offseason. His first two starts were rough, but he closed the year by helping the Nittany Lions win four straight. During that stretch, he completed 73.8% of his throws.
Louisville’s Kienholz is more projection than certainty, but the traits are there. He has the kind of movement skills that can create splash plays on the ground, and he’s capable enough as a passer to matter if Jeff Brohm can unlock him. That’s the question in Louisville.
Beau Pribula lands in the middle of all this as one of the more interesting names on the list. He’s already a strong runner, but Tony Elliott and Co. need more from him as a passer in 2026. If Virginia’s run game can carry its weight and keep Pribula from having to do too much through the air, he could put together a very efficient season for UVA.
At Duke, Eget steps into a situation that should give him a chance to be useful right away. He showed some real throwing ability at San Jose State in a pass-heavy offense, and the Blue Devils should give him better weapons. Duke will feel the loss of Darian Mensah, but Eget could still be a pretty good answer at quarterback.
Clemson’s quarterback situation remains one of the offseason’s biggest talking points, mostly because the Tigers didn’t add another established starter through the portal. Vizzina had a solid lone start against SMU in 2025, but outside of that, the returns have been modest. He also hasn’t generated much buzz from Clemson’s own fan base based on practice reports and spring game reaction.
Wake Forest is taking a fresh shot on Lopez after his rough run at UNC. The source of that struggle is tied to things that were happening behind the scenes with him and Bill Belichick, but Lopez did look excellent at South Alabama in 2024. Wake Forest will be hoping that version shows up in 2026.
UNC’s Edwards Jr. is another name with real arm talent and real intrigue. He stood out at Maryland in 2024 before an injury in week one of the 2025 season at Wisconsin basically wiped out his year. Now at North Carolina, he has one of the strongest arms in the ACC and a chance to make noise.
Florida State is betting on Daniels to be something better than he’s been so far. Over the last two seasons, he hasn’t done much as a passer, but the run game has always been part of his appeal. Mike Norvell and Co. are hoping they can fix him in 2026 and use that rushing ability in a way that fits the offense.
Georgia Tech’s Mendoza is one of the biggest unknowns on the board, even if he appears to have the starting job locked up to open the year. He was effective in garbage time at Indiana in 2025 as both a passer and runner, and now the question is whether that translates to full-time starter duties.
Then there’s McKenzie, the incoming transfer from Saginaw Valley State. He was the 2025 GLIAC Conference Player of the Year as a redshirt sophomore and put up a huge all-around line: 59.8% completions, 2,086 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, plus 942 rushing yards and 10 scores. Bill O'Brien has a fascinating piece to work with there, especially if he can sharpen McKenzie as a passer while keeping the running game in play.
Stanford’s Warren rounds out the group as another quarterback whose future depends on whether a new staff can get more out of him. He hasn’t been especially convincing at quarterback, and his last full-time starting run at Michigan ended with more interceptions than touchdowns. He looks like the starter for now, but it wouldn’t be a shock if Stanford turns to backup Dylan Rizk before the season is over.
In Other News...
Virginia Earned Serious Respect In EA Sports ACC Ratings
EA Sports has started rolling out the numbers for Virginia ahead of the upcoming release of EA Sports College Football 2027 on July 9, and the Cavaliers landed in a spot that should at least raise a few eyebrows around the ACC. Virginia came in at an 83 overall, a mark that puts it in a three-way tie for third in the league and suggests the games ratings crew sees more than just a rebuilding program in Charlottesville.
The individual grades are where the picture gets more interesting for Virginia supporters, with Noah Josey emerging as the teams top-rated player at 90 overall at guard. A few other familiar names sit in the low-to-mid 80s as well, giving the Cavaliers a roster profile that looks deeper than a typical midtier ACC lineup and leaving plenty of room for fans to debate whether the release was generous, conservative or somewhere in between. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia May Have Finally Found The Wing It Was Missing
Virginias offseason search for more size and balance on the perimeter appears to have taken a meaningful step forward. German small forward Nolan Adekunle, who plays for Gladiators Trier in the G-BBL, fits the profile the Cavaliers have been trying to add: a versatile wing who can defend multiple spots and make teams pay from the arc, where he shot 42.3% last season.
For a program that has been looking to stabilize its perimeter rotation, Adekunle brings a type of two-way flexibility that can matter quickly. His presence should give Virginia another option on the wing for the 2026/2027 season and could ease some of the positional shuffling elsewhere on the roster, though the full shape of how he fits in will only become clearer once the rest of the lineup settles. [Read more 🡒]