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The ACC wasted no time showcasing quarterbacks across old-and-new fronts. Depth, efficiency, and a few breakout names give the ACC a real QB spine heading into Week 2. Some of the notable performances came from NC State’s CJ Bailey who stacked 318 yards and two total scores to edge East Carolina, Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli threw for 274 yards against Tennessee, and true-freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele coolly delivered 234 yards and 3 TDs in Cal’s road win at Oregon State.
10. Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech — 221 yards (0 TD, 2 INT)
Drones battled through highs and lows against South Carolina, finishing 15-of-35 but creating chunk gains to Donavon Greene (3 receptions for 94 yards) and Ayden Greene (5 catches for 71 yards). VT settled for too many field goals and a safety in a 24–11 loss, with two late Gamecocks splash plays flipping the script. The arm talent is there for Drones but turnover avoidance is the Week 2 priority.
9. Miller Moss, Louisville — 223 yards (1 pass TD, 2 INT, 1 rush TD)
In his Cards debut against Eastern Kentucky, Moss stacked 223 passing yards and a short rushing score before halftime, flashing touch on a 30-yard TD to Duke Watson. Two picks (one tipped, one on a deep shot) were the blemishes in an otherwise composed opener. Louisville cruised 51–17 as the staff throttled down after the break.
8. Cade Klubnik, Clemson — 230 yards (0 TD, 1 INT)
Klubnik’s numbers (19-of-38) came against one of the weekend’s stingiest defenses; LSU disguised late and squeezed Clemson’s vertical windows. He still connected on a handful of explosives (to Bryant Wesco Jr. and Tyler Brown) but Clemson couldn’t finish drives in a 17–10 loss. The arm talent is evident but Klubnik will look to bounce back after the Week 1 loss.
7. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California — 234 yards (3 TD, 0 INT)
The freshman delivered a poised road performance against Oregon State, going 20-of-30 with three touchdown passes and no turnovers. He attacked the boundary to Trond Grizzell (5 catches for 83 yards and one score), and finished drives in the red zone. Cal’s passing game looked balanced and explosive in a statement win.
6. Kevin Jennings, SMU — 260 yards (2 TD, 1 INT)
Jennings opened with a 63-yard strike to Romello Brinson and never really looked back, finishing 22-of-30 (73.3%). He got the ball to Brinson a lot (7 receptions for 121 yards and 1 TD) while the defense added two pick-sixes to blow it open. The ball came out on time and on target in a comfortable 42–13 win against Texas A&M Commerce.
5. Chandler Morris, Virginia — 264 yards (2 TD, 0 INT)
Morris was explosive before leaving early in the third quarter with a shoulder issue, guiding UVA to a 48–7 romp over Coastal Carolina. He hit transfer Cam Ross (7 grabs for 124 yards and one score) for the Cavaliers’ longest strikes and looked in command in HC Tony Elliott’s offense. The limited snaps made this one of the weekend’s most encouraging efforts.
4. Dylan Lonergan, Boston College — 268 yards (4 TD, 0 INT)
Lonergan’s first BC start was ruthlessly efficient vs Fordham: 26-of-34 with four touchdowns and no turnovers. He operated the quick game with tempo as the Eagles piled up points. It was the cleanest red-zone performance among ACC QBs this week.
3. Steve Angeli, Syracuse — 274 yards (1 TD, 1 INT)
In a neutral-site showcase against Tennessee, Angeli kept Syracuse in striking distance against a ranked Vols defense, finishing with 274 yards through the air. The stat line (23-of-37) is a steady debut despite the 45–26 final.
2. CJ Bailey, NC State — 318 yards (1 TD, 1 INT)
Bailey showed poise in his first start vs East Carolina, going 24 of 34 (70.6%) with a 9.4 YPA and added 7 rushes for 21 yards and a score. His best work came on verticals to Wesley Grimes (4 for 121 and one TD) and Teddy Hoffmann (5 for 93). The lone interception didn’t rattle him as NC State closed with a defensive stand to seal a 24–17 win.
1. Darian Mensah, Duke — 389 yards (3 TD, 0 INT)
The redshirt sophomore carved up Elon, completing 27 of 34 (79.4%) at 11.4 yards per attempt. He found Sahmir Hagans twice in the red zone and hit Cooper Barkate for chunk gains, helping Duke pull away after halftime. It was a clean, on-schedule debut that was the ACC’s top passing line of the weekend.
Read more on College Football HQ
More must-reads:
- Texas HC addresses Arch Manning injury rumors
- Five takeaways from CFB Week 2: OU is back, Oregon is dangerous and Billy Napier is feeling the heat
- The 'College football FBS nicknames' quiz
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