NCAAF News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Newsletter

Power Rankings

ACC Football: Ranking the Rosters for 2026

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Steven Lassan | Last updated Feb 9, 2026 9:05 AM ET

Miami's run to the national championship game provided the ACC with a needed boost of momentum and also provided plenty of motivation for coach Mario Cristobal to continue reeling in elite talent to take the next step and bring a title back to Coral Gables. And with National Signing Day in the books, it's never too early to analyze the ACC and how the Hurricanes' success on the recruiting trail compares to the rest of the conference. With Clemson and Florida State taking a step back in recruiting, Miami has increased its lead in the five-year average and shows no signs of letting up with Cristobal in charge.

Outside of the intrigue at the top, SMU (No. 27), Virginia Tech (No. 29), and Wake Forest (No. 40) landed solid hauls from the high school ranks in the '26 signing class.

Although recruiting rankings aren't 100 percent correct, the scouting services help to paint a valuable picture about roster talent for an upcoming year. Also, there is a direct line between finishing high in recruiting rankings/stars into success. Essentially, stars (and team rankings) matter a lot in college football. The increased usage of the transfer portal is another variable to consider for these rankings, but the main data from each signing period still holds a lot of weight.

Below are the national recruiting ranking averages for ACC schools over the last five (2022-26) classes, according to 247Sports' Composite Team Rankings. Obviously, this doesn't take into account attrition or transfers. However, this data provides an intriguing base line for talent evaluation within each conference.

Way-Too-Early 2026 Rankings: Top 25 | ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC

Ranking the ACC's College Football Rosters in 2026

Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacts after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.Sam Navarro-Imagn Images


	'26	'25	'24	'23	'22	Five-Year Average
1. Miami	9	13	4	7	17	9.8
2. Clemson	20	26	11	11	10	15.6
3. FloridaState	14	19	12	20	20	17
4. N. Carolina	18	43	26	31	11	25.8
5. Stanford	36	49	31	44	19	35.8
6. Va. Tech	29	39	45	39	35	37.4
7. Ga. Tech	42	21	33	61	54	42.2
8. NC State	49	34	28	43	64	43.6
9. Louisville	48	68	58	29	50	50.6
10. Pitt	44	52	41	52	76	53
11. Duke	68	31	61	56	51	53.4
12. Syracuse	35	41	37	88	68	53.8
13. Wake Forest	40	62	52	54	71	55.8
14. Boston College	52	58	96	63	40	61.8
15. SMU	27	30	106	72	82	63.4
16. California	57	69	55	79	59	63.8
17. Virginia	101	57	88	65	65	75.2

*Note: Recruiting team rankings above compiled from 247Sports. These rankings do not take into account transfer portal class rankings or departures.

*Miami has landed the ACC's No. 1 recruiting class in each of the last four seasons.

*In 2023, Clemson averaged a finish of 7.8 nationally in its five-year recruiting average (2019-23). That total has slipped to 15.6 over the last five seasons, and coach Dabo Swinney's team has slipped behind Miami for the No. 1 roster in the ACC.

*A quick look at the recruiting rankings shows why it's no surprise parity is a key storyline in the ACC. Only four teams - Miami, Clemson, Florida State, and North Carolina - average a top-25 finish in recruiting. And the overall five-year average from No. 7 (Georgia Tech) to No. 13 (Wake Forest) is less than 14 points.

*Florida State's raw talent level in high school recruiting has been on the decline in recent seasons. The Seminoles have not landed a top-10 class since '17 per the 247Sports Composite.

* A good sign for North Carolina entering '26? The '26 haul rated No. 18 nationally per 247Sports, which also ranked No. 3 among ACC teams. The No. 18 class is also the highest for the program since '22.

*SMU checks in at No. 15 among ACC teams in roster talent. However, that ranking is skewed by a No. 106 class in '23. The Mustangs have recruited back-to-back top-30 hauls and continue to successfully mine the portal for talent.

*Virginia is a good example of how quick a team can change its fortunes in the portal era. The Cavaliers rank last in the ACC in five-year high school average (75.2). However, coach Tony Elliott landed several impact transfers in '25 to lead the team to an appearance in the ACC Championship Game.

*Syracuse has landed three straight classes ranked No. 41 or higher under coach Fran Brown. That's a significant jump from the No. 88 haul the program landed in '23 and the No. 68 class in '22.

*Wake Forest's No. 40 haul in '26 is the best class in school history.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: