Ranking All 17 ACC Starting Quarterbacks Ahead of the 2025 Season

The ACC has had some strong quarterback play over the years, but there is a lot of doubt about several teams signal callers heading into the 2025. Let's take a crack at trying to rank all 17 quarterbacks in the ACC.

17. Elijah Brown: Stanford

Backing up for the Cardinal last season, Brown is set to take the starting role. Last season in minimal time, he threw for 274 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Brown struggled with pressure, taking seven sacks, while his rushing game resulted in -23 yards on 14 attempts. A lot will need to be improved on, but Lincoln Riley could provide the needed coaching to set him in the right direction.

16. Robby Ashford: Wake Forest

Transferring to his third school in four years, Ashford arrives at Wake Forest after spending last season as a backup at South Carolina, where he threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns. He also demonstrated his mobility, rushing for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Now stepping into a true starting role, Ashford aims to lead the Demon Deacons as they look to improve on their 14th-place finish in the ACC.

15. Devin Brown: California

After spending three seasons as a backup at Ohio State, Brown entered the transfer portal and is expected to be California's starting quarterback for the 2025 season. In limited action last season, he completed 11 of 20 passes for 114 yards and one touchdown, showcasing glimpses of his potential. Projected to be the starter, Brown now has the chance to show what Ohio State originally saw in him.

14. Grayson James: Boston College

After taking over the starting role following Tommy Castellanos' departure, James held onto the starting position for the rest of the season. In six games, including five starts, he threw for 1,202 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions. Now entering the upcoming season as the established starter, James has the opportunity to fully lead the Eagles in his wing.

13. Gio Lopez: North Carolina

In his freshman year at South Alabama, Lopez brought a true dual-threat ability throwing for 2,559 yards, 18 touchdowns and only five interceptions, while totaling 465 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Now transferring to North Carolina under the new head coach Bill Belichick, Lopez has the opportunity to elevate his game even further with one of the most experienced coaches in NFL history.

12. Chandler Morris: Virginia

Morris had a standout season as North Texas’ starting quarterback, throwing for 3,774 yards, 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He ranked seventh nationally with 290.3 passing yards per game and led the country with four 400-yard passing games.

11. Tommy Castellanos: Florida State

After spending two seasons at Boston College, Castellanos transferred to Florida State, staying in the ACC after leaving Boston College’s program midway through the 2024 season following the loss of his starting job. Despite the setback, he still finished the season throwing for 1,366 yards, 18 touchdowns, and just five interceptions in eight games.

10. Rickie Collins (Or Steve Angeli) : Syracuse

Who will start for the Orange and replace Kyle McCord this season? It will either be LSU transfer Rickie Collins or Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli. Collins saw limited action as LSU’s backup quarterback in his freshman year last season, completing all five of his passes for 35 yards while adding 18 rushing yards on four carries. After entering the transfer portal, he landed at Syracuse, where head coach Fran Brown named him the starting quarterback. With Brown’s system proving highly effective — seen in Kyle McCord’s 4,779 passing yards and 34 touchdowns last season — Collins has the opportunity to elevate the Orange’s offense in 2025.

9. Kyron Drones: Virginia Tech

In his second year as a starter for the Hokies, Drones threw for 1,562 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He completed just 61% of his passes, but on the ground added 336 rushing yards and six touchdowns. If he can improve his consistency and stay healthy, he has the potential to be the dynamic playmaker Virginia Tech has expected.

8. CJ Bailey: North Carolina State

In his freshman season, Bailey threw for 2,413 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also showcased his mobility, rushing for three touchdowns against Georgia Tech, the most by an NC State quarterback since Russell Wilson in 2010. With his strong arm and mobility, he’s expected to be a key piece in the Wolfpack’s offense moving forward but will need to limit the turnovers.

7. Eli Holstein: Pittsburgh

Holstein took over as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback as a freshman last season, throwing for 2,225 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. To take the next step in 2025, he will need to improve his efficiency — his 61.9% completion rate leaves room for growth — and sharpen his decision-making.

6. Miller Moss: Louisville

Moss began the 2024 season as USC’s starting quarterback, throwing for 2,555 yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions across nine games before Jayden Maiava took over the role. Now transferring to Louisville, Moss has the chance to reclaim a starting position and help elevate the Cardinals’ offense.

5. Darian Mensah: Duke

In his freshman season at Tulane, Mensah threw for 2,723 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He averaged 9.49 yards per attempt — ranking fifth in college football — and 14.4 yards per completion. Transferring to Duke for his sophomore season, Mensah will be a key piece of the Blue Devils offense with his accuracy and deep-ball ability.

4. Kevin Jennings: SMU

In a breakout season, Jennings threw for 3,245 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while proving to be a threat on the ground, rushing for 354 yards and five touchdowns. In their first year in the ACC, Jennings led SMU to the ACC Championship and secured the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.

3. Haynes King: Georgia Tech

In his second season at Georgia Tech, King delivered a strong season on both ends, throwing for 2,114 yards, 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions while completing 72.9% of his passes — the fourth-highest mark in college football. On the ground, he rushed for 583 yards and 11 touchdowns. His 82.4 QBR was the highest in the ACC and ninth nationally. With another year of development, he has the potential to emerge as the ACC's best dual-threat quarterback.  

2. Carson Beck: Miami

Beck is set to begin his first season with Miami after transferring from Georgia, where he threw for 3,485 yards, 28 touchdowns in 2024. Accuracy remains one of his strongest attributes, as he completed 64.7% of his passes last season, but turnovers became a concern — after recording just eight interceptions over his first three years, that number jumped to 12 last season. An elbow injury cut his season short, but expectations are high as he prepares to lead Miami’s offense this fall.

1. Cade Klubnik: Clemson

A Heisman favorite, Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns — the third-most in the nation — and just six interceptions in 2024 while also rushing 463 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s a two-time ACC Championship Game MVP and ranks in the top five in Clemson history for passing yards and touchdowns.

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