As college football fans well know, having the best quarterback in the league does not guarantee a championship. But it certainly helps, and having an experienced hand directing the offense is a huge advantage, especially in the era of the portal. It therefore should come as no surprise that the two teams that squared off for the ACC title last season and appeared in the inaugural 12-team playoff, both of which have incumbent signal callers in place, can be found at or near the top of our ranking of each team's QB situation with fall practice getting underway in just a few weeks. Of course, transfers are part of the picture as well, with programs seeking to maintain upward trajectory or reverse their tumbling fortunes. Here's how we rank the ACC starters. The Tigers needed Klubnik to improve in his second season, and he did just that as he threw for 3,639 yards and 36 TDs in 2024 as part of a run to the ACC title and College Football Playoff. If he continues to progress, Clemson fans can think about not just making the playoff again but sticking around a while. When healthy King was outstanding, tossing 14 TD passes with just two picks. He was also a productive runner with 587 yards and 11 scores. But his aggressive style led to some nagging injuries during much of the season, so keeping him protected will be a major priority for the Yellow Jackets. EXPERIENCE MATTERS:Familiar faces top Big Ten QB rankings TIME TO SHINE:Arch Manning headlines SEC QB rankings Jennings was a revelation after assuming the starting job early last season. Unfortunately, he had his the worst day of an otherwise outstanding campaign in the Mustangs' first-round playoff loss to Penn State. But now with a full year under his belt he should keep SMU in the league title hunt once again. In arguably the splashiest move of the early transfer cycle, Beck left Georgia after two seasons as the team's starter. He will look to pick up where No. 1 draft pick Cam Ward left off for the Hurricanes. But while his stint with the Bulldogs was largely successful, his resume does not include a national championship and he his health remains a question after an arm injury in the SEC title game. The fact that the Blue Devils were able to gain the services of the highly sought after Tulane transfer indicates how serious the school is about not just being a basketball destination. Mensah threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns while leading the Green Wave to a nine-win campaign as a freshman. His sophomore campaign will be a step up in competition, but he seems ready for it. The well-traveled Morris was most recently putting up lofty passing numbers at North Texas (3,774 yards, 31 TDs). He wasn't nearly as productive at his previous Power Four locations (Oklahoma and TCU), but he might be the experienced hand theCavaliersneed to recharge their program. Johnson's season was over before it really got started when he was injured in last year's opener at Minnesota, and he was still unable to participate in spring drills for new Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick. That might give the edge in the competition to Lopez, who transfers in from South Alabama, where he led the Jaguars to the program's first bowl win. As a promising season as the replacement for Caleb Williams at Southern California drifted into mediocrity, Moss lost his starting job and entered the portal. Cardinals coach Jeff Brohm's track record with transfer quarterbacks suggests the results here will be good given the physical tools Moss brings to the table. As Florida State fans know all too well, not every quarterback transfer is a home run. The DJ Uiagalelei experiment was part of a disappointing two-win season last year. They hope this one will work out better, although Castellanos's tenure atBoston Collegewas a mixed bag as he ultimately wound up on the bench at the end of the season. His mobility and moxie should help bring improvement to the Seminoles offense. Drones had highlight moments for the Hokies, but he also made his share of mistakes as the team went through a subpar season after high expectations. Consistency from the offense would go a long way toward cooling coach Brent Pry's potentially warm chair. New Demon Deacons coach Jake Dickert has also demonstrated the ability to develop transfer QBs. Both Ashford and Purdie have starting experience at Auburn and Charlotte, respectively, though neither posted eye-popping numbers. The competition is expected to extend deep into training camp and might now be fully decided before the opener. Holstein's first season at Pitt was going swimmingly until it wasn't, as a 7-0 start was followed by the team's six-game losing skid. Multiple injuries sidelined him for most of the last four games. He returns after posting a respectable 61.9% completion rate with 17 scoring throws, though he must manage more accomplished defenses better. James started the last four games for the Eagles after replacing Castellanos in the starting lineup. He finished with solid numbers - 1,202 yards passing and six TDs - and ran for three more scores. The offense is his now, and he should be able to negotiate the Eagles' early schedule before things heat up in October. After seeing limited action in two seasons at LSU, Collins moved north with the Orange needing a replacement for Kyle McCord. Collins was officially named the starter by coach Fran Brown coming out of the spring. He's a huge wildcard on this list with significant talent but few live reps. Pressed into service ahead of schedule as a freshman when Grayson McCall was injured, Bailey posted solid stats with 2,413 yards and 17 TDs. He was intercepted 10 times, a number that must be reduced if theWolfpackare to get back to the league's upper tier. A full offseason as the starter should serve him well Cal faithful are hopeful that signing a guy who has been in Ohio State's quarterback room works out as well as McCord did at Syracuse. Brown completed just 11 passes on 20 attempts with a touchdown in mop-up duty behind Will Howard on the Buckeyes' title team. Brown, the former four-star recruit out of perennial prep power Mater Dei, is the lone remaining quarterback on the Cardinal roster with any live reps. Interim coach Frank Reich might instead turn to Gulbranson, a late portal arrival from Oregon State, to ease the transition from a chaotic offseason. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:ACC quarterback rankings for college football season
