ACC Football Teams Ranked by Returning Production for 2024

A look at each ACC team’s returning production for the upcoming 2024 season.

Forecasting which teams will rise to greatness in college football in any given season can prove challenging. However, a key indicator often lies in the roster’s returning players.

From seasoned fifth-year senior linebackers to up-and-coming junior quarterbacks, the presence of experienced athletes opting to continue with their respective programs can significantly bolster a team’s competitive advantage. This continuity becomes particularly crucial as other teams contend with talent depletion due to NFL draft selections, transfers, or eligibility regulations.

ESPN recently released a list of all 134 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams, with each ACC team naturally being listed. Here is a look at each ACC team’s returning production on offense, defense, and total.

Updated 2/24

ACC starting quarterback rankings for 2024

Here are our ACC quarterback rankings for 2024, with projected starters.

We are still some time away from the start of the 2024 college football season, but that doesn’t stop us from looking ahead.

Today, we are looking at the ACC starting quarterbacks for 2024 and ranking them ahead of the season. This is just a preview, as it is still many months from the season, and things can change fast. While every team doesn’t have a starting quarterback on paper, we are making projections on these starters based on what we know right now.

The ACC is a bit different now, with the addition of new programs and new faces to the conference. Try not to get mad with these, they’re subjective! That said, here are our ACC starting quarterback rankings heading into the 2024 season.

Every ACC football team’s ESPN preseason SP+ ranking

The ACC has some strong teams heading into the 2024 season, according to ESPN’s SP+.

The 2024 college football season is months away, but we all know that football remains on the mind throughout the offseason. 

Early rankings have been released all over the place, with ESPN’s Bill Connelly recently releasing the preseason ESPN SP+ rankings ($$$) for the 2024 season. These SP+ rankings consider multiple key factors regarding a football team, including returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history. A strong model; here is a bit more of what Connelly had to say about the rankings. 

“It’s a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking. Along those same lines, these projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the season. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather to date.”

Straightforward and to the point, these are power rankings based on what we know right now. So, how do Clemson and the rest of the ACC stack up in the first SP+ rankings for 2024? Check it out below.

Updated 2/16

Every ACC Football Team’s 2024 Recruiting Class Ranking After National Signing Day

Here is a look at every ACC team’s final 2024 recruiting class ranking.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff showcased their recruiting prowess in the 2024 class, adding considerable talent to their roster. However, the burning question remains: how does Clemson’s recruiting effort compare to other ACC powerhouses following National Signing Day?

Today, we delve into the post-National Signing Day landscape, dissecting each ACC football team’s 2024 recruiting team ranking according to 247Sports. While Clemson remains a formidable force in ACC recruiting circles, they find themselves not at the summit for this particular recruiting cycle. Another program is poised for a significant resurgence, and the 2024 class appears to be the catalyst for their potential return to past glory.

From perennial ACC contenders to emerging teams within the conference, let’s examine the 2024 recruiting team ranking for each ACC program, shedding light on the evolving dynamics within the conference.

Updated 2/13

A look at Clemson football’s complete 2024 schedule

Here is a look at Clemson football’s entire 2024 schedule.

After a long wait, we finally have a complete look at the Clemson football team’s 2024 schedule.

While we have known who the Tigers will be facing for some time, we now have the date and week for each game. Times are yet to be determined, as many factors go into the time choices for each game. Even so, we know what week each game will take place, so Clemson fans can now plan accordingly.

With the release of the schedule, we put together a week-by-week schedule of our own for you to see who Clemson will face each week and where it will be. Take a look at Clemson’s complete 2024 schedule below.

Updated 2/1

ACC Football 2024 Team Recruiting Rankings After Early Signing Day

Here is a full look at how the ACC stands in team recruiting rankings after early signing day.

Early signing day was, as it should be for every college football program nationwide, a very busy day.

High school players across the country signed their national letters of intent and secured the next step in their football careers as they prepare to join their new teams. The ACC had some good success on early signing day, with multiple ACC programs landing in the top 25 of class team rankings following the day. 

So, how does the ACC stack up against each other? That’s what we’re going to take a look at today. Here is a look at every ACC team’s 2024 team recruiting ranking according to 247Sports following early signing day.

Updated 12/25

Texas A&M offers former Stanford RB E.J. Smith

Texas A&M and HC Mike Elko have offered former Stanford running back E.J. Smith, the son of Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith.

Now, this is a piece of news to keep an eye on, as Texas A&M has re-offered former Standford running back E.J. Smith from the transfer portal as the talented son of Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith is looking for a new home after four seasons with the Cardinal.

A former four-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting class, then Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher was very close to landing Smith, who ranked as a Top 5 all-purpose back out of Dallas, Texas. Throughout the entirety of Smith’s Stanford career, injuries and poor usage have kept the once-promising recruit from reaching his full potential.

From 2019-2023, Smith appeared in 24 games and only completed a full 12-game season in 2023, accumulating a total of 557 yards and five touchdowns on the ground with a 5.1 rush per attempt average. Smith recorded 59 receptions through the air for 386 yards and just one touchdown.

Smith is currently ranked as the 33rd running back in On3’s transfer portal player rankings and has one year of eligibility remaining. While A&M’s running back stable is all but set heading into the 2024 season, Smith’s ability as a receiver is too intriguing to pass up.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Ashton Daniels will try to seize the moment vs USC on Saturday

USC’s defense needs to be ready to contain Stanford’s starting quarterback.

Former Sacramento State head coach Troy Taylor made his Stanford debut last week. Taylor took over for previous Stanford coach David Shaw.

The Cardinal walked away with a 37-24 victory over Hawaii last Friday in a game that was never in doubt.

Ashton Daniels, the new starter for Stanford at quarterback, was ranked as the No. 90 recruit in Georgia for the 2021 class according to 247Sports and the No. 56 quarterback overall.

Daniels completed 25-of-36 passes (69%) for 249 yards and two touchdowns against Hawaii. He silenced any talk about the quarterback battle needing to continue against backups Ari Patu and Justin Lamson.

The Cardinal finished with 406 yards of total offense versus Hawaii. Tight end Benjamin Yurosek led the way with nine catches for 138 yards and a touchdown.

Stanford was picked to finish last in the Pac-12 preseason media poll. Its new tempo offense ran 70 plays and averaged 5.8 yards per snap last week.

The Cardinal kick off their final season in the Pac-12 Conference at USC on Saturday. Last week, it was announced by the ACC that Stanford would be among a trio of additions to the conference next year.

Let’s see what Ashton Daniels and Troy Taylor can cook up against the Trojans on the road. They will need to score a lot of points to keep up with Caleb Williams and the Trojans’ offense.

Catch all of Ducks Wire’s Pac-12 team overviews for the 2023 season:

Arizona — Arizona State — California — Colorado — Oregon State  — Stanford — UCLA — USC — Utah — Washington — Washington State

Stanford, USC’s next opponent, looks good in easy win at Hawaii

Stanford was picked by many to finish last in the #Pac12. The Trees looked a lot better than that vs Hawaii. USC is next.

The Stanford Cardinal were expected by many to occupy the basement in the Pac-12 football standings this year. Our Pac-12 football panel here at Trojans Wire agreed that Stanford would likely be the worst team in the conference.

The Cardinal did not look like a 12th-place team on Friday night.

Stanford went to the island to play Hawaii, a team which competed really well on Aug. 26 in its season opener versus Vanderbilt. Hawaii lost to Vanderbilt by only seven points and had the ball late in the game with a chance to tie. Based on that performance, Hawaii figured to at least push Stanford for 60 whole minutes.

Friday’s game did not unfold that way.

Stanford built a 21-10 halftime lead, a 27-10 advantage after three quarters, and a 37-16 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Hawaii scored a meaningless late touchdown (unless you had the over, of course) to make the final score 37-24 for Stanford. The win was easier than the 13-point margin suggested. The Trees stood tall and were always in control.

Stanford does face USC on September 9 in the Coliseum. When USC finishes Nevada and turns its attention to the Cardinal, tight end Benjamin Yurosek will demand the Trojans’ attention. Alex Grinch will need to find a way to contain Yurosek:

Check out our Pac-12 football predictions roundtable for the 2023 season.

ACC schools approve the addition of Stanford, Cal, and SMU, per reports

After weeks of speculation, the ACC is adding three programs.

Major moves are happening in the ACC.

According to multiple reports, the ACC schools have approved the addition of Stanford, Cal, and SMU to the conference. This is huge news for the conference as they are adding their first program since the 2014-15 season.

The ACC was falling behind in college football realignment, and while it took some time, they are now catching up with the times and working toward building the conference. The SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12 have each already announced the addition of top programs around the country, and now the ACC is a part of the game.

According to reports, these programs are expected to join the conference in the 2024-25 athletics season. Things will never be the same in college football!