ACC football quarterback rankings: Post-spring projections ahead of 2024 season (2024)

Spring takeaway:Pitt's projected starter found late-season confidence in 2023 that has continued.

Nate Yarnell survived the entirety of spring practice as Pitt's top quarterback, holding off former Alabama transfer Eli Holstein and ex-Penn State signal callerChristian Veilleux for the job. And with Holstein out-playing Veilleux for second-team duties, that forced another portal entry for a player who made five starts last fall. Veilleux is now heading to Georgia State for the 2024 season, leaving Pitt with two options at quarterback.

Spring takeaway: With a sixth year of eligibility, this is it forHank Bachmeier to prove it at a third school.

Give the Demon Deacons and coach Dave Clawson a lot of credit — they let their quarterback sling it in the spring game.Bachmeier threw for 310 yards and attempted 40 passes. Believe it or not, it was freshman Jeremy Hecklinski who was most impressive, leading the charge with 204 passing yards and three touchdowns. The most important factor for Bachmeier heading into summer is continuing to master the terminology at Wake Forest. Clawson was complimentary of the learning curve and said his transfer quarterback, who has started games at Boise State and Louisiana Tech, got acclimated to the program rather quickly.

Spring takeaway: Stanford's quarterback production will rely heavily on its offensive line and wide receiver play.

Troy Taylor hasn't named his starter, but Ashton Daniels is the clear-cut frontrunner after a sold spring and final showing in the scrimmage showcase. Expectations are relatively low for the Cardinal during their first season in the ACC, so from an inside-the-locker room standpoint, perhaps players will be able to use that as motivation. Daniels need to do everything he can to get the football in the vicinity ofElic Ayomanor. Good things will happen if he does.

Spring takeaway: This remains a two-quarterback battle, but Anthony Colandrea has upside that Tony Muskett does not.

Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers are doing what they can to make sure improvements are shown in 2024, and Colandrea will be a major factor in that goal.He didn't have enough attempts last season to qualify,but his 3.7% interception rate was one of the worst marks in the FBS ranks. That carelessness with the football has to change. Muskett did make six starts last fall, but hasn't separated from Colandrea. Best-case scenario here is that competition breeds success, as Elliott put it last month, and the Cavaliers feel good about their pick ahead of the opener.

Spring takeaway: Duke has its present and future at the position with the Texas transfer.

Maalik Murphy wasn't far and away the Blue Devils' best quarterback this spring and split time withGrayson Loftis and the first-team during the final scrimmage. However, his arm talent is noticeable in the post-Riley Leonard era ahead of Manny Diaz's first season in Durham. He was one of the top portal signal-callers this cycle and wound up at Duke after a couple visits to other power conference programs. As talented as Murphy is, the leash could be short early if he doesn't show full control of the scheme.

Spring takeaway: With a freshman season under his belt, Fernando Mendoza now looks wise beyond his years.

North Texas transfer signal-caller Chandler Rogers said this spring he appreciated Cal coach Justin Wilcox's honesty during his recruitment, knowing the QB1 spot would not be given to him. And coming out of spring, it appears Mendoza has held off his chief challenger, for now. That's not to say the Bears won't have a package or two for Rogers to include his skillset in the offense, but Mendoza is the guy after showing flashes last fall.

Spring takeaway: Good chance we see multiple quarterbacks for the Tar Heels this season.

While Max Johnson is the favorite to replace Drake Maye as UNC's new starter, there's no guarantee that'll happen just yet. He's battlingConner Harrell in what the pair has called a "friendly competition" this spring and one that will spill over into August. UNC also added Arkansas quarterback Jacolby Criswell recently. Criswell originally signed with the Tar Heels before leaving for the Razorbacks. Now, he's back in Chapel Hill.

Spring takeaway: Boston College's new staff is workingto unlock the ACC's most underrated quarterback.

Bill O'Brien hasn't released a depth chart on offense ahead of his first season, but those close to the program assume this job belongs toThomas Castellanos, who rushed for 1,113 yards last season and threw for another 2,248 yards.Castellanos was one of a half-dozen players under center who took snaps during the spring, so there's going to be some obvious turnover there. O'Brien has worked with several talented quarterbacks in the past at various levels of football, but catering to Castellanos' strengths — and letting him freelance a bit — might be the move in 2024.

Spring takeaway: The "business decision" for Kyle McCord means QB1 honors in the ACC.

Not that there was any worry how the former Ohio State starter would settle in with the Orange, but his242-yard first half in the spring game last month was more than enough to keep separation from others at the position. McCord said previously he chose to leave the Buckeyes because it was in his best interest to do so given the depth at the position coming out of the 2023 season. He'll play without restrictions in this offense under first-year Syracuse coach Fran Brown and potentially have a career resurgence of sorts in a new conference.

Spring takeaway: Perhaps the third time will, in fact, be charming for Tyler Shough.

Louisville needed a plug-and-play option coming off its appearance in the ACC title game with outgoing Jack Plummer at quarterback and the Cardinals managed to find one in the former Oregon and Texas Tech passer.His career numbers aren't too shabby —63.2% completion rate with 4,625 yards and 36 touchdowns to 17 interceptions, along with 714 yards and 10 scoresvia his legs. Shough has a great instructor in Jeff Brohm to aid in his development.

Spring takeaway: Dabo Swinney feels good about the progress made at quarterback, but has said this before.

Cade Klubnik had the fewest yards per attempt (6.3) for a starter in the ACC last fall, a sign that much of the Clemson passing attack was horizontal with lots of short routes and checkdowns. That could be a result of trust issues or the fact the lack of playmakers on the outside shrunk Garrett Riley's playbook considerably.Six touchdown passes over his final six startsis a bit concerning and with no player behind Klubnik to truly push for reps, there's pressure on him getting the most out of his five-star ability this fall.

Spring takeaway: There's nothing like a returning starter coming off a 3,197-yard, 28-touchdown season.

Per PFF's advanced metrics, only two quarterbacks had a better passing grade (91.0) than Preston Stone last season and one of them was Heisman winner Jayden Daniels at LSU. That's elite company. Whether that translates to an even better encore performance for the pocket passer in a new conference remains to be seen, but that's the goal for Rhett Lashlee and this offensive scheme. Keep Stone upright and let him get the ball out quickly to playmakers. Easy enough, right?

Spring takeaway: Buy your stock in Kyron Drones now before it's too late.

Brent Pry found gold in the transfer portal last cycle, landing Drones from Baylor who took the ACC by storm as a reliable dual-threat option for the Hokies, doing so after an injury to Grant Wells in September. He was responsible for 22 touchdowns and nearly 3,000 yards of total offense as a first-time starter and worked on his game this offseason, training with Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward. He'll have a chance to lead the conference in rushingfor a quarterback if he stays healthy.

Spring takeaway: If turnovers are kept to a minimum, the sky's the limit in his development.

The former Texas A&M signal-caller came into his own last fall at Georgia Tech with a standout season and now has the Yellow Jackets thinking dark-horse ACC title bid ahead of the new season. The former four-star is beginning to show some of the traits that made him such a coveted prospect as a top signal-caller coming out of Longview (Texas)several years ago. If Haynes King has one fault, it's that he sometimes trust his arm too much.Giveaways is not what the Yellow Jackets need.

Spring takeaway: The Wolfpack have their best quarterback in several years, which includes a couple top-25 finishes.

Grayson McCall has "looked the part" in Raleigh throughout spring, one source told 247Sports for this story. McCall went 16-of-20 passing for 205 yards and a touchdown in the spring game during the starters' 51-7 win. During his time at Coastal Carolina, McCallcompleted 710-of-1,016 passes (70%) for 10,005 yards with 88 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, while also rushing 350 times for 1,113 yards and 18 scores. He was three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year, four-time first-team all-conference selection four times and the Sun Belt's Freshman of the Year during the 2020 season.

Spring takeaway: Can FSU's portal magic continue with DJ Uiagalelei in Tallahassee?

This is awkward. The player who was chased away from Clemson in favor of Klubnik is back ahead of the Tigers' starter in our post-spring power rankings at the position.Many wondered how "DJU" would fare in the Pac-12 at Oregon State, but after finally playing within an offense that catered to his strengths, he provided a positive answer.Uiagalelei is back in the ACC where he'll get a redemption opportunity after an inconsistent showing during three years with the Tigers, previously. Mike Norvell's made sure there's plenty of options to throw to with a loaded roster.

Spring takeaway:There's a chance the former Washington State star will be the portal's most-impactful player.

Cam Wardcould lead Miami to the promised land in the ACC since he's got a Howitzer for an arm and precision downfield, not to mention he now plays alongside enhanced caliber of athletes in the receiving room for the Hurricanes.Ward's a spread-friendly passer and showcased much of his talent this spring as Miami's best player on offense, we're told. Ward would've been an early-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft had he come out, so the goal here is to solidify Day 1 billing next spring with a stellar campaign. The tools are there.