A high-profile name. A flood of transfers. A familiar face in an unfamiliar place. The story of the starting quarterbacks for the 17 ACC teams is as intriguing and exciting as in any other college football conference ahead of the 2025 college football season. The question is: Who will be starting under center at the end of August?
Boston College Eagles: Grayson James
As he enters his fifth season of college football, Grayson James is positioned as the frontrunner to be the starting quarterback for the Boston College Eagles. The former FIU Owl started five games in 2024, throwing for 1,202 yards and six touchdowns. However, Alabama Crimson Tide transfer Dylan Lonergan is closely vying for the position, and the two players have been sharing first-team reps during spring practice.
California Golden Bears: Devin Brown
With the highly-rated five-star recruit Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele joining the roster, Devin Brown might serve primarily as a placeholder at quarterback. The Oregon Ducks’ recruitment flip is clearly the most talented player in the QB room, but Justin Wilcox could opt to play the veteran Ohio State Buckeyes transfer while Keawe-Sagapolutele settles in as a freshman. Brown has only had 27 total completions in his three years with the Buckeyes, but he has the know-how and winning mentality to translate in Berkeley.
Clemson Tigers: Cade Klubnik
Cade Klubnik is one of the most talented players in the country and is CSN’s 10th-ranked player for the 2026 NFL Draft. With pro aspirations and a loaded team around him, the Clemson Tigers’ passer is expected to build on his career year in 2024, which saw him throw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Duke Blue Devils: Darian Mensah
Darian Mensah averaged 9.5 yards per passing attempt in 2024, ranking fifth in college football, tied with Cam Ward, while also having the highest QB rating of any returning quarterback. The former Tulane Green Wave quarterback was one of the most electrifying players in the sport and has transferred to the Duke Blue Devils, with CBS reporting that he has signed a massive $4 million per year NIL deal.
Florida State Seminoles: Tommy Castellanos
After being recruited by the Florida State Seminoles, Tommy Castellanos arrives in Tallahassee for his fourth year of college football as the starter. The former UCF Knights and Boston College Eagles passer has 3,689 career passing yards and 33 touchdowns. He is reunited with new OC Guz Malzahn, whom he played under at UCF, and also has transfer duo Duce Robinson and Squirrel White in his receiver room.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Haynes King
After throwing for 2,000+ yards in his two seasons with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Haynes King returns for his sixth year of college football in 2025. The dual-threat quarterback has combined for 1,320 rushing yards and 21 rushing TDs in the last two seasons, and his 72.9% completion percentage led the ACC in 2024.
Louisville Cardinals: Miller Moss
After successfully recruiting Tyler Shough out of the transfer portal, Jeff Brohm and his staff dipped back into the well in 2025, signing Miller Moss. The former USC Trojans quarterback threw for 2,555 yards and 18 touchdowns in Lincoln Riley’s offense in 2024 and is looking to lead the Louisville Cardinals to another 9+ win season in the Brohm era.
Miami (FL) Hurricanes: Carson Beck
Carson Beck is heading to South Florida with a chip on his shoulder. The Former Georgia Bulldog failed to live up to expectations in 2024, throwing a conference-high 12 interceptions, following a 2023 season in which he led the SEC in completions and passing yards. He hopes that new surroundings will bring more success as he follows the Cam Ward pathway through The U, but Miami’s season predictions may not be so promising.
North Carolina State Wolfpack: CJ Bailey
After being thrust into a starting role as a freshman in 2024 following Grayson McCall’s concussion, CJ Bailey flashed promise, ranking fifth in the ACC with eight yards per passing attempt. He will look to lead the NC State Wolfpack back to success after finishing 6-7 in 2024, marking just the third time in 12 years under Dave Doeren that the Wolfpack have ended with less than seven wins.
North Carolina Tar Heels: Gio Lopez
After committing to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the spring transfer portal, Gio Lopez is the presumed starter in Chapel Hill to begin the Bill Belichick era.
— Gio Lopez 7️⃣ (@lopezgio1) April 13, 2025
The former South Alabama Jaguars quarterback ranked 24th among all college quarterbacks in 2024, averaging 8.2 yards per attempt on his way to passing for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Pittsburgh Panthers: Eli Holstein
Eli Holstein was dynamic in 2024, passing for 2,228 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first season with the Pittsburgh Panthers. The freshman had one of the best maiden seasons in program history, equalling Alex Van Pelt’s 17 touchdowns, and his dual-threat playmaking ability can improve even more in his redshirt sophomore season.
SMU Mustangs: Kevin Jennings
Kevin Jennings is one of the most electrifying quarterbacks in college football. He ranks 81st on CSN’s top 10 returning college football players after having a stylistically and statistically excellent 2024 season. Only three ACC quarterbacks threw for more yards than the SMU Mustangs’ passer in 2024, and with the QB1 tag secure to start the season, Jennings has the play to take Rhett Lashlee’s side to another 11-win season.
Stanford Cardinal: Elijah Brown
The Stanford Cardinals’ quarterback room has lost significant experience, creating a clear opportunity for Elijah Brown to step in as the starting quarterback in 2025 and develop his skills under Frank Reich. Although the four-star recruit played in only three games during the 2023 season, he brings a strong pedigree with him, having made history at Mater Dei as the only quarterback to win two state championships.
Syracuse Orange: Rickie Collins Jr.
Fran Brown has already named Rickie Collins Jr. as his starting quarterback for the 2025 season. The LSU transfer has no career starts and has only appeared in four total games in Baton Rouge, but the former four-star recruit gets his chance to prove himself as the new starter for the Syracuse Orange.
Virginia Cavaliers: Chandler Morris
Chandler Morris brings the creativity and fast-paced playing style that the Virginia Cavaliers need as they head into the 2025 season. Last year, Tony Elliott’s team averaged only 22.7 points per game, ranking 107th in the FBS, indicating a clear need for improvement at the quarterback position. Morris transfers from the North Texas Mean Green, where he threw for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Virginia Tech Hokies: Kyron Drones
Kyron Drones returns for his redshirt senior season with the Virginia Tech Hokies after disappointing in 2024.
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The starting quarterback ranked 15th in the ACC in pass completions (136), passing yards (1,562), and passing touchdowns (10), but there is little competition on the roster to challenge for his place as QB1.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Robby Ashford
Despite an open competition through spring practice, Robby Ashford is expected to be the starting quarterback in Winston-Salem. The former Auburn and South Carolina backup is expected to slide straight into new head coach Jake Dickert’s offense in his fourth year, which will phase out the slow-mesh concept in 2025.
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