ACC post-spring power rankings: Clemson on top with Miami, SMU, Louisville emerging among challengers

Power rankings for the entire 17-team ACC after spring practice and the transfer portal window has closed

The second season of the 17-team ACC sets up for a fascinating year with an outlook that includes at least one national title contender, some notable new hires and a tightly contested middle tier where postseason futures will hang in the balance nearly every week. 

If we were to use strict power ratings, there are a couple of teams at the top of the conference and a couple at the bottom with about eight or nine teams closely rated -- perhaps all within a touchdown of each other on a neutral field. It's not a group that is projected to produce a lot of College Football Playoff hopefuls, but it's a group that includes more bowl hopefuls than the math suggests. So, while you see the rankings below have even distances between each team, know that No. 5 and No. 13 are not that far apart and many of the teams in between could be interchanged. 

You can, however, point to a couple of College Football Playoff hopefuls at the top of the ACC, starting with reigning league champs, Clemson. The Tigers made their seventh College Football Playoff appearance last season after winning the ACC, but it was their first CFP showing since 2020. With many of those key players back, the expectation is that Dabo Swinney again has the team to beat. Who are the top contenders to take Clemson's crown? Let's dig in with our post-spring ACC power rankings. 

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Odds for each team to win the ACC in 2025 below provided via DraftKings Sportsbook. 

Post-Spring ACC Power Rankings

1	Clemson
This is the most anticipated season of Clemson football in five years as the Tigers bring back an impressive collection of future pros from a group that reclaimed the ACC crown last season. They start the year at the top of the conference but also as an intriguing player in the national title picture, something that will be put to the test in Week 1 with a visit from LSU under the lights in their Death Valley. (+155)
2	Miami (Fla.)
The strength of this team is along the lines of scrimmage, where Mario Cristobal has made it his mission to recruit and develop at a high level and continues to do so with his recent wins on the trail in the 2026 cycle. This placement in the power rankings is assuming a full recovery for Carson Beck, who showed flaws during a midseason slump last year with Georgia but still has all the tools to be extremely productive in the Hurricanes offense. (+300)
3	SMU
Quarterback Kevin Jennings is back, and SMU has done well to continue to replenish the skill positions so the Mustangs offense can remain one of the most lethal units in the ACC. A big question is whether the defense, which rose to the occasion with really strong play in the back half of last year's schedule, can bring balance that makes the Mustangs a playoff contender again in 2025. (+700)
4	Louisville
At this point, it's a matter of trust in Jeff Brohm and his ability to evaluate and coach up portal additions for his program. Louisville has had some of the largest portal classes in the ACC since he arrived back at his alma mater, but he's produced 19 wins in two seasons and this year welcomes in former USC quarterback Miller Moss to lead the offense. The Cards have not gotten out-classed on the field under Brohm's watch yet, and I don't expect that to happen anytime soon. (+800)
5	Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets have the best quarterback depth in the ACC with Haynes King and Aaron Philo back from last year's squad, and though the team lost some high-end talent through the portal, it's still a roster that Brent Key will feel confident taking into battle each week. With one of the toughest strengths of schedule in the league, Georgia Tech is in a position where a power ranking of No. 5 is fitting but projected record or order of finish could be lower than other conference foes. (+1100)
6	Duke
Manny Diaz faced some real depth issues in spring practice last season but found a way to gel pieces together in fall camp and lead the Blue Devils to a 9-3 regular season record in his first year in Durham. There are some significant departures to address if Duke is going to match last season's win total, but new additions like the coveted Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah give the Blue Devils a good chance at establishing program consistency with another winning season. (+2500)
7	Florida State
If the coaching changes and transfer portal additions hit, Florida State could be as high as No. 4 or No. 5 in this ranking with a chance to cause problems for the teams at the top. But there are too many uncertainties in Tallahassee to even give Mike Norvell, who has been successful getting the Seminoles back on track before, the benefit of the doubt. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and transfer quarterback Thomas Castellanos is an apparent fit, but the biggest boost might come from new defensive coordinator Tony White getting the defense to play to its talent level consistently. (+3000)
8	Virginia Tech
The Hokies lost a lot of talent to the NFL off last year's team, so while Kyron Drones is back and now under the guidance of new offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery, there are holes elsewhere that make it tough to predict a big step forward for Virginia Tech in 2025. A bowl team? Sure. But there are some big-time contributors to the success of the last two years that are gone, and the success of the last two years amounts to a 13-13 record. (+3000)
9	North Carolina
With nearly 40 players coming in via the transfer portal and a freshman class of 30, it's a brand new day for North Carolina football as Bill Belichick joins the college ranks as a head coach. Heavy activity in the portal window after spring practice even further points to the 2025 team being a work in progress, so while many of the new additions — like former South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez — are candidates to have strong seasons, there's no hard evidence yet as to how all the pieces will fit together. (+2000)
10	NC State
Dave Doeren moved on from Robert Anae as offensive coordinator, promoting quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper to the OC role, and then he had to replace standout defensive coordinator Tony Gibson when Marshall came calling to hire Gibson as a head coach. But while the coaching turnover is notable, the biggest reason to get excited for Wolfpack football in 2025 is the known entity that is quarterback C.J. Bailey. Retaining Bailey for his sophomore season was a key to building on last year's success, and Roper's promotion provides more continuity than you would get from an outside hire. NC State spent several successful seasons under Doeren winning with defense, but Bailey's ceiling could make the Pack a dangerous offensive team in 2025. (+5000)
11	Pittsburgh
Year 1 of the Kade Bell offense saw Pitt get off to a hot start and win its first seven games, but then a couple of close losses and injuries along the offensive line sent the Panthers spiraling from 7-0 to 7-6. Look for the Panthers to go even faster on offense in Year 2 with Bell at the helm, and Desmond Reid could end up being one of the best running backs in the country. (+7000)
12	Syracuse
There was already a ton to replace from last year's high-flying offense before leading returning receiver Trebor Pena transferred out of the program after spring practice. Syracuse made some waves of its own in the spring portal, adding former Notre Dame quarterback Steve Angeli and beefing up the lines of scrimmage, but it will be tougher to dominate opponents offensively than it was with the experienced and proven group of 2024. (+7000)
13	Boston College
The Eagles had one of the best defensive lines in the ACC last season, and the work they did up front allowed Boston College's secondary to shine as a playmaking group that took advantage of quarterbacks under duress. Now with turnover up front on defense, that's more responsibility on the secondary to continue their strong efforts and starting quarterback Grayson James to force the issue offensively. (+7000)
14	California
A massive exodus of skill talent in the two portal windows have left new offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin with a total reboot on that side of the ball. The Bears got off to a strong start to Year 1 of ACC membership, but late-season struggles and the offseason turnover make it tough to argue for Cal as a sleeper team to watch in 2025. (+15000)
15	Virginia
Tony Elliott certainly understands the urgency of the moment and the need to win now, as he and the Virginia staff have been working the transfer portal to bring in instant-impact additions as the Wahoos seek bowl eligibility for the first time since Elliott was hired. Veteran Chandler Morris will be among the most significant of those additions as the former Oklahoma and TCU quarterback arrives after a strong season with North Texas in 2024. (+10000)
16	Wake Forest
The modern transfer portal era has been tough on Wake Forest, and things can get even more difficult in the wake of a coaching change. Jake Dickert was able to retain a couple foundational pieces, like running back Demond Claiborne, but they also had to comb the transfer portal to find the right program fits to replenish 27 outgoing transfers. The quarterback battle between Deshaun Purdie and Robby Ashford looms large as the Deacs look to be a surprise team in Year 1 of the post-Dave Clawson era. (+50000)
17	Stanford
The school fired Troy Taylor in early March, the team lost some of its top talent to the transfer portal and now Frank Reich has been tasked with steadying the ship while general manager Andrew Luck works to identify the program's next head coach. Reich will do his best to keep the Cardinal competitive, but compared to the rest of the league, Stanford faces a lost season before Week 1 has even arrived. (+50000)