2024 College Football Odds: ACC Betting Preview
Like many other leagues, the ACC is undergoing significant changes heading into 2024. Buried under a mountain of litigation from its biggest brands, it jumped on the opportunity to expand. They landed Cal, SMU, and Stanford, turning the once-Atlantic Coast Conference into a disjointed national mess. Clemson, Florida State, and North Carolina are actively looking to bounce, forcing the hand of Commissioner Jim Phillips. But we’re hardly here to talk about the conference’s messy politics. We’re here to break down ACC odds.
The top of the league is hotly contested with Florida State, returning off one of the most egregious snubs in College Football Playoff history, and Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers. But can Miami finally get out of its way to contend for its first ACC championship? Will Louisville’s second portal team repeat the success of last year’s? Could there be a dark horse or two worth keeping an eye on?
ACC Odds: To Win The Conference
Compare ACC odds from the best sports betting sites. Click anywhere to place a bet.
The ACC removed divisions last year. Prior to that, the Coastal division was the biggest wild card in college football. All seven teams made a run at the ACC Championship in consecutive seasons between 2013 and 2019. But even with the new format, we still get a wild card. In the last four seasons, seven different teams have squared off, with only Clemson repeating an appearance in 2020 and 2022.
Miami no longer has to go through Clemson and Florida State, at least not directly. NC State has a more direct path to its first ACC Championship appearance.
More so than ever, take a look at its strength of schedule. North Carolina, SMU, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech play four of the easiest six slates among Power Conference teams.
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ACC Odds: Projected Wins, Win Totals
Projected wins below are derived from aggregate power ratings, including SP+, FPI, and more. Win totals are pulled from FanDuel Sportsbook as of June 6.
Team | Proj. Wins | Win Total | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Florida State Seminoles | 9.7 | 9.5 | -110/-110 |
Clemson Tigers | 9.6 | 9.5 | +138/-170 |
Miami Hurricanes | 9.0 | 9.5 | +138/-170 |
SMU Mustangs | 8.8 | 7.5 | -176/+142 |
NC State Wolfpack | 8.7 | 8.5 | -118/-104 |
Louisville Cardinals | 8.1 | 8.5 | -110/-110 |
Virginia Tech Hokies | 7.9 | 8.5 | +142/-176 |
North Carolina Tar Heels | 7.7 | 7.5 | +110/-134 |
Cal Golden Bears | 7.0 | 6.5 | +118/-144 |
Duke Blue Devils | 6.4 | 5.5 | -122/+100 |
Syracuse Orange | 5.8 | 7.5 | +118/-162 |
Pitt Panthers | 5.4 | 5.5 | -115/-105 |
Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 4.8 | 4.5 | -142/+116 |
Boston College Eagles | 4.6 | 4.5 | -148/+120 |
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 4.3 | 5.5 | +136/-168 |
Virginia Cavaliers | 3.9 | 4.5 | -110/-110 |
Stanford Cardinal | 3.7 | 3.5 | -142/+116 |
ACC Power Ratings
Table Key (all ranks except power rankings are national):
- Rank (Power ranking, conference)
- Proj. Wins (Projected total wins)
- Return (Returning production, total)
- PPD (Points per drive scored)
- PPDA (Points per drive allowed)
- L5 (Last five years recruiting average, national)
ACC KFord Ratings
Kelley Ford posts his KFord Ratings for each conference on his website and Twitter. See his projections below.
ACC Odds: The Favorites
Florida State Seminoles
ACC Odds: Florida State Seminoles +50000 on BetMGM
Last year’s Florida State team fully maximized its potential until a leg injury to QB Jordan Travis derailed everything. Travis and early draft picks Jared Verse and Keon Coleman are off to the NFL. It’s fair to assume that both maxing out potential and losing the core of your team would lead to regression.
Probably, but how much?
FSU brought in former Oregon State and Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei, Georgia pass rusher Marvin Jones Jr. and five Alabama transfers. Back Roydell Williams and guard TJ Ferguson are likely Day 1 impact players on offense. Jones and nickel Earl Little II project to start on defense. In total, transfers bring 145 collegiate starts with them to Tallahassee. 247Sports ranked this transfer class No. 7 nationally.
Last year’s offense was the worst per-game rushing attack in coach Mike Norvell’s entire head coaching career (150.2 yards). Williams and Indiana transfer Jaylin Lucas look to shore up the ground game behind what should be another terrific offensive line. The offensive potential comes down to Uiagalelei. Does he have the talent promised and flashed at Clemson? Is the Florida State offense a better fit for the senior?
Defensively, the ‘Noles should still be solid. They finished 11th in points per drive (PPD) allowed, a number likely to regress to some degree. EDGE Patrick Payton is a bonafide stud and the secondary should be one of the ACC’s best again.
Florida State likely won’t regress as much as anticipated. This team still has a top-five national ceiling and a floor that’s likely still competing for a spot in the new 12-team CFP.
Clemson Tigers
ACC Odds: Clemson Tigers +1000 on BetRivers
There’s an inverse correlation between the importance of the transfer portal and Clemson’s annual wins. Swinney continues to resist the change in college football, instead allocating Clemson’s NIL well to his players. Swinney again didn’t bring in a single transfer this offseason and lost 12 of his own. Without a real answer at quarterback and depth concerns along the offensive line, the portal would have been a nice way to bolster the roster.
That’s not to say Clemson is dead to rights. This should be another nationally-elite defense, particularly in the front seven. Linebacker Barrett Carter is one of the country’s top players and a future early NFL draft pick. Keep an eye on five-star LB Sammy Brown, who showed star potential in the spring game. The crux of the defense (the entire roster) is the young talent.
The secondary lost its top pieces, including Nate Wiggins (NFL), Andrew Mukuba (Texas), and Toriano Pride Jr. (Missouri). Talent remains, but some big shoes need filling.
Last year, six true freshmen made at least three starts. Every player in that group returns this year. Add on Brown and other possible freshmen stud receivers, Bryant Wesco and TJ Moore, and you have a solid core.
But, like most teams in college football, Clemson’s success directly correlates to the success of its quarterback, Cade Klubnik. The former five-star has yet to show he can play at a high level (or even an adequate one). The Tigers committed 22 turnovers, including nine interceptions from Klubnik and 13 fumbles.
Week 1 is likely an unfair gauge for Clemson’s performance this year (+13.5 vs. Georgia in Atlanta). We’ll have a better temperature check against NC State and Florida State in Weeks 4 and 6.
Miami (FL) Hurricanes
ACC Odds: Miami (FL) Hurricanes -190 on DraftKings
The 2024 Miami Hurricanes present a fascinating case study. Can enough talent overcome major coaching deficiencies?
For years, the Canes have been touted as a top team in the country. But since winning 10 games in 2017, Miami won eight games once (in 2020, without fans); perhaps as equally egregious is the 1-11 bowl record since 2007. The annual anticipation and subsequent disappointment pushed Miami into a meme tier with Texas. But can Miami get it done this year?
An unlikely result, but failing to win nine games should be a fireable offense for Mario Cristobal, even in Year 3. The Hurricanes bring up their most talented roster in years. Cristobal, an ace recruiter, persuaded QB Cam Ward to join them over the NFL. He plucked 1,000-yard rusher Damien Martinez from Oregon State and star pass rusher Tyler Baron from Tennessee, too (via Louisville). The offensive line should be one of the best in the ACC, if not one of the country’s.
And we didn’t even mention a deep and talented WR room, led by possible all-everything Xavier Restrepo.
So, the big question is whether a downright loaded roster can overcome in-game mismanagement. Look no further than the Georgia Tech disaster – perhaps the most inexplicable mismanagement of a game… ever. The ‘Canes went 1-4 in one-score games last year (all four losses leading at halftime). Since 2019, they’re 22-36-1 against the spread.
The schedule sets up favorably for a nine-win season. The Hurricanes face in-state rival Florida in Week 1, visit Louisville in Week 8, and host Florida State in Week 9. Games against Virginia Tech (Week 5) and Syracuse (Week 13) could be tricky. But, for the most part, this is a very winnable schedule.
Fun fact: Miami returns TE Cam McCormick for a NINTH season.
ACC Odds: The Contenders
NC State Wolfpack
ACC Odds: North Carolina State Wolfpack +100000 on DraftKings
Depending on when you watched NC State last year, you saw two completely different football teams. During their Week 8 bye, the Wolfpack stood just 4-3, with 13-10 and 24-3 ACC losses sandwiching an outing where they allowed 41 points to Marshall (108th PPD). And then they figured it out. NC State ripped off five straight wins, including ones over Clemson and North Carolina, to get to 9-3.
Dave Doeren & Co. dipped back into the portal for another veteran QB. Last year, Brennan Armstrong was a certified disaster. This year, they bring in ultra-efficient Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina. McCall played in just seven games last year due to an injury, but he brings in a much better resume than Armstrong (career 70% completion vs. 60%). Duke running back Jordan Waters makes up the other half of the new backfield.
Four starters return along the offensive line, notably tackle Anthony Belton (6-foot-6, 336 pounds).
There’s not a ton of room for improvement defensively. NC State finished 23rd in PPD allowed last season and lost its top player, Payton Wilson.
Much of NC State’s offensive shortcomings (83rd in PPD) were due to Armstrong not being all that good. McCall is a major step up. WR Kevin Conception could contend for All-ACC honors this year after corraling 10 touchdowns.
September is tricky. NC State plays Tennessee in Charlotte and at Clemson in Weeks 2 and 4 (with a home date with up-tempo Louisiana Tech sandwiched in between). We’ll know where the Wolfpack stand early on, especially if the betting market overreacts.
Louisville Cardinals
ACC Odds: Louisville Cardinals +9000 on BetRivers
Jeff Brohm has cemented himself as a program builder. After going 17-10 in his last two years at Purdue, Brohm returned to his alma mater and won 10 games in Year 1. Louisville returns just 66% of its roster production from last year. So, Brohm hit the portal and brought in 31 transfers – most in the country. Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough is likely a plug-and-play but doesn’t present much of an upgrade from Jack Plummer — if any.
Alabama WR Ja’Corey Brooks and South Alabama deep threat Caullin Lacy transfer in to fill receiving voids. Initially, Louisville brought in Toledo RB Peny Boone and Tennessee pass rusher Tyler Baron, but both (plus eight more players) hit the portal in April. It’s not necessarily a panic button but something to monitor.
Last year’s defense was a nightmare for opposing offenses. Louisville recorded 36 sacks and 21 turnovers as a team and returns a good amount of that disruption. Pass rusher Asthon Gillotte will be an All-American candidate, and Brohm added coveted tackle Thor Griffith from Harvard. Rising starter Mason Reiger registered five sacks of his own. The front seven might be the second or third-best in the ACC, behind Clemson and possibly Florida State.
Safety Devin Neal secures an experienced secondary that created turnovers and opportunity (No. 62 in average opponent passer rating).
The schedule is markedly more difficult than last year. Louisville travels to Clemson, Notre Dame, and Kentucky.
ACC Odds: The Middle Class
With conference realignment inflating conferences to their largest sizes, we must break them down more thoroughly than ever.
Syracuse Orange
ACC Odds: Syracuse Orange +25000 on BetMGM
Fran Brown was an excellent hire for a program like Syracuse. He’s an ace recruiter, earning 247Sports’ top spot in 2024. Brown hails from New Jersey and came up in the northeast. Those ties helped him land ousted Ohio State QB Kyle McCord, who played high school ball in Philadelphia. Despite the coaching turnover, Syracuse inked its best recruiting class since 2000.
McCord will enjoy the return of WR Oronde Gadsden, who missed much of the season last year due to injury. Trebor Pena also returns after playing just eight snaps in 2023. Options on this offense are limited, though. RB LeQuint Allen recorded 1,000 rushing yards thanks to receiving 223 carries – on par with workhorses like Kyle Monangai (Rutgers), Jaydn Ott (Cal), and Frank Gore Jr. (Southern Miss).
At least this year, Syracuse’s QB plan isn’t a tight end.
Defensively, Brown landed some pieces. Fadil Diggs recorded 20 run stops and 16 QB pressures with Texas A&M last year, and CB Duce Chestnut returns after a one-year vacation in Baton Rouge.
The schedule is ideal. Syracuse handles Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Miami at home. Its road slate includes teams that average 6.4 projected wins, with NC State (8.7) carrying much of that weight. All of Syracuse’s road tilts occur between Weeks 5 and 11.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Syracuse might not be as good as its final record indicates.
North Carolina Tar Heels
ACC Odds: North Carolina Tar Heels +50000 on BetMGM
Though experienced, transfer QB Max Johnson brings at most 70% of the talent vacated by Drake Maye (and probably less). Johnson, just two returning offensive linemen, and a less-than-stellar receiving corps point to North Carolina relying heavily on Omarion Hampton once again. Hampton rushed for 1,438 yards, fourth-most in the country. But relying too heavily on a run game with two new offensive tackles and a pocket passer in Johnson means defenses can load the box and pin their ears back.
Head coach Mack Brown is likely coaching for his future. Despite four years of prolific QB play, UNC managed just a 31-21 record (.596) and a four-year winless streak in bowl games. And now, that prolific QB play is out the door.
The Tar Heels went 2-0 in overtime games last year, 0-2 in non-overtime one-score games, and allowed FBS opponents to hang 30 points in each of their seven final games. Defense talent exists, namely defensive back Alijah Huzzie and pass rusher Kaimon Rucker. Inbound coordinator Geoff Collins coached Georgia Tech to an average of No. 93 in PPD allowed between 2019-22 as head coach.
North Carolina starts at Minnesota and does not leave the Tar Heel State or its adjoining neighbors until November. They make three trips outside NC/VA.
North Carolina hasn’t proven to win with a star QB, so why would we lean into them winning without one?
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
ACC Odds: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets +100000 on DraftKings
With just two starters along the offensive line to replace and not much else, Georgia Tech continues to threaten offensively in 2024. The Yellow Jackets lived and died by QB Haynes King. King threw 16 interceptions (second most), and in games where he threw two or more picks, Georgia Tech went 1-3. But he also threw for over 2,800 yards and tossed 27 touchdowns, adding 10 more on the ground.
Four of the top five WRs return, headlined by Eric Singleton Jr., as does 1,000-yard rusher Jamal Haynes.
Georgia Tech was a mess defensively. In six losses, they surrendered an average of 39.3 points per game. Seven defensive starters returned, and Brent Key brought in Duke DC Tyler Santucci to get the ship headed in the right direction. However, without any real impact additions on that side of the ball, it would be a pretty surprising turnaround.
That inability to stop anybody came despite the 11th-most turnovers forced per game (1.8). Opponents, so long as they held onto the football, scored at will.
Unfortunately for Santucci, Tech’s 107th spot in PPD allowed won’t have much room for improvement. The Jackets play an impossible schedule, bookended by Florida State and Georgia. They visit Louisville and host Notre Dame, Miami, and NC State. There’s a real possibility each of Tech’s final five opponents will be ranked at the time of playing.
And, in a strange scheduling quirk, Georgia Tech doesn’t get a week off after returning from Ireland (Week 0). They host Georgia State in Week 1. Who made that call?
AN ACC Odds Longshot To Consider: Virginia Tech Hokies
From now until proven wrong, you’ll be hearing a lot about Virginia Tech. Sorry in advance.
I likened Virginia Tech’s trajectory under Brent Pry to Arizona’s under Jedd Fisch. Year 1 was difficult; Virginia Tech won just three games (Arizona won one!). Year 2 showed real upside despite a flawed and inexperienced team. Pry made and won a bowl game and finished 7-6 (Arizona went 5-7 and missed a bowl). Then, in Year 3, the Hokies return a talented, if not flawed, QB in Kyron Drones. He’s complemented by a strong cast of talent and benefitted from a favorable schedule. Arizona had the same setup and went 10-3 with an Alamo Bowl victory.
Are 10 wins in the cards for Virginia Tech this year? That would be quite a proclamation. According to ESPN’s FPI, the Hokies play the second-easiest Power Conference schedule (behind Syracuse). They play at Miami and host Clemson. Barring any other team on their slate surprising, that could be it in terms of top-25 rated opponents.
WR Ali Jennings returns after missing last year due to injury. Jaylin Lane hauled six touchdowns in Jennings’ absence and returns this year. RB Bhayshul Tuten is a weapon on both the ground (739 yards, eight touchdowns) and on special teams.
Virginia Tech cracked the top 50 last season in both offensive and defensive PPD. They added Aeneas Peebles from Duke to shore up the defensive line and Collin Schlee as an insurance policy at QB.
The Hokies have a dual-threat quarterback, talent at the skill positions, the ability to rush the passer, a strong secondary, and a favorable schedule.
ACC Team To Fade: Cal Golden Bears
Travel is easier than ever, particularly in college football. But spending three time zones ahead every other weekend and flying thousands of miles will take its toll. In addition to cross-country ACC trips at Florida State, Pitt, Wake Forest, and SMU, Cal travels to Auburn for a non-conference stint.
Last year’s defense, which finished 104th in PPD, is likely an outlier. The Golden Bears bring in notable transfers like UC-Davis LB Teddye Buchanan and Idaho DB Marcus Harris. But top to bottom, the talent on defense isn’t very imposing. A quartet of Auburn, San Diego State (with its new Flash Fast offense under Sean Lewis), Florida State, and Miami will sort this unit out as quality or not by Week 7.
QB Fernando Mendoza returns after a mediocre season. Though just a freshman, Mendoza averaged a safe 6.9 yards per attempt and 8.4 average depth of target (aDOT). That resulted in a 3.5% turnover-worthy play rate (a good mark), but just 207 yards per game in seven starts.
RB Jaydn Ott will be the focus of this offense. Ott rushed for over 2,100 yards and 20 touchdowns in his two seasons (416 carries). Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital left for Baylor and Cal replaced him with offensive line coach Mike Bloesch.
Teams with workhorse backs and little help around them don’t succeed in modern college football. Throw in the insane travel schedule, and Cal might not go bowling this year.
The Other Newbies
SMU Mustangs
ACC Odds: SMU Mustangs +260 on DraftKings
Star quarterback Preston Stone suffered a broken leg late in the season. While there’s not much talk about Stone missing this season, there should certainly be concern about his early-season performance. Backup Kevin Jennings didn’t get a fair shake against Boston College in a bowl game that SMU very visibly didn’t want to participate in. But it’s safe to say he’s not a world-beater, completing just 50% of his passes for four yards per attempt.
Conversely, at full strength, SMU will have no trouble transitioning to a Power Conference. Of the 22 starters, 16 are transfers from Power Conference teams, including 8-of-11 on offense. Preseason power ratings consistently rank SMU in the top 25 nationally. This is an ACC-quality team moving up to more equal competition.
The offense under Stone was effective last season. The Mustangs finished eighth in scoring, 14th in success rate, and 15th in PPD. Most of that offense, including virtually every skill player, returns this season.
Defensively is where SMU surprised. The Ponies recorded the fifth-highest sack rate nationally (9.7%) and the eighth-best defensive success rate. The front four needs retooling, but Rhett Lashlee hit the portal to bring seven defensive transfers. Three of those are major Power Conference additions on the line, including Jonathan Jefferson (Georgia), Anthony Booker Jr. (Arkansas), and Jahfari Harvey (Miami).
Of the teams moving leagues this year, SMU is among the best-poised to continue its success.
Stanford Cardinal
ACC Odds: Stanford Cardinal +50000 on BetMGM
Almost a consensus last-place pick in the ACC, Stanford has some pieces to be excited about. The connection between QB Ashton Daniels and WR Elic Ayomanor was dynamic last year. It culminated in a ridiculous 294-yard, three-touchdown outing against Colorado, resulting in a 36-point second half, 29-point comeback, and double-OT win over Coach Prime & Co.
Troy Taylor has coaching chops. He proved that in his time at Sacramento State. Stanford is unique because it can’t hit the portal like other teams due to its academic rigor. But 85% of the Cardinal’s roster production returns (third-most), including four starters on the offensive line and nine total on offense.
Does that immediately correlate to bowl eligibility? No, certainly not. After all, the roster talent here is suboptimal.
Stanford suffers from the same travel schedule as Cal. They consecutively visit Syracuse, Clemson, and Notre Dame from Weeks 3-7. The schedule is brutal, too. In eight weeks, they play Clemson, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, SMU, NC State, and Louisville.
Like last year, 2024 might result in lots of scoring and some exciting games, but ultimately not a lot of wins. Taking over Stanford’s win total likely results in a full 12-game sweat as they close up shop against Cal and San Jose State.
ACC Odds: Everyone Else
Boston College Eagles
ACC Odds: Boston College Eagles +100000 on DraftKings
Bill O’Brien takes over after Jeff Hafley’s late departure (NFL). QB Thomas Castellanos returns, who was responsible for most of Boston College’s success last year. He’s a dual-threat weapon who also showed serious grit and late-game heroics (albeit while also accounting for 20 turnovers). RB Kye Robichaux also returns after rushing for nearly 700 yards. The defensive front remains intact, but the entire stop unit was pretty dreadful (109th in PPD).
If BC gets into more rock fights that require bizarre wins, it should survive. Last year, the Eagles played in eight one-score games, winning five.
Duke Blue Devils
ACC Odds: Duke Blue Devils +50000 on BetMGM
If Maalik Murphy is the truth, Duke could find a lot of success under Manny Diaz. Four starters return from a defense that finished just outside the top 20 in PPD. The entire defensive front, which made the defense so good, is gone. Diaz gets a better shake at being an ACC head coach than when he was at Miami, but Duke isn’t an easy job. Three effective starters returned to the receiving corps, including Eli Pancol, who missed all of last season with an injury.
A four-game stretch sandwiched between bye weeks is particularly difficult: Florida State, SMU, Miami, and NC State. But Duke can win three or four games before its first bye in Week 7.
Pitt Panthers
ACC Odds: Duke Blue Devils +50000 on BetMGM
New offensive coordinator Kade Bell looks to improve on a unit that finished an abysmal 124th in PPD last season. There’s no real answer at QB – a serious shortcoming that dragged the Panthers to 3-9. Only two starters from last year’s defense return. Aside from a 58-0 drubbing to Notre Dame, the defense was the better of the two sides of the ball. Without a shocking upset over Louisville, last year was a total disaster.
Pitt looks like it will tread water without a real inflection of talent. This could be it for hard-nosed and rigid Pat Narduzzi.
Virginia Cavaliers
ACC Odds: Virginia Cavaliers +100000 on DraftKings
The good news: Virginia showed notes of improvement over its last six games last year. They went just 2-4 but lost two of those games by one score, shocking Duke in Week 13. They went 2-5 in one-score games and, midseason, brought forth some serious excitement under gunslinger Anthony Colandrea. Whether Colandrea or Tony Muskett starts isn’t yet known.
However, the youngster Colandrea was willing to push the ball downfield, even if it meant turning it over more frequently. With a 7.9 aDOT and 6.9 YPA, Muskett played it too safe for a team this bad.
Virginia has to get its wins in before Week 7 — when things get much more difficult. However, Tony Elliott’s camp in Charlottesville still has not received many positive reviews, and failing to win six games this year might shorten his stay at UVA.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
ACC Odds: Wake Forest Demon Deacons +100000 on DraftKings
After starting 3-0 in non-league play, Wake Forest sputtered to a 4-8 finish. They were largely uninteresting and noncompetitive down the stretch, scoring 13 combined points against Notre Dame and NC State – a far cry from the Sam Hartman days. This year, Wake looks to have someone with a pulse play QB (last year, Mitch Griffis had a turnover-worthy throw on an astounding 7% of attempts). Enter reclamation project Hank Bachmeier on his third school in as many years.
Jasheen Davis and Kevin Porter make an interesting duo on the defense line, but that’s about it. Despite a decent but not exciting schedule, Wake’s ceiling is the Fenway Bowl. Its floor is considering new management.
ACC All-Transfer Team
QB: Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina to NC State), DJ Uiagalelei (Oregon State to Florida State)
RB: Damien Martinez (Oregon State to Miami), Jordan Waters (Duke to NC State)
WR: Jerand Bradley (Texas Tech to Boston College), Ja’Corey Brooks (Alabama to Louisville), Caullin Lacy (South Alabama to Louisville)
TE: Corey Dyches (Maryland to Cal)
OT: Andrew Chamblee (Arkansas to SMU), Savion Washington (Colorado to Syracuse)
IOL: Zeke Correll (Notre Dame to NC State), TJ Ferguson (Alabama to Florida State), Zach Carpenter (Indiana to Miami)
DL: Thor Griffith (Harvard to Louisville), Aeneas Peebles (Duke to Virginia Tech), Tyler Baron (Tennessee to Miami), Fadil Diggs (Texas A&M to Syracuse)
LB: Teddye Buchanan (UC-Davis to Cal), Ozzie Nicholas (Princeton to Duke)
CB: Marcus Harris (Idaho to Cal), Earl Little II (Alabama to Florida State)
SAF: Mishael Powell (Washington to Miami), Devin Grant (Buffalo to Syracuse)
Top Difference Makers To Know
WR Xavier Restrepo, Miami: While not a week-in, week-out dominator, Restrepo showed his ceiling with a 193-yard outing against Louisville on just eight catches. Despite average QB play (which should be remedied by Ward), he set a school record with 85 receptions – a school with a long history of excellent receivers. Damien Martinez joining the offense opens the field up for Restrepo, who ran 93% of his snaps from the slot last season.
RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina: One player in the country picked up 1,000 yards after contact last season: Omarion Hampton. He’s a touchdown machine, too. In 2023, he had more games with multiple touchdowns (five) than those with zero touchdowns (three). This year, the Tar Heels lose prolific QB Drake Maye, meaning Hampton will have to shoulder much of the load again.
EDGE Patrick Payton, Florida State: Out goes Jared Verse, and up steps Payton. He followed up a 2022 ACC Defensive Newcomer of the Year honor with 14.5 TFLs, seven sacks, and 10 pass breakups. Unfortunately, they can’t allocate too many resources to Payton for opposing offenses. The ‘Noles added promising Georgia pass rusher Marvin Jones Jr. in the portal to play opposite him.
LB Barrett Carter, Clemson: According to Lindy’s Sports, no player in the ACC is more NFL-ready than Carter. The linebacking corps will be among the most important pieces for Clemson, who turns over a prolific secondary. He plays behind a downright loaded defensive front that should open the door for Carter to have his most productive season yet.
Coaching & Coordinator Changes In The ACC
Most Impactful Hires
Fran Brown, Syracuse: In 2024, 247Sports named Brown the top recruiter in the nation. He previously coached DBs for Georgia, sending multiple players to the NFL and developing possible All-Americans like Malaki Starks. Brown has deep roots in the northeast, spending most of his playing and coaching career around New Jersey. It starkly contrasts Dino Babers, who came from an offensive background.
Bill O’Brien, Boston College: Jeff Hafley bolted for the NFL late in the cycle. Most of the head coaching candidates had already signed on with other teams. Instead of settling, Boston College got a familiar face: Bill O’Brien. O’Brien had just signed on to call the offense for Ohio State, but decided to stay in the Boston area (he was previously with the Patriots). His accomplishments as a head coach vary, but there’s no doubt he’s a recognizable name.
Manny Diaz, Duke: Diaz never got a fair shake at Miami. He was pushed out for the hometown hero and delivered mixed results. He takes a markedly more difficult job, albeit with far lower expectations. But to be the man that follows up Mike Elko (16-9 in two seasons)? That’s a tough job. The roster was gutted to the NFL and the transfer portal, meaning Diaz has a project.
Check out every ACC coaching and coordinator change this offseason! Good luck betting ACC odds.
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