Most Improved ACC Teams in 2026: Hokies Look to Regain Their Footing

Sometimes, taking a step forward requires taking a step back. In Virginia Tech’s case, going back to the past might result in one of the most improved ACC teams in 2026.

Once, Virginia Tech was the school all football players in Virginia wanted to play for. When Frank Beamer built the Hokies into a national power, he did it by recruiting Virginia hard. But ever since he retired in 2015, Virginia Tech hasn’t recruited its backyard the way it did.

Other schools stepped into the void the Hokies created. One of the biggest invaders was Penn State, under coach James Franklin. And now James Franklin’s in Blacksburg as the new boss of the Hokies.

Beyond Virginia Tech, there’s a lot of teams thinking about improvement. This league was so wide open that Duke won it last year; any improvement could mean a title. These schools have a good case to be among the most improved ACC teams in 2026.

Virginia Tech Hokies (3-9 Last Season)

Franklin’s efforts to rebuild the Hokies through recruiting will pay off down the road. In the short term, he’s brought in a robust transfer class from Penn State.

Ethan Grunkemeyer decided to come south from Happy Valley to reunite with Franklin, and the Hokies have eight starters back on defense. It doesn’t hurt that the early part of the schedule softens, and that the program is desperate to regain respect.

Having a coach who’s hungry to prove himself again goes a long way. Franklin got kind of a raw deal from Penn State. While he never won the big one, he deserved better than a midseason firing. He’s got talent at his disposal, and the expectations aren’t unreasonable here.

Florida State Seminoles (5-7 Last Season)

Florida State was not as poor as its record suggested. The Seminoles lost four games by eight points or less last season, and a lack of discipline proved their undoing. That might weigh on Mike Norvell more than anything, but Norvell has won before when the talent has been in place.

The Seminoles would do wonders for themselves simply by not beating themselves. Florida State is minus-21 in turnovers over its past two seasons. The Seminoles have seemingly been a house of cards; as soon as one gets pulled, the whole thing comes down. That comes down to coaching, and that can be fixed.

The raw numbers from last year suggest that Florida State should have won seven or eight games, instead of the five it did. If the Seminoles can show any discipline this year, they’ll get to that number this time around.

NC State Wolfpack (8-5 Last Season)

Picking an 8-5 team as one of the most improved ACC teams speaks to how even this conference was last year. There aren’t many teams who can improve, because almost everyone was on a similar level.

But State’s schedule could make for a big improvement. Between Sept. 19 and Nov. 21, six of the Wolfpack’s seven games are at home. They only play three road games after traveling to Vanderbilt on Sept. 19, and one of those is a bus ride to North Carolina.

Beyond that, the Wolfpack have CJ Bailey back at quarterback and should have a stronger defensive unit. A 10-win season is possible in Raleigh.

Syracuse Orange (3-9 Last Season)

If a team’s starting quarterback is on scholarship for a different sport, it usually means something’s gone seriously wrong. That was the case for the Orange last year; Syracuse ended up turning to Joseph Filardi, who’s attending on a lacrosse scholarship. Filardi ended up under center after Steve Angeli tore his Achilles and Rickie Collins just wasn’t good enough to win in the ACC.

This year, Angeli is back and Syracuse should be better for it. After his injury against Clemson, Syracuse didn’t come within 17 points of anybody for the rest of the season. The defense returns several starters, and having a competent quarterback should keep Syracuse competitive for much longer this year.