2025 ACC football preview - Power rankings, key players, must-see games - ESPN
As has been the case for the better part of the past decade, the road to an ACC championship in 2025 in all likelihood will go through Clemson.
Dabo Swinney's team returns as much production as any team in the country, and the Tigers were good enough to win the ACC title and make the 12-team College Football Playoff.
But there will be plenty of competition — and intrigue. Miami has another talented squad and is led by Georgia transfer Carson Beck. SMU was a playoff team last season and returns quarterback Kevin Jennings, Louisville has what should be a dynamic offense and Brent Key's Georgia Tech team could be ready to break out.
And though it's hard to say what will transpire at North Carolina, all eyes will be on Bill Belichick in his first year as a college coach.
We get you caught up on the ACC by breaking down the conference's CFP outlook, power rankings, must-see games, top freshmen, key transfers and numbers to know.
Should be in: Clemson.There is a lot of hype around the Tigers this season, and rightfully so. They return experience, talent and future NFL picks, including quarterback Cade Klubnik, receivers Antonio Williams and Bryant Wesco Jr., and imposing defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. Eleven Clemson players made the preseason All-ACC team, and Klubnik was voted the preseason ACC player of the year.
At ACC Kickoff, coach Dabo Swinney said this team had a similar look to the ones that had previously competed for national titles at Clemson. But he also said losing in the first round to the CFP last season served to galvanize the team in the offseason. After making six straight CFP appearances in the early days of the playoff, Clemson missed out three years in a row, leading to questions about not