Post-media week: the ACC releases its preseason awards as the focus for all teams shifts to the start of the season along with some keys to potential success for the 2026 football season

During the ACC Kickoff (July 15-17, 2026), nearly 190 members of the media make their way to Charlotte, NC to partake of the opportunity to speak with the member institutions' head coaches and 3 player representatives (click HERE to read our Day 2 coverage article). It's a way to engage with the teams said outlets typically cover along with speaking with those they may not get to do so on as consistent a basis (click HERE to read our Day 3 coverage article).

Part of the media week entails said media personnel voting for the Preseason All-Conference team, Preseason Player of the Year, and the Predicted Order of Finish. The conference releases the results this past Tuesday and Wednesday, and while there are some results which are expected, there's a few eye-raising selections, all setting up for another season of exciting play, especially from the players and teams with a little added "edge" coming into the 2026 season.

Let's start with the all-conference team and the player of the year selection:

• The Miami Hurricanes feature 5 selections of offense, led by Preseason Player of the Year Darian Mensah at quarterback and Malachi Toney being selected at wide receiver and all-purpose back. Virginia is the only other team with multiple selections on offense, as McKale Boley (offensive tackle) and Noah Josey (offensive guard) are selected.

• On defense, both Miami and the Clemson Tigers have 3 players selected as preseason all-conference selections. The Hurricanes' Ahmad Moten, Sr (defensive tackle), Mohammed Toure (linebacker), and Bryce Fitzgerald (safety) along with the Tigers' Will Heldt (defensive end), Sammy Brown (linebacker), and Ashton Hampton (cornerback) combine to form more than half the selections on defense.

• For the specialists, Malachi Toney (Miami Hurricanes) is selected as the preseason all-conference selection.

• Regarding player of the year, Mensah has nearly 4 times as many votes as SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings (who finishes in 2nd place for the preseason award), as they are the only 2 players with 25 or more votes for the award (you may click HERE for the complete lists).

While predicted order of finish is generally a combination of how a team does the year before, their number of returning players, incoming players (transfers and recruits) who fit their style of play, coaching, schedule, and the expected (or hopeful) level of team cohesion, it has its own level of debate and discussion. When you have to factor other variables into the equation (i.e. player health is one of them) along with the unpredictability which is synonymous with college football, predictions are what they are, and here they are (refer to the image below):

Let's take a brief peek at the rest of the top 5 teams (predicted) in the conference and a snapshot summary of one area of focus leading into the upcoming season:

• The Miami Hurricanes (1st in the preseason) poll clearly have it all. They have the aforementioned Mensah ((3,973 passing yards/66.8% completion rate/34 touchdowns/6 interceptions) and his top receiver, Cooper Barkate (1,106 receiving yards/15.4 yards per catch/7 touchdowns) transferring in from Duke to add to the offensive skill position arsenal which includes preseason all-conference selections Mark Fletcher, Jr (1,192 rushing yards/5.5 yards per carry/12 rushing touchdowns) and and Malachi Toney (1,211 receiving yards/11.1 yards per catch/10 receiving touchdowns), who also makes his presence felt in the return game. Along with their defense and given their run in the college football playoff during the 2025 season (making it to the championship game before falling to the Indiana Hooisers in the National Championship), it's highly understandable to have them picked where they are. By the same token (based on last season), they only play 2 teams who finish with 9 or more wins, along with not playing the 2 teams who defeat them during the 2025 regular season, the SMU Mustangs (who played for the ACC Championship and make the College Football Playoff in their ACC debut in 2024) and Louisville Cardinals (who defeat the Hurricanes at Miami last season).

• The SMU Mustangs (2nd in the preseason) are a team on a mission. Three of last season's 4 losses are by a combined 7 points, and their 6-2 conference record puts them in the logjam and sees them out of the ACC Championship Game. Quarterback Kevin Jennings (3,641 passing yards/66.1% completion rate/26 touchdowns/13 interceptions) is a solid leader on a team with solid depth at the skill positions, and Mr. Brandon Booker (69 tackles) is prepared to make the next step as the Mustangs look to break loose for the upcoming season.

• The Louisville Cardinals (3rd in the preseason) open up the season with 4 of their first 5 games against teams who played in bowl games or the College Football Playoff; they open with a neutral site game at Nissan Stadium (9/6/26 in Nashville, TN) against Mississippi, and have 3 consecutive games against bowl game winning teams in SMU (9/19/26), Wake Forest (9/26/26), and at NC State (10/3/26), so they are coming prepared to play, especially early in the season. Preseason all-conference selection Issac Brown (the running back gains 884 yards on the ground while averaging 8.8 yards per carry/7 rushing touchdowns) and wide receiver Tre Richardson (the Vanderbilt transfer is the Commodores' leading receiver with 806 receiving yards/17.5 yards per catch/7 receiving touchdowns) are among those expected to compliment the team's sound defense led by preseason all-conference selection Clev Lubin (the defensive end has 35 tackles/8.5 sacks/3 forced fumbles).

• Clemson (4th) is looking a bounce-back season and return to the top of the conference after a 7-6 finish (concluding with a 22-10 loss to Penn State in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl). When you consider three of their losses (8/30/25 to LSU by a 17-10 score, 9/13/25 to GA Tech by a 24-21 score, and 11/1/25 to Duke (the 2025 ACC Champion) 46-45), an improved ability to close out games could be the difference for the Tigers returning to the upper level of conference play; preseason all-conference selections Will Heldt (the defensive end has 47 total tackles/7.5 sacks), Sammy Brown (106 total tackles and 5 sacks at linebacker), and Ashton Hampton (the cornerback has 45 total tackles and looks to build on his "lockdown" coverage skill set) look to bolster the team defense and the playmaking skills of Bryant Wesco, Jr (the wideout is also a preseason all-conference selection coming off a season where he has 537 receiving yards/17.3 yards per catch/6 touchdowns) are expected to parlay into improved closeout play.

• Georgia Tech (5th) boasts arguably the top running back tandem in the conference and country. despite not having either player earn preseason all-conference selections (Malachi Hosley rushes for 697 yards/7.1 yards per carry/7 rushing touchdowns and Michigan transfer Justice Haynes is coming off an impressive 857 rushing yards/7.1 yards per carry/10 rushing touchdown season in 2025). After being among the logjam of teams who finish with a 6-2 conference record, (but due to the tiebreaker, Duke earns the selection to play in the conference championship game), the Yellow Jackets are likely going to lean on their ground game to build on last season's 9 win effort.

Our next brief peek includes the middle 6 teams (predicted) in the conference and a similar snapshot summary/one area of focus leading into the upcoming season:

• Virginia (6th) is coming off of one of the most successful seasons in school history (with an appearance in the ACC Championship Game and a win over Missouri in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl to finish with 11 wins overall). Their defense led by preseason all-conference selection Kam Robinson (the linebacker has 64 total tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 interceptions as both are returned for touchdowns) should set the tone for the team's play, especially with key games in October at Florida State (10/3/26), at SMU (10/17/26), an ACC Championship Game rematch against Duke (10/23/26, who they lost to in the ACC Championship Game), and at Wake Forest (10/31/26, as they are the only team to beat them at home/Virginia in 2025) before their annual rivalry game at Virginia Tech (11/28/26).

• NC State (7th) features one of the better quarterbacks in the conference that few outside of Raleigh (NC) speak about, but CJ Bailey (3,105 passing yards/68.8% completion percentage/25 touchdowns/9 interceptions) is looking to build on the success of last season, which includes an 8-win campaign and a bowl game win (Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl). The Wolfpack aren't wasting any time to get some traction in the conference, as they open regular season play on August 29th at Virginia.

• Virginia Tech (8th) is one of the "dark horse" picks in the ACC. While many look to last year's campaign (3-9 overall/2-6 in the conference), do not underestimate the impact incoming head coach James Franklin has on programs. With a track record of success as the head coach at Vanderbilt (a 24-15 record from 2011-13, including back to back 9 win seasons in his last 2 years and bowl game wins in the Music City and Compass Bowls respectively) and Penn State (a 104-45 record from 2014-25 including a 2024 run in the College Football Playoff and 6 seasons with 10 or more wins), a blend of players from the transfer portal (including a number transferring from Penn State such as quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer [1,339 passing yards/69.1% completion percentage/8 touchdowns/4 interceptions), returning players including defensive lineman Kemari Copeland (4.5 sacks), and recruiting the Seven Cities have the team positioned for improvement in 2026. With late season games at Clemson (10/24/26), at SMU (11/6/26), at Miami (11/21/26), and at home against their major rivalry game against Virginia (11/28/26), getting off to a good start is essential for the team's anticipated return to being a factor in the ACC.

• The Pitt Panthers (9th) could be another of the "dark horse" or sneaky good teams, lest we forget they are among the 6-2 "logjam" teams and made a bowl game appearance last season (a closely played 23-17 loss to East Carolina University in the Go Bowling Military Bowl). Quarterback Mason Heintschel (2,354 passing yards/63.6% completion percentage/16 touchdowns/8 interceptions) is among the 9 players to secure votes for player of the year, and with a number of players returning from last season combined with incoming players, they'll look to finish a little stronger than last season (after a 5-game winning streak coinciding with Heintschel inserted at quarterback, they lose 2 of their last 3 regular season games and narrowly miss out on playing for the ACC Championship).

• How the mighty can fall (preseason-wise). The defending ACC Champion Duke Blue Devils (10th) are voted down given high profile transfers at the skill positions and other factors. However, the cupboard is not entirely bare; the leadership of preseason all-conference selection Jeremiah Hasley at tight end (454 receiving yards/11.4 yards per catch/6 touchdowns) and running back Nate Sheppard (1,132 rushing yards/5.7 yards per carry/11 rushing touchdowns) along with entering 2026 with a "quiet" chip on their shoulder suggests they cannot be taken lightly.

• The Florida State Seminoles (11th in the preseason rankings) are an intriguing story. Last season, they defeat a 9-win Wake Forest team (42-7) and outscore their opponents (including the aforementioned win) by an average of 11 points per game; however, they finish 2-6 in the conference and 5-7 overall. Wide receiver Duce Robinson (a preseason all-conference selection who turns up with 1,081 receiving yards/19.3 yards per catch/6 touchdowns) is clearly going to get his share of attention as the team and related components have to come together along with minimizing the mistakes that have adversely impacted their season prospects, as they have 2 winning seasons since 2018. With early matchups against SMU (at home on 9/7/26) and at Alabama (9/19/26), they'll need to get off to a fast start. October matchups against Virginia (10/3/26), at Louisville (10/9/26), at Miami (10/17/26), and Clemson (10/31/26) can potentially go a long way in determining the outcome of this highly talented yet perplexing team who receives 3 first place votes (one less than Louisville and half as many as SMU) in the preseason poll.

And now, we close out with the last 6 teams (preseason), some of whom truly have no business being rated this low:

• The California Golden Bears (12th in the preseason rankings) are another of the dark horse teams in the conference. Coming off a 7-win season and bowl game appearance (a 35-31 loss to Hawaii in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl), they feature one of the up-and-comers at quarterback and in the conference with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who makes his mark as a true freshman in 2025 (3,454 passing yards/64.2% completion percentage/18 touchdowns/9 interceptions). If the team continues to mature (as they close out their 2025 regular season with a win over SMU), they can be one of the proverbial "teams you don't want to play down the stretch".

• How the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (13th in the preseason rankings) are in this slot of the preseason rankings is beyond confusing. Clearly, the voters did not learn from last year when they pick the team to finish at the bottom of the conference rankings, yet with a 4-4 conference record, they return to bowl game play for the first time since 2022's Gasparilla Bowl win (click HERE to read the article) and close out the season with a win in the Duke's Mayo Bowl and a 9-win season overall (click HERE for the recap). The team is looking to remain focused and use last year's success as a catapult for another solid season; with Gio Lopez at quarterback and versatile wideout and kick/punt returner Carlos Hernandez (611 receiving yards/15.3 yards per catch/3 receiving touchdowns) pacing the offense, combined with the returning presence of defensive leaders Langston Hardy (65 total tackles/7 sacks) and defensive back Davaughn Patterson (80 total tackles), the team looks to apply what they learned in 2025 for a successful season in 2026. With two major hurdles to clear early in September at home against the Miami Hurricanes (9/18/26) and on the road the following week at Louisville (9/26/26), if they get the outcomes desired, simply watch out and stay tuned.

• After sprinting out to a 3-1 start which includes a win at Clemson (9/20/25 by a 34-21 margin), the Syracuse Orange (14th in the preseason rankings) get squeezed, as they lose their remaining 8 games in a row to finish the season at 3-9. With improved health from quarterback Steve Angeli (1,317 passing yards/62.8% completion percentage/10 touchdowns/2 interceptions in limited play) along with all-conference selection Chris Peal (cornerback) and the versatile Demetres Samuel, Jr (who figures to see time at defensive back and other positions), they'll look to return to their 2024 level of play.

• The North Carolina Tar Heels (15th in the preseason) enter the season with triumphant expectations, only to see them turn tumultuous, as they finish with a 4-8 overall record (2-6 in conference) in Bill Belichek's first season as a college football head coach. The team has the presence of Jordan Shipp at wide receiver (671 receiving yards/11.2 yards per catch/6 touchdowns) and a better than advertised defense given the presence of Melkart Abou Jaoude (the defensive end finishes the season in a flurry as he records 10.5 sacks in 2025). If the team can experience improved stability across the board, they have the potential to turn the corner (and the page on 2025); with a 6-week stretch at Clemson (9/19/26), at home against Notre Dame (10/3/26), at Pitt (10/10/26), at Duke (10/17/26), at home against Syracuse (10/24/26), and at home against Miami (10/31/26), this is a time if they aren't careful, could get away from them.

• Boston College (16th in the preseason) opens and closes their season with wins. The issue is what happens in between, as they lose 10 in a row to close out with a 2-10 season. With a renewed competitive energy and spirit via all-conference selection KP Price at safety (93 total tackles and 2 interceptions) and a better than advertised blend of newcomers (via the transfer portal and recruitment), they clearly can learn from last year and field a more competitive team in 2026.

• While the Stanford Cardinal is voted 17th in the conference (preseason), they do garner 1 first-place vote and only finish 8 points behind Boston College in the preseason polls. Despite finishing 4-8 overall, their conference record (3-5) is better than some of the teams voted ahead of them (including Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Boston College, and Syracuse), so if there's a team that would be a mistake to overlook, it actually would be the Cardinal, as Micah Ford (643 rushing yards/4.4 yards per carry/4 touchdowns) is among those who on "any given Saturday", could put something together and ruin somebody's day.

And here we are, inside of 4 weeks away from the start of the season (August 29, 2026) to see what predictions are spot on and which ones are beyond being off.

Another reason to simply stay tuned.

College football is returning. And it's not too far away.

Notes: All photos are provided via the ACC. The thumbnails (first photo-grid) include Miami's Darian Mensah, Clemson's Sammy Brown and Will Heldt, SMU's Kevin Jennings, Miami Head Coach Mario Cristobal, and a photo of the ACC and College Football Playoff Trophies and the second photo is the Predicted Order of Finish.

The slideshow (second photo-grid) for the top-5 teams (predicted) includes Miami's Darian Mensah and Mark Fletcher, Jr, SMU's Brandon Booker, Louisville's Clev Lubin, Clemson Head Coach Dabo Sweeney, and the Georgia Tech coalition of Head Coach Brent Key, Kyle Efford, Justice Haynes, and Malachi Hosley. The third photo-grid (next 6 teams in predicted order of finish) includes Virginia's Kam Robinson, NC State's CJ Bailey, Virginia Tech Head Coach James Franklin, the Pitt coalition of Head Coach Pat Narduzzi, Mason Heintschel, Ryan Bear, and Braylan Lovelace.

The fourth photo-grid (last 6 teams in predicted order of finish) includes Cal's Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Wake Forest's coalition of Head Coach Jake Dickert, Gio Lopez, Langston Hardy, and Davaughn Patterson, Syracuse's Demetres Samuel, Jr, North Carolina Head Coach Bill Belichek, Boston College's KP Price, and Stanford's Micah Ford.

For related and archival college football coverage, you are invited to check out our site (click HERE to visit).