CHARLOTTE, N.C. – When it comes to having success in college football, having the right quarterback can make all the difference. Hence, the ACC branding itself as the “Conference of Quarterbacks.”
Five of the top 15 quarterbacks ranked by ESPN reside here in the conference. That includes the likes of Haynes King of Georgia Tech, Kevin Jennings of SMU and transfer Carson Beck of Miami.
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“He’s played in monster games, and he’s played at high level,” said Miami head football coach Mario Cristobal when speaking on Beck. “And he is ultra-competitive, and his football IQ is off the charts.
For Georgia Tech, Haynes King proved to be a difference maker even during injury in 2024—helping his team by taking on more of a running back role. A selfless attitude over a selfish one.
“I don’t care about stats,” King said. “I’m not a stat guy. If you continue to win, everything else is going to fall into place, whether it’s accolades, whether it’s stats, stuff like that. Sometimes you’re going to have to throw it for 400 [yards] or sometimes you’re going to have to hand it off for 400. Like I said, as long as we’re finding ways to win and moving the ball and scoring, we’re going to give a lot of teams hell this year.”
While some of the best signal callers offer a great challenge, it’s one that defenses are ready to tackle.
“We had a great year as a team last year, and I had a good season. What led me to come back is, like you said, the challenges that we can face, how much better that I know we can get as a team, that I know I can get as a player,” said SMU defensive back Isaiah Nwokobia. “So hearing all those great quarterback names who are highly recognized-- I’m just ready to embrace that chance and go at them. I’m excited, man, for sure.”
Among the other teams that return their starting quarterbacks are Virginia Tech (Kyron Drones), Florida State (Tommy Castellanos), North Carolina State (CJ Bailey) and Clemson (Cade Klubnik).