Ranking Every ACC Starting Quarterback Ahead of the 2026 College Football Season
By Rory-Joe Daniels
The 2026 season will see The Touchdown feature notebooks from all four Power Conferences. I’ll be manning the ACC, and as part of the build-up to Week 0, our first piece ranks each of the conference’s projected starting quarterbacks.
There is a real mix of established talent and unknown prospects in this group, and we’ll be ranking them based on their outlook for this season. That means there is an element of projection involved rather than simply going off what these guys did last year. While the top tier feels relatively clear-cut, things get much murkier rather quickly.
So here are your pre-season ACC quarterback rankings…
1. Darian Mensah - Miami
It’s not often that the losing team in the National Championship can upgrade its QB situation, but that’s the college football landscape nowadays. Darian Mensah, on paper, appears to be a more accomplished passer than Carson Beck. Mensah proved he could handle the step up from AAC competition with Tulane to ACC opponents with Duke. He led the Blue Devils to the conference title, throwing for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns. Now, in Miami, he gets to team up with an elite talent in Malachi Toney as well as former teammate Cooper Barkate, who had over 1,000 yards as Mensah’s primary target in 2025.
2. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele - California
Cal softened the blow of losing Fernando Mendoza last offseason by giving freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele the reins. Inevitably, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, but he cut down on the mistakes as the season progressed, throwing only two interceptions over his final seven games and ending the year with 178 consecutive pass attempts without a pick. He earned All-Freshman recognition from PFF and, heading into Year 2, could be the most naturally gifted thrower in the ACC. If he builds on that early promise, it’s hard to argue against JKS developing into a legitimate first-round prospect.
3. Kevin Jennings - SMU
Now we get to the most athletic QB in the conference. Jennings is a gifted playmaker whose ability to extend plays, speed and vision as a runner make him a fantastic watch. He emerged in 2024, replacing Preston Stone as the starter, before entering last season as SMU’s undisputed No. 1. It wasn’t always smooth sailing; Jennings threw 13 interceptions, including three last time out against Arizona in the Holiday Bowl. Still, the familiar playmaking flashes remained, with four rushing touchdowns even as his rushing yardage nearly halved. Undersized at 6-foot, Jennings needs to embrace that creativity if SMU are going to challenge once more.
4. CJ Bailey - NC State
If arm talent gets your motor running, then look no further than CJ Bailey at NC State. At 6-foot-6, he has the stature that NFL teams look for, and his ability to launch bombs downfield will certainly have some scouts salivating. However, as is usually the case, the talent is raw. When things break down, under pressure, Bailey’s efficiency drops off sharply. This year he needs to show he can manoeuvre in the pocket and make big plays even if the pocket is muddied. He also has to contend with losing his top receivers, Terrell Anderson and Noah Rogers. It’s not ideal, but Bailey has it in him to take another leap.
5. Steve Angeli - Syracuse
Last year was supposed to be the season Steve Angeli stepped out from the shadows. The former four-star had failed to get more than spot duty behind Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard at Notre Dame. Despite being a name regularly brought up in offseason QB battles, he didn’t get a chance to start until last year with the ‘Cuse. An Achilles tear against Clemson put a stop to what had been a promising start. He had already thrown for 1,317 yards and 10 touchdowns through four games before his season was curtailed. Now the question is what Angeli looks like coming off serious injury, but we have seen a glimpse of what he can offer at this level.
6. Mason Heintschel - Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh turned things over to freshman Mason Heintschel in Week 6, and after replacing Eli Holstein, the Panthers went on a five-game winning streak. Heintschel had four games where he threw for over 300 yards, and while the season rather petered out, the talent and potential were clear. Heintschel gives himself time in the pocket and can hit most throws. He is now without leading receivers Poppi Williams and Kenny Johnson, meaning Cataurus Hicks will need to make a leap. In terms of protection, Pitt returns four starters on the o-line, and that should lead to a more stable pocket than the one that allowed Heintschel to be sacked 34 times in nine starts.
7. Beau Pribula - Virginia
Another former Big-10 transfer hits the top 10 here. Pribula was Drew Allar’s backup at Penn State during the 2024 season, and at times he actually looked like a more dynamic threat. His cameo during a comeback win over Wisconsin significantly boosted his profile before Missouri handed him the starting job in 2025. He led the Tigers to a 6-1 start, with notable wins over South Carolina, Kansas and Auburn. An ankle injury then forced him out of the Vanderbilt game, and the Tigers’ season culminated in an 8-5 record. Pribula won one and lost one after his return. He should find things a little easier in the ACC, and with a strong Virginia team, it’s easy to see him outplaying this position.
8. Lincoln Kienholz - Louisville
It takes a lot to start football games for Ohio State. Just ask Lincoln Kienholz. Even as a former four-star, Kienholz was left playing backup to the likes of Will Howard and Julian Sayin. Originally committed to Washington and Kalen DeBoer, Kienholz was Ryan Day’s pivot when Brock Glenn switched to Florida State. Ultimately, he could never climb an Ohio State depth chart stacked with highly rated competition. But after only 40 career dropbacks, he finds himself as the projected starter for Jeff Brohm’s Louisville Cardinals. Even at 6’2, Kienholz has rushing ability, with over 1,000 yards in his senior high school season. He will benefit from Isaac Brown being the workhorse back in Louisville, as well as Vandy transfer receiver Tre Richardson.
9. Ethan Grunkemeyer - Virginia Tech
There’s no evidence James Franklin explicitly chose Ethan Grunkemeyer over his former Penn State backup Beau Pribula, but it is notable that Grunkemeyer was the quarterback who followed him to Virginia Tech. After backing up Drew Allar, Grunkemeyer got his shot in Week 8 last season. It was a baptism of fire playing Iowa, Ohio State and Indiana in his first three games. After those losses, he won his final four games, recording a PFF grade of 80.0 in the bowl game against Clemson. He should hit the ground running due to his familiarity with Franklin and several faces from Penn State.
10. Christopher Vizzina - Clemson
Dabo Swinney has softened his attitude to the transfer portal, and in truth, he had to. You can’t compete at the highest level without utilising it. Interestingly, though, he handed a vote of confidence to backup QB Christopher Vizzina, who has spent two years learning the ropes from Cade Klubnik, by not bringing in direct competition. Vizzina did get one start in 2025, an impressive 317 yards and three-touchdown performance vs SMU; he’ll look to build on that but faces a stiff task in Week 1 vs LSU. He will be helped by talented receiving duo Bryant Wesco Jr. and TJ Moore, although the loss of Blake Miller at tackle will be keenly felt.
And the rest...
11. Walker Eget (Duke) – The experienced Eget had over 3,000 passing yards in the Mountain West last year but has big shoes to fill, taking over from Darian Mensah.
12. Billy Edwards Jr (North Carolina) – After an impressive season at Maryland, Edwards suffered an injury at Wisconsin that he never fully recovered from; now he becomes Bill Belichick’s next QB.
13. Alberto Mendoza (Georgia Tech) – After backing up his brother Fernando at Indiana last year, he took the interesting step of moving for playing time, one to keep an eye on.
14. Ashton Daniels (FSU) – A true dual-threat who couldn’t beat out Jackson Arnold at Auburn last year. Hoping to recapture the promise shown at Stanford.
15. Mason McKenzie (Boston College) – The Division II standout appears well placed to win the BC job, but all of his experience came at that level; big ask for it to translate with one of the weaker teams in the conference.
16. Gio Lopez (Wake Forest) – Highly productive at South Alabama, well below par at North Carolina. Was that caused by the level of competition or general bad juju around the Tar Heels?
17. Davis Warren (Stanford) – Andrew Luck takes a punt on the former Michigan QB. When used, the Wolverines had to gameplan away from him as a passer; the Cardinal will be hoping to see development from those days.
Rory-Joe DanIELS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
AS A LONG-SUFFERING CINCINNATI BENGALS FAN, RORY HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HIS PASSION FOR THE DRAFT LED HIM TO GET ENTANGLED WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND HE HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT PROSPECTS AND THE CFB LANDSCAPE EVER SINCE.