Biggest recruiting questions in the ACC entering the fall

Although National Signing Day is still months away, many Power Four programs are nearly done with their 2026 recruiting classes. Here are the biggest questions facing each ACC program as the calendar shifts to the fall.

Boston College

Will the Eagles push back with the state’s best?

Boston College holds a large group of commitments as part of a top-10 haul in the ACC to date, about all a fan could have asked of Bill O’Brien at this stretch. Moving forward, maintenance will likely become a major topic as game visits and the coaching carousel inevitably alters recruiting boards in the region. It makes us wonder about the home state pipeline and how much the Eagles will work to bring the best back into the fold as five of the top-seven ranked recruits in Massachusetts are currently committed to other programs. A good football season will alter that number.

California

Will a wide receiver recruit emerge?

Cal built up a great 2026 class in the trenches, stretching the recruiting footprint all the way to South Georgia. The bigger groups present well even after a pair of big decommitments at the end of June. The committed class is also balanced at about every position outside of wide receiver, where diminutive Tyree Sams is joined by another lean prospect in EJ Morgan. A handful of uncommitted wideouts, many of the bigger variety at that, claim Cal offers so the program could be working towards bringing more variance to the commitment list.

Clemson

Will the Tigers pass on a running back?

There are strong numbers across the board as Clemson is poised to bring in another elite class, currently tabbed 13th nationally and trailing only Miami in the ACC. There are two quarterbacks, a half-dozen offensive linemen and a great secondary haul already in, but a position noticeably absent is running back. CU took swings at Jae Lamar (Georgia) and has had communication with Amari Thomas, but he comes off the board this week without a Tiger hat on the table. Plans change, and certainly the recruiting board does, but Clemson may be in the flip game at the position this fall.

Duke

Will more blockers come about?

The Blue Devils bring in key area recruits year after year, and it has been built largely from the inside out under Manny Diaz. His side of the ball is in better shape at this stage of the cycle, but the offensive trenches are noticeably light. Just one offensive line projection, Sean Stover, has the Duke logo aligned next to his name on the commitment list. A few uncommitted blockers hold Duke offers, in addition to primary target Kai Pritchard before his June pledge to Illinois. It didn’t bring in any other offensive line recruits for summer official visits.

Florida State

Can the on-field product open doors?

There is a belief, especially with Florida State commitments, that the 2025 campaign will reflect more of what we all saw in 2023 versus last fall. The two-win campaign led to a recruiting (and staffing) overhaul in the offseason so plenty are keeping an eye on Mike Norvell‘s product this fall. Should considerable improvement ensue, recruits closer to home will respond. At this stage, FSU holds just one of the state’s top 30 prospects on the commitment list in defensive back Chauncey Kennon. The top-15 haul, third in the ACC, presents well publicly but losing local battles is not sustainable for any proud program.

Georgia Tech

Will Tech bring in a quarterback?

The 20-man group on board for Brent Key features key wins over ACC rivals at the top with some key depth behind it. Georgia Tech isn’t pushing for many undeclared talents out there at the moment, but it did bring in a pair of quarterbacks for official visits in June. Both Cole Bergeron and Easton Webb are yet to make college commitments as the Jackets are yet to hold one on the commitment list. Of course, the plan inside the building could easily pivot to the transfer portal as it often does at the game’s most important position.

Louisville

Can the Cardinals hold onto top pledges?

Louisville has a strong group of commitments on board at the moment, good for 34th nationally and No. 7 in the ACC. Jeff Brohm and company have gone all over the map in the process, winning plenty of battles early on, so it naturally brings in competition later. Top recruit Jaydin Broadnax was heavily pursued by Florida, but he told Rivals his recruitment is now shut down. It’s not as cut and dry with other recruits on board from quarterback Briggs Cherry to running back Lekhy Thompkins to two-way talent Devonte Anderson. Should the majority of the players listed stick, it will present as another layer of wins for the Louisville staff.

Miami

How big will the flip game become?

The Hurricanes are in position for yet another ACC recruiting crown under Mario Cristobal, but the group will likely sit with a much larger number of commitments than its current standing at 22 on board thus far. Miami missed on some key targets late in the summer months, from top local prospect Derrek Cooper (Texas) to two-sport slot receiver Jasen Lopez (Florida State) as well as coveted defensive tackle talent James Johnson (Georgia, then Texas) and NFL legacy Justice Fitzpatrick (Georgia), to name a few. The program has splashed late every year under Cristobal and with another strong on-field product expected on Saturdays, we should not expect anything different in 2026.

North Carolina

Will a slow season damper recruiting excitement?

The Tar Heels boast the Power Four’s biggest recruiting class at this stage, with a staggering 35 prospects committed ahead of the season. There may not be a more national class among seniors, either, with 18 different states represented in Bill Belichick‘s first full class. The legendary coach and a strong NIL presentation is a heck of a one-two punch to sell on the trail, but the massive group watching what is not expected to be a strong on-field product will be fascinating to follow. Considering how wide-spread the group is, especially at the priority positions, sustaining the best of the bunch won’t likely be an easy hurdle for North Carolina to clear.

North Carolina State

Where is the star power?

The Wolfpack marches to the beat of its own drum under the consistent Dave Doeren, and this recruiting class may lean on that theme. State joins just three other programs in the ACC without at least one blue-chip recruit in the fold to date. There is balance and variety in the class, but it doesn’t have that clear headliner on board just yet. Perhaps it’s a good thing and another strong on-field campaign will provide a late spark to the cycle. Right now NC State holds class No. 60 nationally after three-straight top-40 hauls.

Pittsburgh

Will a pass rusher emerge?

The current Pitt class has something for everyone, from a two-QB group to another strong run in the Sunshine State and a strong wide receiver haul. If balance is the baseline, though, there is a lack of pass-rush talent among the current crop of 20 verbal commitments. Both defensive line pledges look like interior projections down the line and none of the linebacker pledges look like they could become every-down edge players. A handful of Pitt edge targets are uncommitted, so perhaps we’ll see the program begin to push during the season.

SMU

Will the Mustangs pull the upset for Jackson?

SMU lost a few commitments this cycle and came up just short in the long-term flip attempt of Shavar Young, but the foundation of the class of 2026 is strong. The top-25 class is also within the ACC’s top five thanks to a strong run since May 1, as 14 new commitments joined the fold. Going forward all eyes are on top in-state target Montre Jackson ahead of his decision. Oklahoma holds legitimate momentum there. SMU will swing at some committed prospects elsewhere down the line, it seems, as we saw with success at the end of last cycle.

Stanford

Will Stanford find a future QB1?

One of the more unique situations in college football is that of the Cardinal. The transition to a staff without a permanent head coach is a tough sell for recruits, especially at the quarterback position. It looked like Luke Fahey would be a legitimate way to buck the trend all offseason, but he picked Ohio State soon after that offer and push became clear. In-state target Michael Mitchell picked Vanderbilt even before that, and not many additional scholarship offers went out publicly since. Some on-field surprises won’t hurt the chances of cementing a rock solid class with a prep passer late in the cycle.

Syracuse

Can the Orange hold on in Florida?

One of the surprises of the recruiting offseason was Rivals Industry five-star Calvin Russell picking Syracuse over Michigan and scores of other programs. It was far from the only major win in the Sunshine State for Fran Brown and company, with recruits like pass rushers Kamron Wilson and Jarius Rodgers as well as key offensive line pledge Javeion Cooper also on board. Even Central New York native Steven Pickard, playing at IMG Academy in Florida, is being contested by NC State and others. Maintaining the bulk of these recruits through the season is critical for a class approaching the top 25 nationally at the moment.

Virginia

Will we see more on defense?

The Tony Elliot-led Cavaliers aren’t the most simple sell on the recruiting trail so it’s not a major surprise to see low numbers on the commitment list. Taking a closer look at the 13 bodies on board for Virginia right now, most are projected to play on offense at the next level. Just five are expected to work the defensive side of the ball to date, so we should expect some aggression there during senior season evaluations. On the other hand, UVA was heavy on the transfer portal in general and on defense, with more than a dozen defenders among the new names already on campus.

Virginia Tech

Where is the volume?

The Hokies are the lowest-rated program in the ACC and also sit with the fewest amount of verbal commitments to date. Even if it means Brent Pry and company are going to be portal-focused and/or push recruiting chips to the table during the season, the foundation is bare this cycle with just nine commitments to date while the rest of the league has 13 or more on board. In-state recruiting has been solid and there are big fish out there like quarterback Cole Bergeron(commits Aug. 7) and Elijah Golden (Aug. 9), but even Virginia Tech landing both wouldn’t solve this slow start.

Wake Forest

Where is the beef?

While there are a trio of offensive line recruits on board for the new staff under Jake Dickert, there is just one true defensive line commitment (Christian Harris) currently in the boat. Wake Forest has often had to recruit and then develop up front, so it will need to bodies to do so going into the new era. While there are always late risers in a deep defensive line recruiting area like the Carolinas and certainly down the road in the Atlanta metro, winning out up front may become a transfer portal plan as the 2025 season winds down.