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It is now July which means one thing, the college football season is almost here. Last summer while I worked at WSOU, I wrote weekly articles previewing each Power Four conference. From the biggest stories to the biggest names, it was a way to get people excited for what I believe is the best sport in the world.
Of course, the past few months (and honestly years) have been chaotic in college athletics, especially in football. I used to list all the players I had to know and I tried to predict each FBS team's record for a given season. But with conference realignment and the transfer portal exploding right in my face, I had to stop after 2023.
By doing these more manageable articles, it allows me to focus more on the bigger stories in a conference. Which is why today, I will be focusing on the ACC. Here are some stories that should surely interest you.
A Brand New Quarterback Enters Coral Gables:
After a fantastic season under center, former Miami (FL) quarterback Cam Ward found himself picked first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. For me, Ward was a fun QB to watch and was a great pickup in the transfer portal for Mario Cristobal and his program. But with Ward gone, the Hurricanes went portal hunting again this offseason and presumably found their next guy at the position.
Now at this rate you know who it is and for me, I’m not the biggest fan of him. Former Georgia QB Carson Beck will be the new starter for the Hurricanes and for some reason, I don’t see the hype around him. Everyone proclaimed he would be a first round QB in this year’s draft, but he regressed last season and ultimately had a season ending injury as well.
However, he should be able to rebound nicely, especially behind an offensive line which features a potential first rounder in Francis Mauigoa. I personally believe my dislike towards him stems from him beating out former blue-chip recruit Brock Vandagriff at Georgia. But Beck could make it to the NFL while Vandagriff retired from football so that was poor judgement on my part.
Will Clemson Reach the College Football Summit Again?:
When I was getting into college football in the mid-2010s, Clemson was building something special within their football program. What proceeded was National Championships, ACC Championships, incredible prospects and recognition the school adored so much. However, the magic was on the decline for a bit after the 2020 season.
But after winning the ACC Championship last season and returning to the College Football Playoff, 2025 could be their best shot in years to win another Natty. Cade Klubnik has improved every season as a starter and recorded career numbers in 2024. While former Tiger QBs like Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence never won the Heisman, Klubnik could be the one to do it.
Not only do the Tigers return a ton of production among their players, but head coach Dabo Swinney finally did something historic. He used the transfer portal and added key players to help his defense which needed to improve. Swinney and the program were also able to land former Indiana HC Tom Allen as their defensive coordinator.
With a big game against LSU in the battle of the Death Valleys in week one, Clemson will look to make a statement early.
Florida State and the Quest for Redemption:
After being on the doorstep of the CFP in 2023, Florida State took multiple massive steps back and finished 2-10. For the sake of Seminoles fans, let’s forget about their horrible 2024 season and move on. HC Mike Norvell had to basically change everything this off-season.
Offensively, Norvell hired former Auburn and UCF HC Guz Malzahn to be the team’s offensive coordinator. The transfer portal was also used heavily with Thomas Castellanos arriving from Boston College to be their new quarterback. Duce Robinson (USC) and Squirrel White (Tennessee) also portaled into Tallahassee this off season.
Things don’t start out easy for Florida State as their week one opponent will be looking to rebound and make a statement this season. That team… Alabama. While it is a home game for the Seminoles, the bear was already poked by Castellanos so that might haunt them really early on.
Can We Please Talk About North Carolina Football and Only Football:
Hey, did you know that the Tar Heels hired legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick this offseason? Did you know he’s dating a woman that’s like three or four years older than me? No you say, well let me tell you pal, I’m tired of hearing this stupid story every month.
Seriously, I feel like every article and post I see is about his weird relationship and not about football. College football fans want to see how Belichick’s program is progressing and if they’ll be good this season, not dumb soap opera stuff. Like how about new transfer QB Gio Lopez and what non-South Alabama fans need to know about him?
Will the Tar Heels pull a huge win vs TCU in Belichick's first game as their coach? How about the rest of the season? Now I’m hearing reports that Tom Brady is trying to one up Belichick by crushing on Sydney Sweeney.
What even is 2025 anymore man? I want to talk about football.
Chef Fran Brown is Cooking Something Good in Syracuse:
When Fran Brown was hired to become the new HC at Syracuse in November 2023, I loved the hire. He knew how to recruit talented players and especially knew how to recruit the Garden State. Add former QB Kyle McCord to the mix and the Orange had one of their best seasons in years in 2024, going 10-3.
However, experts say Syracuse will take a step back this season, citing their below average returning production as one reason. Plus, with McCord now in the NFL, Rickie Collins and New Jersey native Steve Angeli are competing for the starting QB position. The schedule is also ridiculously difficult with matchups versus Tennessee, Clemson, SMU, Miami (FL) and Notre Dame, all of which are not home games.
Will Syracuse take a step back this season given everything against them? No doubt. But, I do believe Brown is building something special in Upstate New York and the challenges his program will face will only make them tougher.
Trust in Brown, he knows what he’s doing.