ACC QB rankings for 2024 season: Top 10 quarterbacks to watch out for this season ft. DJ Uiagalelei, Kyle McCord
The ACC will feature some new starters and a few familiar faces starting at quarterback in 2024. With players like DJ Uiagalelei and Kyle McCord transferring to the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, the competition will be as fierce as ever.
The ACC has seen many of the nation's top quarterbacks compete in the conference over the years, but this year will present another group of top quarterback prospects.
Here is a look at the top 10 quarterbacks in the ACC to watch out for this season.
Also Read: Big Ten QB rankings for 2024 season: Top 10 quarterbacks to watch out for this season ft. Will Howard, Drew Allar
ACC quarterback rankings for 2024
#1. Cameron Ward, Miami
Washington State transfer Cameron Ward will be the new starting quarterback for Miami in the ACC next season. Ward is a perfect fit for coach Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes' offense. He could be the piece that Miami has been missing to put together a championship-caliber team.
Ward threw for 3,735 yards in 2023 with 25 touchdowns. He more than doubled his rushing yardage from 2022 while adding eight touchdowns on the ground.
#2. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
Duke transfer Riley Leonard will make his way to a different ACC team this season at Notre Dame. Leonard will return fully healthy in 2024 after undergoing surgery on his ankle. This injury forced him to miss most of 2023 after an outstanding 2022.
Leonard was one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal before deciding to take his talent to Notre Dame. In seven games last season, Leonard threw for 1,102 yards and three touchdowns. Leonard is a capable runner as well, finishing with 13 touchdowns on the ground in 2022.
#3. DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State
Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei has transferred to Florida State to take over from 2023 ACC Player of the Year Jordan Travis. Uiagalelei was a top prospect at Clemson for three years before transferring to Oregon State last season.
Now back in the ACC at Florida State, Uiagalelei will have a chance to further develop his deep throw accuracy, which has been a struggle for him in his career. Uiagalelei has the talent to replace Travis, who threw for 2,638 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2023. His accuracy will require some improvement, but the potential is still there.
#4. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King transferred from Texas A&M in 2022 and shined with the Yellow Jackets last season. King has the opportunity to play well in 2024 and climb future NFL draft boards.
King threw for 2,842 yards in 2023 with an ACC-leading 27 touchdowns. He ran for over 700 yards as well, but he will need to cut down on turnovers after throwing 16 interceptions.
#5. Kyle McCord, Syracuse
After not being guaranteed his starting job back in 2024, Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal before selecting Syracuse as his next team. McCord played well in his first season as a starter in Columbus, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns.
McCord and the Buckeyes won 11 straight games in 2023 before falling to Michigan in late November. McCord has a great arm, but there are doubts surrounding him after not being able to find more success at Ohio State with so much talent around him.
#6. Preston Stone, SMU
Led by quarterback Preston Stone, SMU will join the ACC in 2024. Stone is coming off a broken leg he suffered late last season. He is expected to be back in full health in the fall and once again take over as the starter.
Stone threw for 3,197 yards in 2023 with 28 touchdowns. He doesn't use his legs as often, but he still posted a career-high four rushing touchdowns last year. He completed just under 60% of his passes and led SMU to a 10-2 record in his 12 starts.
#7. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Clemson quarterback Cade Klunbik is set to return for his second season as the Tigers' starter and is expected to take a big leap in his production. Klubnik's accuracy was impressive in 2023, but the Tigers' offense didn't take many shots down the field, resulting in lower yardage for Klubnik.
He threw for 2,844 yards and 19 touchdowns, plus four additional touchdowns on the ground. Klubnik is extremely talented but needs to work on getting rid of the ball quicker. He sat in the pocket for too long on many occasions last season, which resulted in a ton of sacks.
#8. Grayson McCall, NC State
Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall will move to the ACC to take over as quarterback at NC State. McCall is a three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year but comes off a season where he played in just seven games due to a concussion.
McCall has thrown for over 10,000 yards in his four seasons at Coastal Carolina, along with 88 touchdowns. McCall struggled statistically and health-wise in 2023 but could be one of the top players the ACC teams will need to keep on their radar in 2024.
#9. Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech's Kyron Drones had a breakout sophomore season last year after transferring from Baylor. Drones threw for over 2,000 yards after taking over the starting job three weeks into the season. Drones threw for 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2023.
Drones is a major dual-threat option for Virginia Tech as well. He ran for over 800 yards last year and added five rushing touchdowns. Drones will be poised to take a massive step forward for the Hokies this season.
#10. Max Johnson, North Carolina
Max Johnson transferred to North Carolina following two seasons at LSU and two seasons with Texas A&M. Johnson only spent one full season as a starter in 2021, where he threw for 2,815 yards and 27 touchdowns.
The talent is there for Johnson, and playing under coach Mack Brown should be a major boost to his output. Brown helped turn former quarterback Drake Maye into a top NFL draft prospect at his position, and Johnson will present a similar skill set to that of Maye's.
Who do you think will be the top quarterback in the ACC in 2024? Let us know in the comments below.
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