Top 10 returning ACC QBs for 2024 college football season ft. Riley Leonard
The ACC will feature some of the top quarterbacks in the country as they expand to 17 total schools, along with Notre Dame as a part-time conference member for football. This will bring in a new group of quarterbacks ahead of this season, increasing the competition within the conference.
Top ACC quarterbacks returning in 2024
#10. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame (77.5)
Riley Leonard will play his first season at Notre Dame after three seasons with the Duke Blue Devils. Leonard was limited to just seven games due to injury last season but still eclipsed the 1,000-yard passing mark. He is exceptional when navigating the pocket and possesses outstanding accuracy.
In 2022, during his sophomore season at Duke, he threw for 2,967 yards and 20 touchdowns in 13 games while completing 63.8% of his passes.
#9. Max Johnson, North Carolina (78.7)
Max Johnson will be moving to the ACC to replace Drake Maye as the starter in Chapel Hill this season. Johnson spent two seasons at LSU, followed by two seasons at Texas A&M, before transferring to North Carolina in 2024.
Johnson will have big shoes to fill following Drake Maye's move to the NFL. But he has thrown for over 1,000 yards three times in his four-year career. This includes last campaign, when he took over the starting job during midseason, filling in for injured starter Conner Weigman.
#8. Hank Bachmeier, Wake Forest (78.9)
Former Boise State and Louisiana Tech quarterback Hank Bachmeier will be coming to the ACC to take over the starting job at Wake Forest in 2024. Bachmeier will be entering his sixth season of eligibility after throwing for over 2,000 yards last season.
Bachmeier has a ton of experience with a quick release and is an outstanding athlete. His arm strength has something to be desired, but he should fit well in the system at Wake Forest.
#7. Grayson McCall, NC State (79.9)
Former Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall will make his way to the ACC and join NC State as their starter in 2024. This will be McCall's sixth season of college football after playing in just seven games last season due to injury.
McCall led the Sun Belt Conference with 2,488 passing yards during the 2020 season. He will hope to bring that same level of playmaking to the ACC as a member of the Wolfpack this season.
#6. Haynes King, Georgia Tech (80.3)
Haynes King will return for his second season at Georgia Tech after transferring from Texas A&M in 2023.
King led the ACC in passing touchdowns last season with 27. However, interceptions were a concern for King after leading the ACC with 16 picks. If he can cut down on turnovers, King could be one of the top quarterbacks in the conference this season.
#5. Cameron Ward, Miami (80.6)
Washington State transfer Cameron Ward is transferring to Miami in 2024 after throwing for over 3,000 yards the last two consecutive seasons. Ward was one of the top transfer portal targets for programs this year before he eventually chose Miami.
Ward finished eighth in the country last season with 3,736 yards while adding 25 touchdowns. He is highly efficient, completing 66.6% of his passes last season while also recording 144 rushing yards with eight touchdowns on the ground.
#4. DJ Uiagalelei, Florida Sate (82.0)
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei will be on his way back to the ACC after transferring to Florida State following three seasons at Clemson and one season at Oregon State.
Uiagalelei has shown he can be successful no matter where he plays, throwing for over 2,000 yards in each of the last three seasons.
#3. Reese Poffenbarger, Miami (85.6)
Albany transfer Reese Poffenbarger is joining the Miami Hurricanes this season after throwing for 3,614 yards and 36 touchdowns last season.
He will join a stacked quarterback room that includes Cameron Ward and Emory Williams.
Ward will be the likely starter for the Hurricanes in 2024, with Poffenbarger and Williams battling it out for the backup spot. Poffenbarger could be a player to keep an eye on in the future as a quarterback with superstar potential.
#2. Chandler Rogers, Cal (87.8)
Chandler Rogers will likely take over as the starter at Cal in 2024 after two seasons with UL-Monroe and his last season at North Texas. Rogers will be competing with Fernando Mendoza for the starting spot, but Rogers is expected to be the Golden Bears starter in week one.
Rogers threw for 3,382 yards and 29 touchdowns last season at North Texas with just five interceptions. He also added 180 yards on the ground with four rushing touchdowns.
#1. Preston Stone, SMU (91.3)
Preston Stone will be returning for his fourth season at SMU as the Mustangs move from the American Athletic Conference to the ACC in 2024. In Stone's first season as the full-time starter at SMU in 2023, he threw for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdowns.
He ranked first in the conference in both passing yards per attempt and passing efficiency rating last season while leading SMU to an 11-3 record.
Also Read: Top 5 college football teams with stacked QB rooms ahead of 2024 season ft. Texas Longhorns