ACC Football: Preview and Predictions for 2021 Season

Clemson enters the 2021 college football season aiming for a seventh straight ACC title. And there still might not be any program that is ready to dethrone Dabo Swinney's team.

Although the league has an impressive group of returning quarterbacks, Clemson is the undisputed class of the 14-team ACC. In a preseason poll of 147 voters, Clemson landed 125 championship projections. If anything, that total seems low.

Nevertheless, Coastal Division leaders North Carolina and Miami headline the teams attempting to derail a dynasty this season. Within the Atlantic Division, North Carolina State seems most likely to present a challenge to Clemson.

We'll cover those storylines and more—including the biggest stars, best offense and defense as well as new or hot-seat coaches—throughout this preview of the 2021 ACC season.

Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

As the 2022 NFL draft approaches, you'll be probably hearing Sam Howell's name an awful lot. He's a strong contender to be the No. 1 overall pick, along with Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler.

Howell totaled 40 touchdowns as a freshman and was even more efficient in 2020. While averaging 10.3 yards per attempt, he threw for 3,586 yards and 30 touchdowns. Howell also ripped off 16 runs of 10-plus yards and scored five times on the ground.

North Carolina is rebuilding at running back and receiver, but Howell's presence gives this offense huge upside.

D'Eriq King, QB, Miami

In 2018 at Houston, D'Eriq King accounted for 50 touchdowns. It should be no surprise he put together a superb year at Miami last season, throwing for 23 scores and rushing in four more.

Overall, the transfer quarterback completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 8.2 yards per attempt. King closed the season with 2,686 passing yards, 538 rushing yards and a torn right ACL—ah, right, the last part. He exited the Cheez-It Bowl with the devastating injury but has recovered fully and in time for the 2021 opener.

Miami has questions on offense (more on that shortly), but the 'Canes will be a thorn as long as King is under center.

Take Your Pick, Clemson

Would you prefer quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who is expected to become a national star? How about top target Justyn Ross, a standout receiver coming back from spinal surgery? Or maybe defensive linemen Bryan Bresee and Myles Murphy, who combined for 18 tackles for loss as freshmen?

The list could continue, but you get the point. Clemson is very likely to have a couple of All-Americans in 2021.

Can Anyone Catch Clemson, Part 492

Spoiler alert: The six-time reigning ACC champions are once again the clear favorite in the league.

Unlike the other Power Five dynasties, though, the Tigers have hardly dealt with a fight. Clemson is 47-3 against ACC teams in the last six seasons and has outscored its opposition 176-40 during the last four ACC Championship Games. At least Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma have been challenged on occasion.

Since neither Miami nor North Carolina is on the regular-season slate, Clemson seems destined for another 11-win season at worst. Frankly, injury may be the only obstacle that would prevent Clemson from a seventh straight ACC title.

Are UNC, Miami or NC State for Real?

In the preseason AP Top 25, North Carolina and Miami landed a Top 15 ranking. North Carolina State garnered some attention in the Others Receiving Votes portion of the poll.

Sure, that's nice recognition, but it ultimately doesn't matter. The real challenge is when NC State hosts Clemson on Sep. 25 or either UNC or Miami—barring a surprise ascent from Virginia Tech or Pitt—meets the Tigers in the ACC Championship Game.

McKenzie Milton's FSU Debut

If this isn't the feel-good story of the year, it's certainly close.

During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, McKenzie Milton went 23-0 as UCF's starter and earned top-eight finishes in the Heisman Trophy voting. However, a terrifying knee injury ended his 2018 campaign and sidelined him for the last two years.

This offseason, Milton transferred to Florida State. He's since won the quarterback job and will return to the field when the Seminoles host Notre Dame on Sunday, Sept. 5.

Miami Hurricanes

Continuity is valuable, and Miami returns a strong majority of its key players. The question with experience, however, is whether it's good enough to be great.

D'Eriq King has All-American upside, and the 'Canes have serious depth at running back and safety. Yet they need Oklahoma transfer Charleston Rambo to become a standout receiver and the offensive line to develop into a reliable unit. They need a star pass-rusher to emerge, the linebackers to perform at a much higher level and the cornerbacks to not have nightmarish breakdowns.

Possible? Sure. King's explosiveness can hide some weaknesses, but Miami has plenty of questions to answer.

North Carolina Tar Heels

The departures are significant; Javonte Williams, Michael Carter, Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome all headed to the NFL. Yet a Sam Howell-led offense still has high-scoring potential. One major concern is opposing teams may again have the same.

Although the Tar Heels averaged a scorching 41.7 points last season, they surrendered 29.4 per game. Florida State and Virginia both upset UNC, while Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Notre Dame all notched at least 6.4 yards per play against the Heels. Miami's experience question also applies to UNC's defense.

But if Howell can help the Heels survive a front-loaded ACC schedule—particularly when hosting Miami on Oct. 16—they should take the Coastal Division in 2021.

North Carolina State Wolfpack

After an 8-4 season, North Carolina State seems best positioned to threaten Clemson in the Atlantic Division. Exactly how much NC State has closed the gap since a 55-10 loss in 2019 is unknown, considering they didn't play in 2020. Nevertheless, it was a strong year for NC State.

Similar to UNC, the Wolfpack have a bunch of experience on defense but a ton of room to improve. Last season, NC State gave up 29.2 points per game—and 44-plus in three losses.

In the division, though, one upset can swing the race dramatically. And NC State has that chance against Clemson in September.

Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech

Considering he's fit this description for three seasons, Justin Fuente must be pretty toasty at this point. In 2020, Virginia Tech slumped to a 5-6 finish—the second sub-.500 season in the last three years. Those are the program's only losing records since 1992.

Fuente's buyout is $10 million through the calendar year, so a cost-cutting athletic department might not be rushing for a change. But if the Hokies again fall out of ACC contention, Fuente will be facing constant questions about his job security.

Dino Babers, Syracuse

Three years ago, the Orange finished 10-3 and 15th in the AP poll. Factor in an upset of Clemson in 2017 and a close loss in 2018, and Dino Babers seemed to have Syracuse on track to compete in the ACC.

Not so much anymore. After a 5-7 season in 2019, the Orange plummeted to 1-10 last year. Syracuse scored just 17.8 points per game, which ranked 117th nationally out of 127 teams. For an offensive-minded coach, that's simply unacceptable.

Babers' buyout is unknown, though a Yahoo estimate in 2020 pegged the number around $17 million. That likely has dropped some, but financial considerations may force Syracuse to bring Babers back in 2022 even if the program endures a third straight losing season.

Sept. 4: Clemson vs. Georgia (Charlotte, North Carolina)

No matter what happens after this showdown, it's a top-five matchup on opening weekend. That's always a huge appeal. Since this is likely Clemson's most difficult game of the season, a victory would both give the Tigers a marquee win and protect their ever-valuable margin for error when the competition level drops.

Sept. 25: Clemson at North Carolina State

Traditionally, road games are the most dangerous matchups on a conference slate. And since NC State is probably Clemson's top threat in the Atlantic, this late-September clash is especially valuable to the Tigers. Clemson otherwise travels to Syracuse (on a Friday), Pitt and Louisville.

Oct. 16: Miami at North Carolina

If preseason expectations hold true, this contest will determine the Coastal Division. North Carolina smoked the Hurricanes 62-26 last year, so Miami will be desperate for revenge. One factor heavily in Miami's favor is the 'Canes have an idle weekend prior to the game, while it's the last of seven straight games for UNC.

Oct. 30: North Carolina at Notre Dame

North Carolina's busy stretch ends with Miami, but the Heels travel to Notre Dame after an idle Saturday of their own. At this point, UNC could be the ACC's last remaining non-Clemson national threat and desperately in need of a victory in South Bend to stay alive. Or, if Miami wins the Oct. 16 clash, the Heels may embrace the spoiler role and aim to knock Notre Dame out of contention.

North Carolina and Miami deserve a nod because of Sam Howell and D'Eriq King, and either offense could overtake Clemson if their respective receiving corps develop quickly.

But we'll take the safe choice.

Clemson boasts one of the nation's top play-callers in Tony Elliott. He interviewed at Tennessee but again decided to stay at Clemson, where he's overseen five top-12 offenses in the last six years.

D.J. Uiagalelei played well in two unexpected starts last season, and the former top prospect returns behind a veteran offensive line. Justyn Ross headlines a receiving corps that—while moderately unproven—has five players who caught 16-plus passes in 2020.

The key for Clemson to live up to this billing is finding the right mix to replace All-American running back Travis Etienne. But with longtime backup Lyn-J Dixon, Kobe Pace and 5-star freshman Will Shipley, the Tigers should be optimistic about what the unit will accomplish this season.

While the "best offense" category has some competition, Clemson might not have much ACC competition on the defensive side.

Thanks to the extra year of eligibility, the Tigers have an extremely rare mix of veterans and experienced youth.

Most notably, though, they've been highly effective. Four players earned All-ACC honors last season, including Bryan Bresee, who garnered first-team recognition as a freshman. Additionally, Tyler Davis and Xavier Thomas were second- and third-team All-ACC members in 2019, respectively.

Even after linebacker Mike Jones Jr. transferred to LSU and Clemson dismissed cornerback Derion Kendrick, the defense still returns 11 of its top 12 tacklers. Plus, a host of freshmen saw semi-regular playing time because of Clemson's propensity for blowout wins.

Depth is good. Talent and experience are great. Combining all three together is the foundation of an elite defense.

Atlantic Division

Clemson (12-0; 8-0 ACC)

North Carolina State (8-4; 5-3 ACC)

Boston College (7-5; 4-4 ACC)

Florida State (6-6; 4-4 ACC)

Louisville (5-7; 4-4 ACC)

Wake Forest (5-7; 3-5 ACC)

Syracuse (4-8; 1-7 ACC)

Coastal Division

North Carolina (9-3; 6-2 ACC)

Miami (9-3; 6-2 ACC)

Pitt (8-4; 4-4 ACC)

Virginia Tech (6-6; 4-4 ACC)

Virginia (6-6; 3-5 ACC)

Georgia Tech (5-7; 3-5 ACC)

Duke (4-8; 1-7 ACC)

By now, you understand the choice is Clemson. Probably don't need to spend many words justifying the Tigers.

In the Coastal Division, North Carolina is our preseason favorite over Miami. What the Heels need to replace at running back and receiver is massive, but the relative simplicity of the Air Raid should be helpful in Sam Howell's adjustment to his new weapons.

As long as D'Eriq King is healthy, Miami is capable of taking down UNC. However, we have reservations about the depth of the receiving corps and disruptiveness of the front seven.

Either way, the Coastal Division winner will be the underdog in the ACC Championship Game. The strongest unit in the conference is Clemson's defense, and neither Miami nor UNC projects to have a defense that is more than slightly above average.

We'll be asking the same question in 2022. Can anyone catch Clemson?

Projected ACC Champion: Clemson

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.