Last Word on College Football continues its off-season look at the best-returning players, by position, by conference. The college football world heads into conference media days starting this week (Big 12), with training camps just a couple of weeks away. So who are the best-returning players in the ACC? Today we turn to the ACC’s best-returning quarterbacks for 2023.
To qualify for the list, you must be returning from within the conference. Transferring from one school to another works, as long as it is within the conference. Quarterbacks who transfer in from another conference are not considered for the purposes of this list.
ACC’s Best Returning Quarterbacks for 2023
5. Tyler Van Dyke; Miami
Van Dyke enters his third year as a starter for the Hurricanes. He had nine starts in 2021 and was the ACC Rookie of the Year, with nearly 3,000 yards passing to go with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. He missed three games due to injury in 2022, and his production in his nine starts was a significant drop-off from his freshman year. He still completed 63% of his passes but had only 1,835 yards passing. His yards per completion dropped by a full two yards. He also fell to only 10 touchdowns against five interceptions.
The Hurricanes fell to 3-6 in his nine starts last year, (5-7 overall). Head coach Mario Cristobol is also moving on to a new offensive coordinator. Shannon Dawson is replacing Josh Gattis and will be Van Dyke’s third offensive coordinator in his three years.
4. Cade Klubnik; Clemson
We are crazy to put a guy with one career start at the number four spot, right? Well, yes, in fact, we are. Yet here he is.
Clemson fans could not wait for D.J. Uiagalelei to falter last season because they were insanely eager for Klubnik to get his shot. He threw all of 22 passes in the regular season but made headlines in leading the Tigers to a dramatic come-from-behind win against Syracuse, coming in for Uiagalelei. The win was the thing, not the stats. He was two of four for 19 yards, (including an 18-yard pass). But it was his readiness to run the offense that stood out.
It was the potential he showed in the ACC championship game and the Orange Bowl that puts him here. He was 20 of 24 for 279 yards and a touchdown against North Carolina in the conference title game. He also had 30 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown in leading Clemson to a 39-10 trouncing of the Tar Heels. In the bowl game, he was 30 of 54 for 320 yards in the loss to Tennessee. He has two big upsides this year. He will be playing for an innovative new offensive coordinator in Garrett Riley. And there will be no debating who QB1 is. Klubnik has to play big for Clemson to hit its college football playoff potential.
3. Riley Leonard; Duke
Not enough of the college football world knows about the second-year quarterback in Durham. Fortunately, we saw it firsthand last year. He was impressive enough that we tinkered with the number two spot on this list. We want to see it again and against a tough schedule.
With Leonard running the Blue Devils offense, Duke went from 3-9 to 9-4 in one year. It does come with a bit of an asterisk. The nine wins came against teams that went a combined 35-61 during the year. But that does not diminish the freshman campaign for Leonard. He threw for just a tick under 3,000 yards. He had 20 touchdown passes against six interceptions. His marquee performance was against Wake Forest. He went 29 of 41 (70% completion rate), for 391 yards, four touchdown passes, and one interception.
Beyond the passing numbers, he led all ACC quarterbacks in rushing, with 699 yards and 13 touchdowns. Duke averaged 32.8 points per game with Leonard running the offense. And he has all of his top receivers back for the 2023 season as well as one of the best offensive linemen in the conference.
2. Drake Maye; North Carolina
The redshirt freshman was one of the most talked about quarterbacks in the country for part of the 2022 season. The question for him in 2023 will be maintaining the play for the entire season.
The Tar Heels won nine of their first 10 games. But then they lost their final four of the season including the conference championship game and the Holiday Bowl to Oregon. Maye averaged 308 yards passing per game last season, good for 4,300+ yards, and 38 touchdowns. In those four losses at the end of the season, the yards per game dropped to 227. He stepped up big against Wake Forest with 448 yards passing and three touchdowns.
He will be running the offense under a new coordinator. Chip Lindsey replaces Phil Longo who is now at Wisconsin. And he loses all-conference receiver Josh Downs to the NFL. But the Tar Heels return a lot of starters on the offensive line. The Tar Heels have Clemson on the road this season, a game that can be a real showcase for a potential Heisman campaign for Maye.
1. Jordan Travis; Florida State
Florida State is a contender for the ACC title game. That is if Travis lives up to the lofty expectations.
Travis started all 13 games for the Seminoles last season. He threw for more than 3,200 yards with 24 touchdowns against only five interceptions. With a 64% completion rate and a 160-passer rating, he was the ACC’s highest-rated passer, just getting by Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman. He added another 417 yards rushing, leading the conference with a nine-yard per run average.
He ended the season leaving Florida State fans with big hopes for the upcoming season. Travis went 27 for 38 for 418 yards and two touchdowns in a three-point win over Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl.
Head coach Mike Norvell took advantage of the transfer portal as well as any coach in the country. Most of the new incoming players were there for Spring camp giving Travis plenty of time to get used to his new surrounding talent.
Photo courtesy: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
