Burning questions for 2025 ACC Kickoff: UNC's QB situation under Bill Belichick, Carson Beck's health in focus

The 2025 ACC Kickoff marks the official beginning of a highly anticipated season of football in the conference which continues to get used to its cross-country, 17-team membership. It's not the first time we've seen the ACC with Cal, Stanford and SMU in the fold, but things still feel pretty new, and there's also some new head coaches of note that will bring a fresh look to a conference that continues to evolve.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips will have his own opportunity to answer some burning questions during Tuesday's forum to open the event, and there's no doubt plenty to weigh in on when it comes to College Football Playoff expansion and the fallout from House v. NCAA settlement. But, here, we're more interested in going team-to-team, thinking about the questions we want answered from the coaches and players who will be previewing their seasons. Some of our burning questions are big picture, while others take a closer look at position battles or roster developments. Whatever the case, all of these questions tap into some of what we want to know about the ACC in 2025.

Boston College

How do you replace the losses up front on defense?

The Eagles had a fearsome defensive line last season, thanks in part to 16.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss from ACC Defensive Player of the Year Donovan Ezuiruaku. Now, he's off to join the Dallas Cowboys, and his interior mate, Cam Horsley, who leaves a massive void at defensive tackle, is also in the pros after logging 59 career games for Boston College. That production, talent and experience was valuable and helped Boston College have one of the most productive secondaries in the ACC. So, can the defensive backs help the new faces up front, or are there players ready to take a step forward now with plenty of snaps available on the defensive line?

Cal

What's the pressure like for Justin Wilcox?

Wilcox successfully navigated Cal's first season in the ACC by getting the Bears to a bowl game, the fourth postseason appearance of his eight-year tenure. A change at athletic director and increased oversight from general manager Ron Rivera has ramped up the speculation that Wilcox needs to deliver a strong season, even after a mass exodus of talent from the roster after spring practice. Wilcox will have a chance to answer this question himself, giving us insight into his relationship with Rivera an their shared outlook for Cal football moving forward.

Clemson

What needs to happen for the ground game to get going?

Now we can get into the nitty gritty for burning questions because Clemson doesn't have too many unknowns when it comes to the outlook for 2025. The table is set for Clemson to not only win the ACC again -- the Tigers (+110) are currently favored to emerge as league champs, per FanDuel Sportsbook -- but compete for a national title thanks to all the returning talent and staff upgrade with Tom Allen's arrival as defensive coordinator. One of the only unknowns, aside from whether Clemson can seize the opportunity, is how the ground game shakes out in the wake of losing 1,000-yard rusher Phil Mafah. There are some promising young options but also converted wide receiver Adam Randall. How that position shakes out could play a big role in bringing balance to what's expected to be an explosive passing attack.

Duke

What do Darian Mensah's teammates think of the Blue Devils' new QB?

One of my favorite ways to get a look at how a player is adjusting to the team is to ask his teammates. Offensive lineman Brian Parker will be among the players in attendance who can give insight into how Mensah has gotten acclimated to life at Duke and a new locker room. This feels particularly significant given how Duke specifically targeted and successfully landed one of the prized prospects in the portal, with Mensah quickly visiting and committing to the program in December. Landing Mensah required notable investment, so before we see him on the field, maybe Parker and the rest of the player reps can let us know what to expect from the former Tulane quarterback in a Duke uniform this fall.

Florida State

Is Thomas Castellanos still setting the table for the season opener?

Florida State's new quarterback went viral for his comments about Alabama in advance of the Seminoles home opener, suggesting that without Nick Saban to "save them," the Crimson Tide are not the same type of juggernaut they were in the previous decade. The Alabama players heard the message loud and clear, and last week at SEC Media Days said that "disrespect" will be handled on the field. So, will Castellanos double down, clarify or pivot as he's almost certainly going to be given the opportunity to fire another shot of smack talk across the bow of Florida State's first opponent in 2025.

Georgia Tech

What does Malik Rutherford think about the rest of the WR room?

Georgia Tech returns a ton of experience and production with quarterback Haynes King, running back Jamal Haynes and wide receiver Malik Rutherford. But the offense is missing leading receiver Eric Singleton, who transferred to Auburn in the offseason. Rutherford has been a mainstay in the offense the last two seasons, so with his time at the microphone, it would be great to hear him point to a couple of ways the offense can replicate, or improve on, last year's success, even after losing some key pieces of that unit. If Georgia Tech is going to be a sleeper team, it's got to be able to get the offense going against the best competition, and the passing game is a big part of making that happen.

Louisville

What are the similarities and differences between being the QB for Lincoln Riley and Jeff Brohm?

Lincoln Riley and Jeff Brohm are, for my money, two of the best offensive minds among all head coaches in the sport right now. Miller Moss, Louisville's new starting quarterback from the transfer portal, spent a couple years as USC with Riley and now has spent a spring with Brohm. Hearing how Moss reflects back on his time with the Trojans and Riley will be interesting as he spins it forward to an opportunity at Louisville to compete for a conference title. Moss was replaced as the starter last season in part because of turnover issues that can be corrected, so does he think Louisville might set him up for more success?

Miami

Where is Carson Beck in his return to health and form?

The Hurricanes have a very high floor in terms of what it can accomplish in 2025 because of the talent that has been accumulated by Mario Cristobal and his staff in the last couple seasons. Miami is very good, in particular, at the lines of scrimmage, which should be good news for Carson Beck given his ability to operate at a high level when he's got solid protection from the offensive line. The question is Beck's health and how ready he is -- or will be -- for a highly anticipated season opener against Notre Dame in Hard Rock Stadium. Beck is the X-factor that determines Miami's ceiling, and he'll get to tell the media himself just how close he is to being back to full strength.

North Carolina

What can Gio Lopez tell us about the quarterback battle in Chapel Hill?

When Bill Belichick brought in South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez in the spring portal window, the indication to many was that North Carolina would be looking to him as the team's starter after the spring practice battle did not produce a winner. Yet, when Belichick met with the media this summer, he suggested that Lopez, redshirt senior Max Johnson and true freshman Bryce Baker were all options at the position. Lopez has been picked as a player representative for ACC Kickoff, so we're thinking he's the guy to beat, but it will be enlightening to hear him -- and Belichick -- give the latest updates on the battle for QB1 in Chapel Hill.

NC State

What does Dave Doeren think about his coordinator changes?

Now entering his 13th season as NC State's coach, Dave Doeren is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the ACC at his current position. And while his time with the Wolfpack has included plenty of staff changes, those have typically been gradual and not the reshuffling he undertook after falling short of expectations with a 6-7 showing in 2024. Robert Anae is out as offensive coordinator, leading to the promotion of Kurt Roper, and D.J. Eliot was brought in to be the new defensive coordinator after Tony Gibson left to become the next coach at Marshall. Because it's Doeren's program, first and foremost, we're not expecting a major departure from how his teams look and handle business. But it will be interesting to hear what his goals were when it came to choosing two new coordinator for his 13th year on the job.

Pitt

What's the ceiling for the Pitt offense in Year 2 with Kade Bell?

Panthers running back Desmond Reid has already gotten the ball rolling, pointing to his experience with offensive coordinator Kade Bell when they were at Western Carolina and declaring that Pitt will be even more explosive in 2025. The Panthers put up 30+ points in five of their first seven games, going 7-0 and breaking into the top 20 before losing -- sometimes in heartbreaking fashion -- the final five games of the regular season and the bowl game. Reid returns as one of the top all-purpose backs in the ACC, and he'll have time at the podium to back up his claims and give more insight into what can help Pitt's offense carry that success through the entire season in 2025.

SMU

Will the Kevin Jennings disrespect continue?

SMU coach Rhett Lashlee has certainly taken note of how many times a QB Power Rankings or "Quarterbacks to Watch" list has omitted Kevin Jennings from a top spot. A redshirt junior who was named a team captain even before he was tabbed a starter last season, Jennings finished as a third team All-ACC selection after posting the best passing efficiency rating in the conference (171.5) and a 9-2 record as a starter. The season didn't end well, certainly, but the showing against Penn State might be having a larger impact on the national discussion that has Jennings flying painfully under-the-radar given his success last season.

Stanford

What's Frank Reich's game plan for how to manage a complicated situation?

Troy Taylor was fired by Stanford in March, and general manager Andrew Luck reached out to his former coach to come be the interim for the 2025 season. The messaging from the program says Reich is simply a placeholder for a difficult period of transition, so how will the interim coach deal with a roster and team that is still looking to snap a bowl drought that dates back to 2018? Stanford football wants to win, but buy-in will be tested given the transient nature of the staff and team. Hearing how Reich plans to manage the situation will give us a good idea of what to expect competitively from the Cardinal this fall.

Syracuse

How has Fran Brown seen the program change in the last 12 months?

One year ago, Syracuse was picked to finish 12th in the ACC in the preseason media poll with thoughts that the Orange should be a solid team but maybe one that's on the cut line for bowl eligibility. After rolling off 10 wins, including an epic comeback win against top-10 Miami, how has Fran Brown seen things change for Syracuse football? The program was a dynamic player in the transfer portal and has been making waves on the recruiting trail in the Class of 2026, so from the outside, it looks like Syracuse football has leveled up in terms reputation, likely because of the Year 1 success. Brown is a great quote and routinely gives interesting insight that's informed by a strong background at multiple power conference stops. He'll know, and probably tell us, how Syracuse football is opening a few more doors than it used to.

Virginia

What's been the impact of a heavy influx of transfer talent?

Tony Elliott continues to strive for that breakthrough season, and if it doesn't come in 2025, it will not be for a lack of effort. The Wahoos have invested in the transfer portal in a way that has not been seen in Charlottesville, adding 31 transfers to the roster this offseason after bringing in just 13 the year before and nine the year before that, per the 247Sports database. Chandler Morris is one of those additions; the sixth-year quarterback makes his fourth college stop, and he'll be one of the players in attendance at ACC Kickoff that can speak to how such a heavy portal class has assimilated with the rest of the roster.

Virginia Tech

How does Kyron Drones think Virginia Tech's offense will improve under Philip Montgomery?

There have been far too many close losses for Virginia Tech recently, and one way that Brent Pry has addressed his 1-12 record in games decided by seven points or fewer is to bring in some fresh eyes to retool the offense. Philip Montgomery had high-level success as Baylor's offensive coordinator under Art Briles, and while he and quarterback Kyron Drones never overlapped in Waco, the two former Bears will be the face of an offensive bounce-back effort. Sometimes winning close games means getting more timely stops, but it can also be making sure you aren't in as many one-score games with better offense to create larger leads. If Montgomery can unlock another level in Drones' game, the Hokies might be defending more double-digit leads rather than hoping for regression from the coin-flip results.

Wake Forest

What can Demond Claiborne tell us about the coaching transition?

A four-star prospect coming out of the Tidewater area in Virginia, Claiborne's decision to stick around after Dave Clawson retired was a huge boost for the overall well-being of the program. After two years as a rotation player, he emerged as one of the best running backs in the conference last season and would have had options if he chose to hit the portal in the wake of the coaching change. Now, first-year coach Jake Dickert will lay out his vision for Wake Forest football, and Claiborne can give great insight into how things ended with Clawson and have gotten going with Dickert during his time with the media.