ACC winners in the 2025 recruiting cycle
National Signing Day has come and gone for the class of 2025 and as per usual, there is plenty of talent headed to the ACC. There is a familiar program at the top of the list in terms of the most talent, but some of the other winners in the league may register as a surprise. Rivals highlights a handful of programs here.
1. MIAMI
Mario Cristobal has built a reputation as one of the most relentless head coach recruiters in America and his classes at Miami have only reinforced the perception. The Hurricanes took home the top class in the ACC for the third-straight cycle in 2025, meaning each of the full years the coach has had at his alma mater, he has been able to bring in the league’s top talent.
Fifteen of the 21 UM signees are tabbed as blue-chip recruits by Rivals, helping the program to the highest average rating in the state of Florida as well (3.71). There are several position groups with quality talent throughout, from offensive line led by conference recruiter of the year Alex Mirabal, to tight end, wide receiver and the secondary on defense.
Just as impressively, the bulk of the class was retained despite late-season scrutiny and four coaching changes throughout the defensive staff between December and January. It means there is continuity well beyond the on-field staff in Coral Gables, led by Dennis Smith and company.
It’s long felt like a safe bet to consider The U the class of ACC recruiting.
2. GEORGIA TECH
GEORGIA TECH 2025 RECRUITING CLASS
Brent Key has the program headed in the right direction on the field and recruiting may be approaching an apex, too, on the heels of a top-25 finish on the trail. Georgia Tech has only accomplished that measure just three other times in the history of Rivals (classes of 2003, 2007, 2020), and two of those three classes experienced at least three straight winning seasons. Not so coincidentally, GT is coming off of two in a row ahead of bringing in this strong class.
Key’s group is strong along the offensive line, as one may expect given his background with the position, but it’s just as talented along the defensive front with key victories against national programs with blue-chippers Christian Garrett and Derry Norris. But the best group could be the secondary talent headed to Atlanta, including marquee recruits such as All-Americans Tae Harris and Dalen Penson among those expected to make an impact sooner rather than later.
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3. SYRACUSE
SYRACUSE 2025 RECRUITING CLASS
The 10-win run under rookie head coach Fran Brown has led to considerable recruiting success for Syracuse, with the Orange not only bringing in one of their top classes of the modern era – but also one of America’s biggest groups with 35 signees. It’s good enough for the No. 38 class nationally and No. 8 in the conference, a mark the program also hit with the 2024 class. Before that point, 15 straight Orange classes ranked outside of the top-50 nationally.
The state of Florida was fruitful for the program in particular, supplying multiple blue-chip defensive back recruits in Demetres Samuel and Kaylib Singleton, each on a potential track to see the field early. The Sunshine State supplied six recruits for Brown’s program, the same number as in-staters slated to kick off their college careers in Central New York. The volume should help with the expected turnover on the roster, too, as the Orange (42) trail only North Carolina (44) in the conference in total additions through the prep and transfer portal ranks to date.
4. NORTH CAROLINA
NORTH CAROLINA 2025 RECRUITING CLASS
As the December Early Signing Period wound down, UNC looked like quite the mess with single-digit commitments and uncertainty surrounding top-ranked recruit and quarterback Bryce Baker. Since, not only has Bill Belichick and company hit the transfer portal hard, but they are building depth through the high school ranks simultaneously.
Baker has jumped back in the fold to headline the class, which has since tripled in size from the prep ranks alone, with the group somehow in the top 10 of the ACC at this point. Sure, many of the new additions for Carolina are two- and three-star talents who were perhaps overlooked by local programs at some point, but there is a two-pronged viewpoint to lean into there.
For one, some of these recruits will over-perform relative to expectation. The odds also confirm the need for volume as the coaching staff began its transition beyond the ESP window. So in the catch-up game, the NFL G.O.A.T. is doing about as well as anyone in Chapel Hill could have hoped for.
The 2026 cycle will be a better gauge of how he can lead a true recruiting class, but the front end of the gig was to bring in the combination of talent and mass and those boxes appear to be checked.
