Breaking down the biggest impact transfer for each ACC program
With the winter transfer window in the books, each college football fan can sit back and take stock of the new names dotting their team’s roster.
Take a look at which new transfer will make the biggest impact for each team in the ACC next season.
BOSTON COLLEGE: Dylan Lonergan
Bill O’Brien recruited Lonergan when he was the offensive coordinator at Alabama and now the two are reuniting at Boston College.
The Eagles will go only as far as the quarterback takes them and Lonergan seems to have the inside track on the starting job this coming season.
CALIFORNIA: Jaron Sagapolutele
Sagapolutele committed to Cal during the high school recruiting process, then flipped to Oregon on National Signing Day, but now is back with the Bears after the departure of Fernando Mendoza to Indiana. He should be able to see significant playing time, if not start on day one.
CLEMSON: Will Heldt
For the first time, Dabo Swinney and Clemson have not shied away from using the transfer portal and it paid off in a big way with the signing of Heldt. The former Purdue standout defensive end was one of the best defenders in the portal this cycle and plays a position of need for the Tigers. He should step into the starting role this fall.
DUKE: Darian Mensah
Mensah has big shoes to fill in Durham after Maalik Murphy led the Blue Devils to a 5-0 start last season. The former Tulane star has a bright future in front of him, but Duke will only go as far as the soon-to-be sophomore can take them.
FLORIDA STATE: Duce Robinson
Things can only get better for Florida State after a disastrous 2024 season, right? Robinson, a Florida State legacy, is an uber-talented pass catcher who should have an immediate impact on the offense this season.
GEORGIA TECH: Eric Rivers
Georgia Tech lost star receiver Eric Singleton Jr. to the transfer portal but it is bringing in another outstanding receiver in Rivers. He should be able to create momentum-shifting plays for the Yellow Jackets this fall.
LOUISVILLE: Miller Moss
In his last season of eligibility, Moss looks to help Louisville make some noise in the ACC this fall. He showed flashes of brilliance at USC and there are plenty of reasons to think he can lead the Cardinals to success this coming season.
MIAMI: Carson Beck
The Hurricanes said goodbye to former five-star transfer Cam Ward after this season but are bringing in another five-star quarterback transfer in Beck. The former Georgia starter is recovering from an elbow injury and the Hurricanes need him to be at 100-percent by the fall or their season may not even get off the ground.
NC STATE: Teague Andersen
The transfer portal wasn’t exactly kind to NC State this offseason but there is a reason to get excited in Raleigh thanks to a few important transfer signees. Andersen is part of a very good offensive line haul that will be tasked with keeping starting quarterback CJ Bailey upright this fall.
NORTH CAROLINA: Khmori House
Bill Belichick’s first transfer class in Chapel Hill is full of future starters and House is expected to play an important role on North Carolina’s defense. House had an excellent freshman season at Washington and there is reason to believe that trend will continue with the Tar Heels.
PITTSBURGH: Blaine Spires
Pittsburgh has a young and very promising defensive line heading into next season but it lost a good deal of talent to the transfer portal. Spires is a productive veteran who should make an impact on the field and help the younger defensive linemen develop.
SMU: Addison Nichols
Simply put, SMU needed to improve in the trenches during this transfer cycle and Nichols is the type of player the Mustangs had to prioritize. The experienced former SEC offensive lineman should help elevate SMU’s offensive line this coming season.
STANFORD: Kai Greer
The Cardinal weren’t able to retain some of their most important offensive linemen from last season so the arrival of Greer via the transfer portal is big. Stanford will be breaking in a new starting quarterback this season and solidifying the offensive line will go a long way toward setting up the new quarterback for success.
SYRACUSE: Rickie Collins
Head coach Fran Brown and staff struck gold when they landed Kyle McCord out of the transfer portal last year and they’re hoping Collins can at the very least come close to McCord’s production.
VIRGINIA: Brady Wilson
Virginia experienced a lot of turnover during this transfer cycle. Head coach Tony Elliott overhauled the quarterback room but it won’t matter who is under center this season if Wilson and the rest of this very good offensive line transfer class don’t improve the front line.
VIRGINIA TECH: Tomas Rimac
It was a tough transfer cycle for the Hokies but they did a good job backfilling in the positions where they lost impact players. Rimac is a plug-and-play guy that will help make sure the Virginia Tech offensive line is one of its strongest position groups.
WAKE FOREST: Robby Ashford
Head coach Jake Dickert brought a lot of his former players with him from Washington State – most notably elite offensive line transfer Fa’alili Fa’amoe – but, in the end, the quarterback play will have the biggest impact on how this season goes for the Demon Deacons.
Ashford is expected to win the starting job in his final season of eligibility. He was very solid when he got his chances at South Carolina last season, which should be encouraging for Wake Forest fans.
