Osceola contributors Josh Schuminsky and Alex Abrams take a look at each of the ACC’s teams. They start their preview with a broad look at Florida State.

Forget about last season, Florida State fans. Thanks to the transfer portal, there is so much turnover in college football nowadays that a team’s roster changes dramatically from one season to the next. In other words: These aren’t the same Seminoles that produced only two wins and a lot of heartache in 2024.

Perhaps the only constant is that Mike Norvell is back for his sixth season as FSU’s head coach, but his coaching staff, defensive scheme and roster look much different than a year ago. That bodes well for Norvell getting the football program back on track and dominating like it was before last season’s struggles.

For starters, the Seminoles have new coordinators on both sides of the ball. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is considered an innovative, offensive guru who literally wrote a book on the hurry-up, no-huddle offense. He’s at his best when he has a mobile quarterback to call plays, as he did when he was Auburn’s head coach and came within seconds of upsetting FSU in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game.

Much of this season will depend on whether former Boston College quarterback Tommy Castellanos, who’s familiar with Malzahn’s scheme from their time together at UCF in 2022, can lead FSU’s offense without a hitch.

But Castellanos won’t have to do it all by himself, though he can at times, as he showed when he passed for 2,248 yards and rushed for another 1,113 yards as Boston College’s starter in 2023. The Seminoles have rebuilt their offensive line through the transfer portal, and Malzahn brought his offensive line coach, Herb Hand, with him from UCF. With improved run blocking, a deep backfield and a dual-threat quarterback, FSU should rely on a low-risk offense that runs the ball and controls the clock this season.

Castellanos will also have plenty of weapons to throw to, allowing the Seminoles to have some balance on offense. The passing game should feature a pair of highly touted transfers in wide receivers in Squirrel White (Tennessee) and Duce Robinson (USC), the son of FSU cornerback Dominic Robinson. Markeston “Biscuit” Douglas’ decision to return to Tallahassee will provide a nice boost and give Malzahn another high-end tight end to use on offense.

On defense, everything begins and ends with new coordinator Tony White, who has implemented an aggressive 3-3-5 scheme that emphasizes a balanced approach to stopping the run and the pass. His defenses at Nebraska and Syracuse were consistently ranked among the best in the nation, and they allowed his linebackers to make plays instead of being forced to fit into a box.

Like Malzahn, White brought some of his personnel with him to FSU, most notably new defensive line coach Terrance Knighton and promising defensive end transfer James Williams. Williams and returning senior Darrell Jackson Jr. should anchor the defensive line and take some pressure off the secondary, which should be much improved even with former star cornerback Azareye’h Thomas now making plays for the New York Jets.

Norvell doesn’t need a high-powered offense and a shutdown defense like he has had in the past for the Seminoles to win 8-9 games this season and earn a trip to a good bowl game. They just need to avoid costly mistakes and be good enough down the stretch to allow FSU to pull out several close wins.

If Castellanos lives up to the hype and performs more like he did in 2023 than in 2024, when he was benched at Boston College, then the Seminoles have a chance at enjoying an even better season than expected.

This is a new season. Last year’s woes are in the past, and there are plenty of reasons for FSU fans to be optimistic heading into the fall.

Boston College Eagles

Who is gone:

• QB Thomas Castellanos

• DE Donovan Ezeiruaku

• OL Ozzy Trapilo

• Top four defensive lineman from 2024

Who is new:

• Alabama transfer QB Dylan Lonergan

• Campbell WR transfer VJ Wilkins

• Alabama transfer TE Ty Lockwood

• QB Shaker Reisig

Bill O’Brien is back for a second season as Boston College’s coach, and he hopes there’s more continuity at the quarterback position than he had a year ago. The Eagles got off to a promising 4-1 start in 2024. But then he benched starter Thomas Castellanos, who eventually left the team and is now at Florida State. Florida International transfer Grayson James showed potential after replacing Castellanos, but he’ll have to hold off Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan to win the starting job this fall. Whichever passer gets the nod will have several offensive playmakers and a revamped defense to potentially take off some of the pressure. We have the Eagles bowling — but nothing more.

California Golden Bears

Who is gone:

• Offensive coordinator Mike Bloesch

• Defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon

• QB Fernando Mendoza • LB Teddye Buchanan

Who is new:

• Offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin

• Terrence Brown and Vic So’oto as co-defensive coordinators

• Ohio State QB transfer Devin Brown

• Five new offensive linemen

Cal experienced plenty of turnover after finishing 6-7 in its first season in the ACC. The Bears lost 33 players to the transfer portal, and coach Justin Wilcox replaced both his offensive and defensive coordinators. He’s hoping to get his program heading in the right direction, with former Auburn coach Bryan Harsin now calling plays as the offensive coordinator. A pair of former top recruits — Ohio State transfer Devin Brown and freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele — are in the midst of a quarterback competition to see which one will earn the starting job and face the challenge of making the Bears relevant in the ACC. But that might not come this season with so many new faces on the team. We have the Bears barely going bowling.

Clemson Tigers

Who is gone:

• Starting RB Phil Mafah

• Defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin

• Punter Aidan Swanson

Who is new and returning:

• QB Cade Klubnik and his 43 total TDs

• ACCs best returning receiver room (Antonio Williams, and Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore)

• Running back by committee

• New defensive coordinator Tom Allen

Clemson is going to go as far as a Klubnik-led offense will take them. While the defense theoretically should improve with Allen at the helm, they are returning mostly the same personnel, led by linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, who gave up 4.71 yards per carry last year. If Allen and his defensive philosophy can right the ship at the line of scrimmage, the Klubnik-led offense should have enough to navigate through the ACC and return to the playoffs.

Duke Blue Devils

Who is gone:

• QB Maalik Murphy

• Top receivers from last year

Who is new and returning:

• Tulane QB transfer Darian Mensah

• Running back Jaquez Moore

• Oklahoma transfer WR Andrel Anthony

• Four returning starters on the offensive line

Duke returns a bunch of personnel from last season’s squad. Mensah should be an upgrade over Murphy at QB, so the offense might step up in production (or might not?). With Moore returning from injury and a new receiver corps, capturing lightning in a bottle again might prove to be tough. We see a worse record overall that might be able to squeeze out a bowl appearance.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Who is gone:

• Defensive Coordinator Tyler Santucci

• Three-fifths of the offensive line (lost both tackles and center)

• Seven starters from last year’s defense

Who is new or returning:

• QB Haynes King

• WR Malik Rutherford

• RB Jamal Hayes

• New defensive coordinator Blake Gideon (former Longhorns safeties coach)

Georgia Tech is at a crossroads with its program: It can either take two steps forward because of the familiar faces on the offensive side of the ball or take two steps back because of the lack of familiar faces on the offensive line and in the defensive leadership with the inexperienced Gideon. If the offensive line is not cohesive, King might revert to his days of being a deer in headlights like he was at Texas A&M. We see bowling as a possibility but most likely a step back this year.

Louisville Cardinals

Who is gone:

• QB Tyler Shough

• CB Quincy Riley

• Much of the offensive line

• OT Monroe Mills (now at Virginia)

Who is new:

• USC QB transfer Miller Moss

• Coastal Carolina transfer DL Clev Lubin

• Seven transfer offensive linemen

• Four transfer wide receivers

Jeff Brohm has won 19 games in his first two seasons as Louisville’s coach, and Year 3 is when coaches seem to have their systems in place and their programs headed in right direction. Brohm will need to find a new quarterback to take that next step after the New Orleans Saints drafted Tyler Shough in the second round after one spectacular season with the Cardinals. But it helps that Louisville returns one of the nation’s best backfields with Isaac Brown and Duke Watson. We have the Cardinals staying toward the top of the ACC and making a run at a conference title.

Miami Hurricanes

Who is gone:

• No. 1 NFL draft pick Cam Ward

• Top five receivers from last year

• Top running back from last year

• Two of the starting offensive linemen

• Seven starters from last year’s defense

Who is new:

• Georgia QB transfer Carson Beck

• BYU transfer WR Keelan Marion

• Cincinnati transfer WR Tony Johnson

• New defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman

Miami is going to have to play a different brand of football this coming season because of the vast changes in personnel and position coaches. The defense under Hetherman will have to be better than the unit that gave up 25.3 points per game last season. Miami’s offense carried the team on a run that fell short of the CFP in 2024. If Miami is going to make a return appearance this new run-controlled offense is going to have to average 30 points a game to have a chance to win games. I have them bowling but not in the playoffs.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Who is gone:

• Mack Brown

• Most everything else

Who is new:

• Bill Belichick

• New defense made up of primarily transfers, led by Pryce Yates (UCONN)

• New offense, led by QB Gio Lopez (South Alabama)

• New TE Jake Johnson (Texas A&M)

The Tar Heels are about to embark on the great Bill Belichick experiment. Right now, they have his name recognition and not much else. This experiment has a chance to blow up in year one negatively. When Belichick was with the NFL’s Patriots, winning Super Bowls with Tom Brady, often there was a debate over whether it was Belichick or Brady that created the success. In the NFL, Belichick’s years after Brady proved to be painful to watch. Those post-Brady years should continue at the college ranks.

North Carolina State Wolfpack

Who is gone:

• Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson

• Last year’s entire secondary

• Offensive coordinator Robert Anae

Who is new or returning:

• QB CJ Bailey

• TE Justin Joly

• WR Hollywood Smothers

• New defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot

• New offensive coordinator Kurt Roper

NC State’s love affair with head coach Dave Doeren seems to be coming to an end. This Hail Mary changing of coordinators seems like a last-ditch effort for Doeren to stay in Raleigh, N.C. If Doeren can somehow successfully replace the coordinators and the black hole left by the secondary’s departures via the transfer portal he deserves ACC coach of the year. My bet: A new regime takes over next season, and the Wolfpack stays home during bowl season.

Pitt Panthers

Who is gone:

• All-ACC safety Donovan McMillon

• Six defensive linemen to the transfer portal

• OL Branson Taylor

• Pass catchers WR Konata Mumpfield and TE Gavin Bartholomew

Who is new:

• Florida State WR transfer Deuce Spann

• Western Carolina QB transfer Cole Gonzales

• UC Davis safety transfer Kavir Bains

• Utah State DE transfer Blaine Spires

• Oregon DE transfer Jaeden Moore

Pitt left its fans scratching their heads in 2024 after opening the season 7-0, only to end the season on a six-game losing streak. Injuries played a factor in the Panthers’ collapse down the stretch, but Alabama transfer Eli Holstein showed potential as a dual-threat quarterback before injuries slowed him down. The defense should be able to take pressure off the offense with the return of one of the nation’s top linebacker tandems in Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles. We have Pitt going bowling but not much more.

SMU

Who is gone:

• QB Preston Stone

• Star running back Brashard Smith

• Three of its top wide receivers from 2024

• All but two starters on defense

Who is new:

• Two transfer RBs — Chris Johnson Jr. (Miami) and T.J. Harden (UCLA)

• East Carolina LB transfer Zakye Barker

• Former Miami starting QB Tyler Van Dyke

A year ago, SMU shocked the college football world with its high-powered offense and the ACC’s lowest-scoring defense. The Mustangs went 11-3 and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff. There’s no doubt that Rhett Lashlee, a protégé of Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, has turned SMU into a legitimate contender for the first time since the days of the “Pony Express.” Nonetheless, returning quarterback Kevin Jennings will have fewer weapons to work with this season with two of his top running backs and three of his top wide receivers gone from last season. Assuming some newcomers can provide Jennings with some help and fill the big holes on defense, we again have SMU challenging Clemson for the ACC championship.

Stanford

Who is gone:

• Head coach Troy Taylor

• LB David Bailey • WRs Elic Ayomanor and Emmett Mosley V

Who is new:

• Interim head coach Frank Reich

• Co-defensive coordinator Andy Thompson

• Two transfer QBs: Dylan Rizk (UCF) and Ben Gulbranson (Oregon State)

• Eastern Washington RB transfer Tuna Altahir

It has been a tumultuous offseason for Stanford, and it doesn’t bode well for the Cardinal having a promising fall. In March, Troy Taylor was fired as the head coach after two investigations into his behavior. Former Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich was hired as the interim coach, but he’s not set up to have success this season with a roster depleted of talent. He needs to sort out the quarterback situation and hope that he can find some playmakers after Stanford lost some of its top players to the transfer portal. The Cardinal are nowhere near returning to national relevance. We have Stanford not making a bowl game and instead spending December busy with a coaching search.

Syracuse Orange

Who is gone:

• QB Kyle McCord

• Leading rusher LeQuint Allen

• Three leading receivers from 2024

• Eight defensive starters

Who is new:

• LSU QB transfer Rickie Collins

• Notre Dame QB transfer Steve Angeli

• Georgia safety transfer Chris Peal

• Five offensive line transfers

Syracuse was arguably the ACC’s biggest surprise in 2024, finishing 10-3 in Fran Brown’s first season leading the Orange. It was the first time Syracuse won at least 10 games in a season since 2018, but it will be difficult for the team to match that success this fall. Brown will need to rely on a bunch of new playmakers on both sides of the ball, starting with either Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli or LSU transfer Rickie Collins at quarterback. This could be a rebuilding year for the Orange, who return only three starters on defense and have a difficult schedule that includes four teams that made last year’s college football playoffs — Tennessee, Clemson, SMU and Notre Dame. We have the Syracuse fighting to be bowl eligible.

Virginia Cavaliers

Who is gone:

• QBs Anthony Colandrea and Tony Muskett

• Top two receivers from last year

• Offensive line

• Defensive line

Who is new:

• North Texas QB transfer Chandler Morris

• Purdue transfer WR Jahmal Edrine

• Notre Dame transfer WR Jayden Thomas

• RB transfer J’Mari Taylor (FCS North Carolina Central)

Virginia head coach Tony Elliott needs his set of rosary beads to work really well to keep his job next year. He has the great task of rebuilding both the offensive line and the defensive line in one offseason with the same leadership in place. The program has been trending down for a few years. This season will be no different. Elliott very well could be replaced after the season.

Virginia Tech Hokies

Who is gone:

• Offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen

• Defensive coordinator Chris Marve

• RB Bhayshul Tuten

• WR Jaylin Lane

Who is new:

• Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery

• Defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes

• Bowling Green RB transfer Terion Stewart

• Wake Forest WR transfer Donavon Greene

Virginia Tech will look noticeably different on both sides of the ball after coach Brent Pry needed to replace his offensive and defensive coordinators after going 6-7 in 2024. As if that weren’t enough, the Hokies had to hit the transfer portal hard to find more offensive playmakers and get some much-needed help for a defense that returns only two starters. But there is consistency at quarterback, with last year’s starter Kyron Drones back under center. We have the Hokies winning just enough games to go bowling.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Who is gone:

• Head coach Dave Clawson

• Mesh offense

• Offensive line

• WR corps

Who is new:

• Head coach Jake Dickert

• QB Robby Ashford (South Carolina)

• QB Deshawn Purdie (Charlotte)

• RB Demond Claiborne

Wake Forest’s 2025 season will be defined by a lot of unknowns. Will they find a quarterback, offensive line and a receiving corps to let 1,000-yard back Desmond Claiborne eat? Or will all the change on the offensive side of the ball result in a lot of blowout losses and Claiborne not making it through the season? My guess is that this year is going to be a redshirt year for the program while Dickert lays a new foundation for the future.