We are just a few weeks away from UNC kicking off the 2025 football season against TCU. It goes without saying at this point that there is a tremendous amount of buzz around the program thanks to the new guy leading the charge, and whether or not that buzz will translate into results is something that we will be keeping our eye on from now until November/December. For now, what we do have are ACC preseason rankings, and when it comes to the Tar Heels, they are in a pretty modest position.
UNC will
be starting the season as the eighth-best ACC team according to the ACC Preseason Poll:
ACC Preseason Football Poll:
— Michael Koh (@michaelkohwchl) July 30, 2025
1. Clemson (167 1st place votes)
2. Miami (7)
3. SMU (2)
4. Georgia Tech (2)
5. Louisville
6. Duke
7. Florida State (4)
8. UNC
9. Pitt
10. NC State
11. Virginia Tech (1)
12. Syracuse
13. BC
14. Virginia
15. Cal
16. Wake Forest
17. Stanford
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Clemson is once again at the top of the poll, while Miami is behind them in second place. The entire list is an interesting one — when I am looking at NC State specifically, I would’ve expected them to land higher than UNC somehow, but instead will be the 10th-best team in the rankings to start the season. It is also worth noting that the Sandman-loving Virginia Tech Hokies are ranked 11th, but somehow they received a first-place vote. There was some weird stuff with this poll when it comes to who received first place votes, but the most important thing is that we now know where the media thinks each team stands going into the season.
Focusing on UNC specifically, they will play #1 Clemson, #6 Duke, #10 NC State, #12 Syracuse, #14 Virginia, #15 Cal, #16 Wake Forest, and #17 Stanford. If we are relying strictly on chalk — which, please do not do that, because we all know how that can backfire— there are only two teams ahead of UNC, so they would presumably be favored in most of their ACC matchups. Outside of the ACC slate of games, the Heels also play TCU, Charlotte, Richmond, and UCF. It is a pretty favorable schedule for the Tar Heels if everything comes together for Bill Belichick, but it’s hard not to remain skeptical until we see the actual product on the field.
What do you think of where UNC landed in the ACC rankings? Would you have ranked them differently? Let us know in the comments below.
More from tarheelblog.com:
- Joel Berry will return to North Carolina for his senior year
- Kevin Knox recruiting: Which school will land the five-star wing?
- Embracing the new era of the NBA Draft process
- Theo Pinson will enter the NBA Draft; won’t hire an agent
- UNC football recruiting: Tre Turner names North Carolina in his top 10 schools
- UNC, the NCAA, and the AFAM scandal: For people with a life
