The 2026 Week 0 slate for college football is just two days away on Saturday (Aug. 29). Virginia Tech fans will have to wait until next weekend for James Franklin's debut in Blacksburg against VMI. There are a handful of ACC teams in action this weekend, and Hokies fans can do some early-season scouting if they choose to.
Virginia Tech will play nine ACC games this season and will face some very good quarterbacks. With that said, here are the signal callers they'll be facing, ranked from nine to one.
9. Davis Warren, Stanford
First-year Cardinal coach Tavita Pritchard grabbed Davis Warren from the Transfer Portal after he missed the 2025 season recovering from an injury. Warren had his shining moment at Michigan in 2024 in an upset of Ohio State on the road. He threw for just over 1,000 yards that year for the Wolverines, but there are questions as to whether he can be the answer in Northern California.
8. Alberto Mendoza, Georgia Tech
Last season, Albert Mendoza backed up his brother, Fernando, at Indiana and won a National Championship. He hit the portal and is now going to have a chance to be an every-week starter for Brent Key and the Yellow Jackets. If he can become a full-time starter, then Georgia Tech will be very tough in 2026.
7. Mason McKenzie, Boston College
Out of all of the transfers into the ACC, maybe the most polarizing one is Mason McKenzie at BC. He played 25 games at Saginaw Valley State, where he put up video-game numbers with 6,300 total yards of offense and 31 touchdowns through the air and 18 on the ground. The Eagles are rebuilding, and the question is: can he have the same success at a Power 4 conference school? We'll find out.
6. Christopher Vizzina, Clemson
Sitting behind Cade Klubnik, Christopher Vizzina gets his shot to run the Clemson offense for coach Dabo Swinney, and there is no question the talent is there. A four-star recruit out of high school, Vizzina gets thrown into the fire at LSU on Sept. 5. Welcome to Power 4 conference football, Christopher Vizzina.
5. Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
Last season, Mason Heintschel threw for nearly 2,400 yards for the Panthers and 16 touchdowns; he was one of the more surprising breakout signal-callers in the ACC. Can he follow it up by throwing for more yards this fall? That'll be the question for a Pitt team that some see as a dark horse in the conference.
4. Beau Pribula, Virginia
By now, you knew that Beau Pribula was at Virginia Tech back in January for a visit when Ethna Grunkemeyer committed to the Hokies. Pribula had to quickly pivot and went on more visits before ending up with the Cavaliers. The theater Thanksgiving Weekend in Blacksburg could be popcorn-worthy.
3. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California
Maybe the biggest breakout came from Cal true freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. He was very impressive in his trip to Blacksburg, and if he stays healthy, it wouldn't be surprising to see him eclipse 3,500 yards through the air this fall. This will be a very difficult game for the Hokies in Northern California.
2. Kevin Jennings, SMU
If we're being honest, Kevin Jennings has been one of the more exciting QBs to watch the last couple of seasons in the ACC, when your team isn't playing him. After throwing for 3,245 yards in 2024, he threw for 3,641 yards last season. In four years with the Mustangs, he has 55 passing touchdowns and nine rushing. Stopping him will be very difficult this season.
1. Darian Mensah, Miami
There wasn't more drama across college football this offseason than Darian Mensah bolting Duke for South Florida and the Hurricanes. Mario Cristobal might have a better team than he did last year. Mensah threw for almost 4,000 yards last season and 34 touchdowns. Imagine what he could do with Miami?
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