Week 9 provided the ACC with a compelling slate of quarterback matchups to close out the second month of the season.

Steve Angeli and Syracuse upset Kevin Jennings and No. 19 SMU 30-27 in the early window. Angeli guided the Orange on an 11-play, 68-yard go-ahead drive capped by a two-yard touchdown pass to Noah Meyers with 17 seconds remaining in the game.

Stanford at Louisville was expected to deliver one of the weekends' marquee quarterback showdowns, and it did for three quarters. Lincoln Kienholz and Davis Warren both threw for over 250 yards, although costly turnovers turned the game into a 52-24 rout in favor Louisville.

Darian Mensah and Billy Edwards Jr. partook in an unexpected thriller on Halloween night. The two traded blows for the better part of four quarters until Edwards Jr. lost a fumble on a strip sack with five minutes to play, a development that helped Miami seal the 38-35 win at North Carolina.

Week 10 kicks off with a Friday night matchup between Virginia Tech and SMU. Ethan Grunkemeyer and the Hokies are looking for their third ACC road win under James Franklin while Kevin Jennings and the Mustangs aim to stay perfect at home.

The most-heavily anticipated quarterback matchup of the season involving an ACC team is between No. 1 Miami and No. 11 Notre Dame. Darian Mensah and CJ Carr are among the few quarterbacks nationally that have maintained their place in Heisman Trophy and No. 1 NFL draft pick conversations throughout the season.

Below, we rank the eight best ACC quarterbacks entering Week 10 of the 2026 college football season.

8. Billy Edwards Jr.

Edwards Jr. has struggled with inconsistency for a lot of the season, but it disappeared in his 341-yard, four-touchdown effort in North Carolina’s loss to Miami. Much of the Tar Heels’ production was in the screen game, but Edwards Jr. fit touchdown passes to Jelani Thurman and Trech Kekahuna through traffic.

The Tar Heels end non-conference play at Connecticut this weekend (Noon EST, CBS Sports Network). The last time they saw an ACC opponent, the Huskies allowed Amari Odom to throw for 335 yards and five touchdowns.

7. CJ Bailey

Bailey was an inconsistent 13-of-25 passing in NC State’s 31-10 blowout of California. However, there were bright moments amid the inconsistency; he layered two throws over the backs of defenders for deep touchdown passes to Deandre Desinor and Chance Robinson.

The Wolf Pack stays home for its crosstown rivalry with Duke to start November (12:30 p.m. EST, CW). The Blue Devils own a 6-2 overall record and have only allowed Alberto Mendoza throw for over 200 yards in ACC play.

6. Davis Warren

Stanford was unable to keep pace against Louisville in the second half, but Warren still strung together a nice 270-yard, three-touchdown outing. He uncorked deep touchdown passes to Nico Brown and Aiden Black, and his lone interception didn't quite fit through a tight window to his intended target.

Since it played in Week 0, Stanford is on its second bye to kick off November. A road test against Virginia Tech opens the final quarter of the Cardinal’s season.

5. Ethan Grunkemeyer

Virginia Tech had its bye to close out its October schedule. Grunkemeyer threw for 2,140 yards, 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions in his first eight games with the Hokies.

A Friday night fight with SMU awaits Virginia Tech in Week 10 (7 p.m. EST, ESPN). Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is the only ACC quarterback that has thrown for more than 250 yards on the Mustangs’ defense.

4. Kevin Jennings

SMU ultimately fell at Syracuse, but Jennings finished the game 29-of-36 for 352 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the first of which he hit Jalen Hale on with a throw across his body. Most of the Mustangs’ longer pass plays were a result of runs after catches, though Jennings found Jalen Cooper for a contested catch on the sideline late in the third quarter.

The Mustangs return to Gerald J. Ford Stadium for a meeting with Virginia Tech, a fellow 6-2 team (7 p.m. EST, ESPN). The Hokies have been up and down against the pass in ACC play; they held Tait Reynolds to 153 yards two weeks ago but allowed Jackson Brousseau and Alberto Mendoza to throw for over 300 yards.

3. Lincoln Kienholz

Kienholz and the Louisville offense were firing on all cylinders in the rout of Stanford. He completed 20 of 28 pass attempts for 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the first on an off-script throw to TreyShun Hurry. He assisted Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown on the ground with 62 more yards and another touchdown.

The Cardinals head down to Georgia Tech for a night game in Week 10 (7:30 p.m. EST, ACC Network). The Yellow Jackets have yet to hold an ACC offense under 400 total yards and have surrendered nearly 300 rush yards in their last two games.

2. Gio Lopez

Lopez rekindled his connection with Carlos Hernandez in Wake Forest’s 51-7 rout of Virginia, finding him eight times for 136 yards and his lone touchdown pass of the day. Lopez also contributed 64 yards to a prolific 309-yard output on the ground for Wake Forest.

The Demon Deacons end non-conference play against Merrimack in Week 10 (3:30 p.m. EST, ACC Network). In all likelihood, Lopez should rest for the majority of the second half in preparation for Wake Forest’s trip to SMU next week.

1. Darian Mensah

Miami needed Mensah to clutch up in its shootout victory at North Carolina. He ended the night 22-of-29 for 274 yards and three touchdowns, hooking up with Malachi Toney for a 9-yard score on a slant in the last three minutes.

The Hurricanes head north for a pivotal battle with No. 11 Notre Dame to start the month (7:30 p.m. EST, ABC). Miami is without Toney for the foreseeable future, so Cooper Barkate and Daylyn Upshaw are now significantly more important targets for Mensah.