Clemson, the reigning ACC champion, received 167 of a possible 183 first-place votes (91%). Miami (seven first-place votes) was picked to finish second in the ACC, and SMU (two first-place votes) was picked to finish third.

No team other than Clemson or Florida State has finished atop the preseason poll since 2010, when media selected Virginia Tech. The Hokies (one), Georgia Tech (two), SMU (two), FSU (four) and Miami (seven) also received first-place votes this year.

The 2025 preseason All-ACC football team was released Thursday and Clemson dominated the list once again. The reigning conference champions landed a league-best 11 selections -- a reflection of their status as clear favorites in this year's ACC media poll released Wednesday.