UNC Picked 15th in Preseason ACC Poll - On3

What the report says

On3 reported that North Carolina was voted 15th in the 2026 preseason ACC media football poll, ahead of only Boston College and Stanford. The poll was based on ballots from 188 media members who attended the ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier in the month.

Miami was picked to win the conference after losing to Indiana in the national championship game in January, according to the report. The Hurricanes received 165 first-place votes and 3,159 points. SMU, Louisville, Clemson and Georgia Tech completed the top five, followed by Virginia, NC State, Virginia Tech, Pitt and Duke. Florida State, California, Wake Forest, Syracuse, UNC, Boston College and Stanford filled out the rest of the predicted order.

The low projection reflects limited outside expectations for the Tar Heels as they enter the second season under Bill Belichick following a 4-8 campaign. On3 noted that UNC ranks 103rd nationally in returning production percentage by SP+, among the lowest marks for Power 4 programs. The report also pointed to offensive struggles in 2025, including a scoring average of 19.3 points per game, which ranked 118th nationally.

North Carolina made a major staff change after the season, hiring former Louisville and Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator in place of Freddie Kitchens. Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards Jr. and Texas A&M transfer Miles O’Neill are expected to compete for the starting quarterback role. UNC is scheduled to open against TCU in Ireland on Aug. 29, while the ACC championship game is set for Dec. 5 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.