Miami Hurricanes named preseason favorite to win 2026 ACC football championship

Miami Hurricanes ACC preseason poll Darian Mensah All‑ACC team preseason favorite

The Atlantic Coast Conference media poll released in July 2026 named the Miami Hurricanes as the preseason favorite to win the ACC football championship. Miami received 165 of 188 first‑place votes and accumulated 3,159 points, far ahead of second‑place SMU (2,794 points) and fourth‑place Clemson (2,520 points). It is only the second time Miami has topped the poll, the first being in 2006, and the program has never won an ACC title.

The preseason All‑ACC team was also dominated by Miami, which placed nine of the 27 spots, including quarterback Darian Mensah, who was selected as the preseason player of the year with 97 votes. Other Miami selections were wide receiver Malachi Toney (three positions) and running back Mark Fletcher Jr. Clemson contributed four players to the All‑ACC team, and SMU, Louisville, Virginia and other schools each had multiple selections. The poll reflects the ACC’s transition to a nine‑game conference schedule and sets the stage for the December 5 championship game.

Entities: Atlantic Coast Conference · Boston College Eagles · Clemson Tigers · Darian Mensah · Miami Hurricanes · SMU Mustangs · University of North Carolina Tar Heels

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 2 SOURCES] SMU placed second in the poll with 2,794 points. (multiple articles)
[● 3 SOURCES] The Miami Hurricanes were selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2026 ACC football championship. (multiple articles)
[● 2 SOURCES] Darian Mensah (Miami) was named preseason ACC player of the year with 97 votes. (multiple articles)
[● 2 SOURCES] Miami earned 3,159 points in the preseason poll. (multiple articles)
[● 2 SOURCES] Miami received 165 first‑place votes out of 188 media voters. (multiple articles)
[● 3 SOURCES] Miami had nine players named to the preseason All‑ACC team, the most of any program. (multiple articles)
[● 2 SOURCES] Clemson had four players named to the preseason All‑ACC team. (multiple articles)
[● 2 SOURCES] Clemson placed fourth with 2,520 points. (multiple articles)