College football returns in just under 50 days, so it’s time to take a look at some of the top players in the ACC ahead of the 2024 season.

Reigning ACC champion Florida State and Georgia Tech kicks things off at Noon on Aug. 24, and ACC newcomer SMU plays Nevada that night.

But most of the league gets started the next week. In 50 days, UNC will play at Minnesota in a marquee matchup on the first Thursday night of the season.

Here are some of the ACC’s top players from each of the league’s 17 teams entering the 2024 season.

LeQuint Allen, RB, Syracuse

The junior running back was an All-ACC selection last season, logging 1,064 rushing yards on 245 carries with nine touchdowns.

Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford

As a redshirt sophomore, Ayomanor led the Cardinal’s offense with 62 catches for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns.

Chico Bennett Jr, DL, Virginia

The defensive end is closing in on 100 tackles in his career, with 7 ½ sacks and two forced fumbles. He was an All-ACC selection.

Malik Benson, WR, Florida State

The top junior college recruit before heading to Alabama, Benson could end up being FSU’s top wideout. He had three catches for 162 yards and a touchdown in six starts last season.

Shyheim Brown, S, Florida State

An All-ACC selection, Brown logged 53 tackles and four pass breakups last season as one of the Seminoles’ top players in the secondary.

Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest

The junior had 137 carries for 620 yards and five touchdowns last season. He averaged 4.28 yards per carry.

KC Concepcion, WR, NC State

The ACC Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, Concepcion set the NC State freshman record for catches (71) and receiving TDs (10) last season.

Jasheen Davis, DL, Wake Forest

The senior defensive lineman had 49 tackles, including 16 for loss and 7 ½ sacks, with 10 quarterback pressures last season.

Donovan Ezeiruaku, DL, Boston College

A senior defensive end, Ezeiruaku started all 13 games last season and was fourth on the team in tackles (53), including 6 ½  for loss.

Tre Freeman, LB, Duke

One of the ACC’s best linebackers in 2023, Freeman had 106 tackles and four pass breakups. The redshirt junior is among the league’s most underrated players.

Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Syracuse

After missing most of the 2023 season, Gadsden returns as one of the top tight ends in the nation. In 2022, he shattered Syracuse’s single-season receptions and receiving yards record by a tight end.

Ashton Gillotte, DL, Louisville

A first-team All-ACC selection, Gillotte had 14 ½ tackles for loss and 11 sacks in an All-American season as a junior.

Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

The sophomore emerged as one of the top running backs in the league last season. Hampton had 253 carries for 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns as a first-team All-ACC selection.

Rodney Hammond Jr., RB, Pitt

The senior running back had a team-high 547 yards and four touchdowns on 118 carries last season.

Jamal Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech

After making the move from wide receiver to running back, Haynes rushed for 1,059 yards and was MVP of the Yellow Jackets’ bowl game. He finished with seven rushing TDs.

Tucker Holloway, WR, Virginia Tech

One of the top specialists in the ACC, Holloway had five catches for 49 yards and returned 20 punts for 258 yards. His average of 12.9 yards per punt return was seventh in the nation.

Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson

The junior started all 13 games last season for the Tigers, completing 63.9% of his passes for 2,844 yards and 19 touchdowns with nine interceptions.

Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech

The redshirt junior had 2,842 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns last season. He also rushed for 737 yards and 10 TDs, joining Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels as the only players to reach those numbers.

Caullin Lacy, WR, Louisville a

Lacy caught 91 passes for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns as the Sun Belt’s top receiver at South Alabama. He’ll try to replicate those numbers for the Cardinals.

Phil Mafah, RB, Clemson

Coming off a school bowl record four rushing touchdowns in the Gator Bowl, Mafah enters his final season as one of the ACC’s best. He had 965 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

RJ Maryland, tight end, SMU

The junior had 34 catches, 518 yards and seven touchdowns as the top tight end in the American Athletic Conference last season.

Damien Martinez, RB, Miami

The Oregon State transfer racked up 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore. Martinez had four runs of 40 yards or more last season.

Donovan McMillion, S, Pitt

The senior defensive back started eight of 12 games at strong safety and led the Panthers in tackles with 105, the most by a Pitt defender since 2015.

RJ Mickens, S, Clemson

Clemson’s veteran leader at the back end of its defense, Mickens has recorded 144 tackles, eight pass breakups and five interceptions across 47 games.

Francisco Mauigoa, LB, Miami

The senior linebacker was an All-ACC selection and led the Hurricanes with 82 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss and 7 ½ sacks last season.

Jaquez Moore, RB, Duke

The senior running back has improved in each of his seasons with the Blue Devils, rushing for 674 yards and six touchdowns last season.

Jordan Moore, WR, Duke

A graduate student, Moore made the move to wide receiver and became Duke’s top option. In 2023, Moore had 62 catches for 835 yards and eight touchdowns.

Bryson Nesbit, TE, North Carolina

Arguably the top tight end in the ACC, Nesbit was an All-ACC first-teamer last season. The senior had 41 catches for 585 yards and five touchdowns in 2023.

TJ Parker, DL, Clemson

As a freshman, Parker had 12 ½ tackles for loss to set Clemson’s true freshman record and tied for the national lead among rookies. The defensive end had 5 ½ sacks.

Patrick Payton, DL, Florida State

A redshirt junior, Payton is one of the favorites to end the season as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He had 44 tackles, including 14 ½ for loss with seven sacks and 10 pass breakups.

Jaydn Ott, RB, Cal

Ott does most of his damage at running back, but he’s an all-purpose weapon for the Bears. The junior will start the season ranked second among active FBS players with an average of 92.2 rushing yards per game, and fourth with an average of 119.58 all-purpose yards per contest.

Antwaun Powell-Ryland, DL, Virginia Tech

The redshirt senior was an All-ACC selection last season. As a defensive lineman, he finished with 40 tackles and was second in the league with 14 ½ for loss.

Xavier Restrepo, WR, Miami

The fifth-year senior is coming off one of the best seasons by a wide receiver at Miami. An All-ACC first-team selection, Restrepo had 85 catches for 1,092 yards and six touchdowns last season.

Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville

A redshirt senior, Riley started all 13 games for the Cardinals, finishing with 45 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions.

Kam Robinson, LB, Virginia

One of the top freshmen in the league last season, Robinson had 71 tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions.

Kaimon Rucker, LB, North Carolina

A graduate student, Rucker logged 61 tackles, 15 for loss, 8 ½ sacks and 12 quarterback pressures last season.

Tristan Sinclair, LB, Stanford

The fifth-year player started all 12 games last season, finishing with 71 tackles, including five for loss.

Brashard Smith, RB/WR, SMU

The Miami transfer was an All-ACC selection as a specialist last season. He had 69 catches for 770 yards and four touchdowns last season. He finished with 1,946 all-purpose yards in three seasons.

Maurice Smith, OL, Florida State

A redshirt senior and FSU’s starting center, Smith helped the Seminoles lead ACC in scoring offense, total touchdowns and fewest turnovers.

Preston Stone, QB, SMU

A redshirt junior, Stone is projected to be one of the top quarterbacks in the ACC. He had 3.197 passing yards and 28 touchdowns last season.

Dorian Strong, CB, Virginia Tech

The graduate defensive back is just the second FBS cornerback since 2014 with 300 or more coverage snaps to give up less than 10 receptions and less than 100 yards receiving in a season. He had eight pass breakups and three interceptions last season.

Ozzy Trapilo, OL, Boston College

An All-ACC second-team selection as a redshirt junior, Trapilo spent most of his time at right tackle and helped pave the way for 198.8 rushing yards per game, which ranked second in the ACC.

DJ Uiagalelei, QB, Florida State

From Clemson to Oregon State to Florida State, Uiagalelei will try to keep the Seminoles atop the ACC. The redshirt senior had 2,638 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns, along with six rushing TDs last season.

Cade Uluave, LB, Cal

The Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, Uluave heads into his sophomore season with 66 tackles and six turnovers forced as one of the top newcomers in the ACC.

Cam Ward, QB, Miami

In two seasons at Washington State, Ward logged 6,963 passing yards and 48 touchdowns with 16 interceptions. He also had 13 rushing TDs before taking his talents to Miami.

Darius Washington, OL, Florida State

A redshirt senior and FSU’s left tackle, Washington was an All-ACC first-team selection last season. He started two games at center and eight games at left tackle.

Jordan Waters, RB, NC State

The Duke transfer provides the Wolfpack with a legitimate threat out of the backfield. He was fourth in the ACC with 12 rushing touchdowns last season and logged 753 yards.

Marlowe Wax, LB, Syracuse

The senior has started 38 games in a row for the Orange. He led the team in tackles (110), tackles for loss (11 ½ ) and forced fumbles (4).

Aydan White, CB, NC State

The senior defensive back is one of the top cover corners in the ACC. He had 10 pass breakups, two interceptions and hasn’t allowed a touchdown catch in the last two seasons.

Peter Woods, DL, Clemson

An All-American defensive tackle as a freshman, Woods is projected to once again be among the top defensive players in the league.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: 50 ACC players to watch, 50 days before 2024 college football season