ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit has called the 2015 season the year of the question mark at the quarterback position. Thirteen of the AP Top 25 programs are projected to start a new QB this season, including six of the top 10. As many as six top-25 teams will start a quarterback who transferred into their programs.
How important is experience at the position? After all, five of the past six national championship teams were led by first-year starting quarterbacks, and Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel and Florida State's Jameis Winston each won a Heisman Trophy as a redshirt freshman quarterback.
Amid this uncertainty, ACC reporter Matt Fortuna and ACC recruiting analyst Gerry Hamilton set out to evaluate the strength of each ACC program, including Notre Dame, at the quarterback position over a three-year period (2015-17), taking into account current depth charts and developments on the recruiting trail in the 2016 and 2017 classes.
Below is a ranking of the 15 teams based on talent on the current roster, the work done on the recruiting trail and pedigree in identifying and developing quarterbacks and giving them the tools to be successful.