Quality of Depth: ACC 'is embarrassing' considering where their recruiting bases are

For all that the league may have at the top end, it’s the depth that’s often the problem when it comes to the ACC. Josh Pate sees no reason for it, though, considering where those programs are based.

On ‘Josh Pate’s College Football Show’ on Sunday, Pate previewed the Power Four for this upcoming season, including projections in the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, he began with some criticism of the league considering how poor the caliber of team is after the first few towards the top each season, with a desire to see it get better throughout their standings.

“I think the lack of quality depth in this league is embarrassing and it has been for a while,” Pate stated. “So, this is me hoping it changes this year.”

Pate’s point came down to the recruiting in the ACC. With their programs, besides the new additions, of course, in California, SMU, and Stanford, scattered up and down the east coast, he thinks their level of players, and, therefore, level of team, should be better than it is, at least beyond the brand-name programs that have had great several great teams of late. That’s evidenced by Clemson, Florida State, and Miami being the league’s only teams in the Top-25 in all three of the Rivals’ Industry Rankings for ’24, ’25, and ’26 – with Georgia Tech being included in ’25 and North Carolina and SMU currently set to be included in ’26.

“I look at the Big 12 and it makes sense that the Big 12 doesn’t have a bunch of national title-caliber programs because of where their recruiting bases are. That has never made sense for the ACC,” said Pate. “The ACC is up and down the eastern seaboard. I mean, they’ve got programs in the state of Florida, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia – there’s one smack dab in the middle of Atlanta. And yet it’s been Florida State, and it’s really been Clemson with some Florida State mixed in. Miami has woefully underachieved up until about five minutes ago when Mario (Cristobal) got there. Virginia Tech has been a letdown. Virginia has been probably, perennially the biggest letdown of any of these teams. There’s no reason why NC State – NC State has been good, I don’t want to hate on NC State.”

“I’m just saying, collectively, the league should be a lot deeper than it is,” Pate said. “Will it be that deep this year?”

The ACC, especially the top-end, carries itself and can contend like the rest of the conferences in the Power Four. So, in order for more teams to do so, Pate suggests more of them start carrying themselves that way on the recruiting trail first to get to that point on the field.