Transfer Quarterbacks Shine in Week 1 for ACC Teams

© Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 college football season kicked into full gear this past weekend for the Atlantic Coast Conference. This gave fans a chance to see the new faces and fresh talent on their teams for the first time. But it was the transfer quarterbacks who stole the spotlight in Week 1. Several performances gave fans hope for a promising 2024 season.

From Kyle McCord's 4 passing touchdowns for Syracuse to Cam Ward's near-flawless performance for Miami in a hostile environment, transfer quarterbacks proved that they could find immediate success in new systems.

Ward Silences Doubters

Coming into the season, there were questions about Ward's ability to transition into different offensive schemes. Ward developed his style in an "Air Raid" type of offense at Incarnate Word and Washington State. The Hurricanes ran a more pro-style offense. It only took a quarter, though, to see why Miami was so excited about their College Football Playoff chances with Ward at the helm.

He was calm and collected from the start, using his arm and legs to lead Miami down the field in its opening drive. Florida was overmatched early. Thanks to some sloppy mistakes, Florida running back Montrell Johnson Jr. broke free for a 71-yard TD run. It pulled the Gators within a TD near the half. Ward stayed cool, immediately leading the Hurricanes on an 8-play, 75-yard touchdown drive before halftime to give Miami a two-score lead at the break.

Ward never looked back, completing 26 of 35 passes for 385 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He looked at home in every aspect of the game in a system that was supposed to be unfamiliar to him.

As a result of the performance, Ward's name can be found near the top of any Heisman Trophy contender list. More importantly, Miami has asserted itself as perhaps the team to beat in the ACC.

Typical ACC powerhouses Clemson and Florida State showed major flaws in their openers. In a year where the ACC champion will receive an automatic top-4 seed in the CFP format, Miami may just need to ride Ward's hot hand to find themselves making a run at a national title.

McCord Shines for Syracuse

Kyle McCord had several question marks, too, going into his debut for Syracuse against the Ohio Bobcats. Unlike Miami, who has prime talent at nearly every position, Syracuse was coming off a disappointing 6-7 season. The Orange lost to USF 5-0 in the Boca Raton Bowl. Syracuse fired Dino Babers was fired last November. New head coach Fran Brown came on board with some tempered excitement.

McCord came to Syracuse from Ohio State, where Buckeyes fans might argue that he was pushed out due to a lack of results. His talent has always been there, but the results have not been good. McCord had a solid season as starting QB for the Buckeyes last season. He threw for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Yet McCord consistently faltered in big games, leading Ohio State to look for other options.

© Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Syracuse gave McCord a chance for a fresh start. McCord brought veteran leadership to the Orange during a time of leadership change Despite last season's disappointment, Syracuse fans were optimistic that the fit between McCord and the Orange could be a good one.

Syracuse's offense started slowly against Ohio. McCord settled in as the game went on, though. The former Five-Star talent led 2 key touchdown drives late in the third quarter to pull away from Ohio. He finished the day 27-for-39 passing for a career-record 354 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Expectations for Syracuse this year are still relatively low. But thanks to McCord's veteran leadership, Brown and fans have hope for a smooth transition into a new era for Syracuse football.

New Opportunity for Shough

Tyler Shough's debut for Louisville marked his seventh season in college football and his third team. His career began at Oregon in 2018, and he played at Texas Tech for the last three years. Shough has fought injuries his whole career. As the 2024 season started up, Shough was just thankful to have another opportunity to step on the field.

Louisville faced some major questions on offense after losing quarterback Jack Plummer, running back Jawhar Jordan, and wide receiver Jamari Thrash to the NFL. After their Week 1 game, many questions were answered.

© Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Shough only played until halftime but that was all Louisville needed of him. The Cardinals charged out to a 38-0 halftime lead thanks to Shough's 18-for-24 passing for 232 yards and 4 touchdowns. Shough was poised throughout his debut, bringing the kind of decision-making to the offense that would be expected of the seventh-year veteran.

After Louisville's miraculous 2023 season with double-digit wins and an ACC championship, many fans believe they could once again be a factor. Well, fans can hold on to that belief for at least another week.

McCall Flashes ACC Potential

Grayson McCall's debut for North Carolina State against Western Carolina did not go as expected. This game was supposed to be a chance for McCall to settle in to a new offense against an FCS team that should have been overmatched. Instead, the Wolfpack found themselves tied 14-14 at halftime. They had a lot of questions with few answers about what was going wrong.

McCall, a sixth-year senior, brought over four years of experience as the Coastal Carolina starter. He earned three Sun Belt Player of the Year awards and threw for over 10,000 passing yards there. NC State fans were ecstatic to land such an experienced player. They wanted a player who could breathe life into an offense that seemingly went missing for the last few years.

After halftime, nothing seemed to have changed for the Wolfpack. McCall seemed a little off. Entering the fourth quarter, NC State was trailing 21-17. Luckily, the offense kicked into gear in the fourth quarter. McCall connected with receiver Kevin Concepcion for a 35-yard TD to take the lead. The Wolfpack never looked back. McCall remained calm despite his early struggles. His leadership was exactly what the Wolfpack needed to get through this early-season adversity.

McCall showed flashes of brilliance. NC State hopes that he can continue to settle in and reach his full potential.

After witnessing Clemson and Florida State's early struggles, it seems that the ACC may be more wide open than ever before. The transfer quarterbacks' veteran leadership may be the key for their teams to become true contenders for the ACC title. As the season progresses, it will be vital to watch how these quarterbacks grow in their new offenses and lead their teams through adversity.