ESPN lists three of Florida State's opponents in 2022 Way-Too-Early top-25

The top-half of the ACC is returning a ton of talent in 2022.

Dustin Lewis | Jan 11, 2022

The 2021-22 college football season is officially over and that means the offseason is upon us. Directly following Georgia's win over Alabama in the national championship game, ESPN released its annual Way-Too-Early top-25. Essentially, it's an eight-month lookahead at some of the expected top schools in 2022.

Florida State didn't make the list but three of the Seminoles opponents for next season did make the cut; North Carolina State, Clemson, and Wake Forest. Interestingly enough, LSU, Florida, and Miami are nowhere to be found.

North Carolina State slots in at No. 8, the highest-ranked team in the ACC. It's been a while since that happened. The Wolfpack are projected to return 19 starters, including star quarterback Devin Leary, who is one of the top signal-callers in the conference. Leary will be looking for a new supporting cast with wide receiver Emeka Emezie, running back Ricky Person Jr, and running back Zonovan Knight moving on. Florida State will travel to Raleigh in 2022.

Clemson comes in just outside the top-10 at No. 11. The Tigers are expected to return 18 starters but will lose five crucial players on the defensive side of the ball such as defensive end Xavier Thomas and linebacker James Skalski. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is back for his third year with the program and his second as the starter. It'll be interesting to see if early enrollee Cade Klubnik pushes him for the job. The Seminoles will host the Tigers at home next season.

After making it to the ACC Championship, Wake Forest is projected as the No. 14 team in the country. As of now, the Demon Deacons will have 17 starters back in 2022. Like North Carolina State and Clemson, Wake Forest gets its starting quarterback for another year in veteran Sam Hartman. Head coach Dave Clawson has guided the program to six straight bowl games but he'll have a new defensive coordinator next season. Florida State will play the Demon Deacons in Tallahassee after falling on the road in 2021.

These are just the first predictions and as the title says, it's way too early. Depending on how the offseason goes, the top-25 could look completely different when the real thing is released in August. One thing is for sure, the top half of the ACC is returning a ton of talent and Florida State is going to need to take a step forward to contend for the conference title.

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Published Jan 11, 2022

DUSTIN LEWIS

Lewis joined NoleGameday in 2016 and is currently in the role of Editor-In-Chief. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis contributes to football, recruiting, and basketball coverage. Connect with Dustin on Twitter at @DustinLewisNG.