2017 Preseason All-ACC Football Team: Clemson, Miami lead the way
By Jack Crosby
The Preseason All-ACC Football Team was announced on Wednesday, with Clemson and Miami coming in hot to start the year.
When you ask fans for predictions on ACC football for this coming season, particularly when you ask who will be meeting in the conference championship game in December, chances are you may get an answer of the Clemson Tigers and the Miami Hurricanes. Clemson, of course, is the defending national champion, while the belief is that the Hurricanes are ready to return to prominence in the second year under head coach Mark Richt.
We don’t know whether or not that prediction will come to fruition come the end of the season, but we now do know that the media is pretty excited about the pieces they both have in place. That’s because these two owned the 2017 Preseason All-ACC Football Team that was released on Wednesday.
In a vote that was compiled by the media last week during the annual ACC Kickoff, the defending champion Tigers placed four players on the list, with Richt’s Hurricanes are next up, represented with four.
2017 All-ACC Preseason Football Team
Offense
WR – Deon Cain, Jr., Clemson
WR – Ahmmon Richards, So., Miami
WR – Cam Phillips, Sr., Virginia Tech
TE – Cam Serigne, Sr.-r, Wake Forest
AP – Jaylen Samuels, Sr., NC State
OT – Mitch Hyatt, Jr., Clemson
OT – Brian O’Neill, Jr.-r, Pitt
OG – Tyrone Crowder, Sr.-r, Clemson
OG – Wyatt Teller, Sr.-r, Virginia Tech
C – Alec Eberle, Jr.-r, Florida State
QB – Lamar Jackson, Jr., Louisville
RB – Mark Walton, Jr., Miami
RB – Dedrick Mills, So., Georgia Tech
Defense
DE – Harold Landry, Sr., Boston College
DE – Bradley Chubb, Sr., NC State
DT – Dexter Lawrence, So., Clemson
DT – Christian Wilkins, Jr., Clemson
LB – Micah Kiser, Sr.-r, Virginia
LB – Shaquille Quarterman, So., Miami
LB – Tremaine Edmunds, Jr., Virginia Tech
CB – Tarvarus McFadden, Jr., Florida State
CB – Jaire Alexander, Jr., Louisville
S – Derwin James, So.-r, Florida State
S – Quin Blanding, Sr., Virginia
Special Teams
PK – Michael Badgley, Jr., Miami
P – A.J. Cole III, Jr., NC State
SP – Quadree Henderson, Jr.
Stepping away from the Clemson and Miami narrative while looking at the offense, it should come as little surprise that Lamar Jackson is heading up the ship under center on the team. The reigning Heisman winner is aiming to top himself in 2017 in what will likely be his final year in college football, mainly becoming a deadlier passer in trying to lead Louisville to a conference title.
Next: 25 biggest villains in college football history
On the defensive side of the ball, those are some frightening names. Everyone is hyped about Florida State defensive stars Tarvarus McFadden and Derwin James — especially James, who some have even called the best overall player in college football this season. Then you have a name like defensive end Harold Landry, who despite playing for Boston College is ready to make an even bigger name for himself one way or another with his play on the field.
The 2017 college football season is drawing ever closer and we’re more than excited to see these talented ACC stars take the field in 2017 to validate their slots on this preseason list.