DISCUSS: A Look At Our Preseason All-ACC Ballot
We submitted our official preseason All-ACC ballot at the ACC Football Kickoff, and here is a list of which players we selected and why.
Preseason ACC Player Of The Year
QB Cam Ward, Miami – I’m a big believer in his talent, and for me it actually was between Ward and Grayson McCall. I think one of the two transfers will be the top quarterback in the ACC.
Ward has produced high-level numbers without much talent around him at Incarnate Word and Washington State, and talent isn’t a problem for Miami.
I expect him to have a breakout season nationally.
Preseason All-ACC Offense
| Position | Player | Team |
| Quarterback | Cam Ward | Miami |
| Running Back | Jaydn Ott | California |
| Running Back | Omarion Hampton | UNC |
| Wide Receiver | KC Concepcion | NC State |
| Wide Receiver | Xavier Restrepo | Miami |
| Wide Receiver | Caullin Lacy | Louisville |
| Tight End | Oronde Gasden | Syracuse |
| All-Purpose Back | LeQuint Allen | Syracuse |
| Offensive Tackle | Darius Washington | FSU |
| Offensive Tackle | Anthony Belton | NC State |
| Offensive Guard | Michael Gonzalez | Louisville |
| Offensive Guard | Willie Lampkin | UNC |
| Center | Zeke Correll | NC State |
| Kicker | Andres Borregales | Miami |
| Specialist | Chris Tyree | Virginia |
NOTES
Quarterback: See Cam Ward info above. Grayson McCall was under consideration as well, and another guy I like is Kyron Drones if Virginia Tech has a breakout season.
Running Back: Both backs finished in the top 10 nationally last year in rushing so it wasn’t too hard a decision. Other names under consideration: Damien Martinez (Miami), Jordan Waters (NC State), and Phil Mafah (Clemson).
All-Purpose Back: LeQuint Allen excelled last year rushing and receiving and was actually my third back, so I put him at APB.
Wide Receiver: Concepcion and Restrepo are locks, so I’m betting on the transfer Lacy being the No. 1 option for Louisville. He had a huge year last season and was one of the top wideouts in the portal.
Two names I love who were on the ballot: Noah Rogers (NC State) and Malik Benson (FSU). Both are incoming transfers who may be the two most “talented” wideouts in the league. Will the opportunity be there? But it’s encouraging both were submitted by their respective teams on the ballot.
Tight End: This is one of the best positions in the ACC with Gasden, Justin Joly (NC State), Jake Briningstool (Clemson), and Bryson Nesbit (UNC), among others. Can’t really go wrong with any of those choices.
Offensive Line: Some solid options across the board.
Preseason All-ACC Defense
| Position | Player | Team |
| Defensive End | Reuben Bain | Miami |
| Defensive End | Davin Vann | NC State |
| Defensive Tackle | Ashton Gillotte | Louisville |
| Defensive Tackle | Aeneas Peebles | Virginia Tech |
| Linebacker | Marlowe Wax | Syracuse |
| Linebacker | Barrett Carter | Clemson |
| Linebacker | Francisco Mauigoa | Miami |
| Cornerback | Aydan White | NC State |
| Cornerback | Quincy Riley | Louisville |
| Safety | Donovan McMillon | Pitt |
| Safety | Jonas Sanker | Virginia |
| Punter | Alex Mastromanno | Florida State |
NOTES
Defensive Line: Several good options here as well, as others considered include Payton from Florida State and Rucker from North Carolina... feel like Bain and Vann are in line for big seasons.
Linebacker: All three are returning All-ACC options from last year and should have more responsibility in 2024.
Cornerback: Fairly easy choices, although I did consider Strong from Virginia Tech.
Safety: This award is often given to safeties on bad teams with a lot of tackles, as was the case with McMillon and Sanker last year; however, they were making the plays and produced at an elite level.
Punter: Another strong position in the league, and Alex Mastromanno is terrific.