Mitchell Wolfe's Preseason All-ACC Offense
Last week at ACC Kickoff, the ACC released their all-conference team, along with their picks for preseason awards. As I was currently working through my series of articles previewing the position groups for the ACC, I thought it would make sense for me to put together my All-ACC teams. I used a similar structure to that of the actual teams. Included at the bottom of the article is the count of how many players from each school made a team. There is no weighting of the teams (being on first-team is worth more than being on the third team). Let’s get into my All-ACC picks!
QB:
1st-Team - Sam Howell (North Carolina)
2nd-Team - DJ Uiagalelei (Clemson)
3rd-Team - D’Eriq King (Miami)
Honorable Mention - Phil Jurkovec (Boston College)
Sam Howell is my pick for first-team All-ACC quarterback for a variety of reasons. Howell is coming off an incredible season, but he’ll be without his top two receivers and running backs from last season. The Tar Heels still have a bevy of capable weapons, and their offensive scheme is explosive (if unimaginative), but Howell will still need to develop chemistry with them. Regardless, North Carolina is in a position to challenge for the Coastal division crown again, and Howell will be playing to ensure he becomes a top-10 draft pick. Next is DJ Uiagalelei, who takes over the reins from #1 pick Trevor Lawrence. Uiagalelei got some playing time last year during garbage time and when Lawrence went out due to COVID. It was a small sample size, but he looks like the second coming of Cam Newton. With Clemson bringing back a loaded roster, there’s no reason to think Uiagaleli can’t lead the Tigers back to the CFP.
D’Eriq King makes the third team, and the primary reason he is this low is due to injury. King tore his ACL in the Hurricanes’ bowl game last year, and while it seems like he will be ready to play Alabama in Week 1, he may not be at his best for most of the season. Finally, Phil Jurkovec gets the honorable mention. Jurkovec flashed some incredible talent last year, as BC reinvented themselves offensively. But he needs to be more consistent this year with his decision-making and short accuracy. With a whole year in the system and a supporting cast with almost everyone back from last season, there’s no reason Jurkovec can’t surpass last year’s successes.
RB:
1st-Team - Zonovan Knight (NC State), Jahmyr Gibbs (Georgia Tech)
2nd-Team - Cam’Ron Harris (Miami), Ty Chandler (North Carolina)
3rd-Team - Mataeo Durant (Duke), Christian Beal-Smith (Wake Forest)
Honorable Mention - Lyn-J Dixon (Clemson), Ja’Shaun Corbin (Florida State)
While the ACC saw some elite running back talent depart for the NFL Draft (Travis Etienne, Javonte Williams, Michael Carter, Javian Hawkins), there are still some bell cows in the conference. Zonovan “Bam” Knight is a smart bet to win the ACC in rushing, as the Wolfpack feature a great offensive line and a running back-friendly scheme. Jahmyr Gibbs exploded onto the scene as a true freshman last year and should continue to get better as the rest of the Yellow Jackets’ offense continues to gel together in the post-Paul Johnson era.
While the first team features two bigger bruising backs, the second team is made up of two explosive home-run hitters. Cam’Ron Harris is small, but he’s a dynamic weapon in both the pass and the run game. Ty Chandler comes over from Tennessee, where he put together a very solid career and probably would have been drafted had he elected to leave school; he is a bit of a compromise between Michael Carter and Javonte Williams, but he still should be very effective for the Tar Heels.
On the third team, Mataeo Durant is a bright spot in the dark room that is the Duke offense, and the Blue Devils’ offense will literally run through him. Christian Beal-Smith is a compact, powerful runner with good vision that can thrive in Wake Forest’s unique offense. Lyn-J Dixon is the first honorable mention; after several seasons of backing up players like Travis Etienne and Wayne Gallman, he finally gets his chance to shine at Clemson. Finally, Jashaun Corbin played well on a bad Florida State team and will be the feature back again, where he has been a versatile weapon.
WR:
1st-Team - Jaquarii Robinson (Wake Forest), Zay Flowers (Boston College), Justyn Ross (Clemson)
2nd-Team - Charleston Rambo (Miami), Jordan Addison (Pittsburgh), Tre Turner (Virginia Tech)
3rd-Team - Emeka Emezie (NC State), Taj Harris (Syracuse), Billy Kemp (Virginia)
Honorable Mention - Tay’vion Robinson (Virginia Tech), Mike Harley (Miami), Thayer Thomas (NC State)
The ACC is exceptionally deep at the wide receiver position. By the end of this season, all these players could be jumbled up and on completely different all-conference teams, and it wouldn’t shock me. Jaquarii Robinson had a massive season for the Demon Deacons last year and should only continue to improve working with Sam Hartman. Zay Flowers was one of the most explosive players in the conference, but he needs to get more consistent with his hands. Justyn Ross makes the first-team under the assumption he remains healthy. He was a big reason behind Clemson making consecutive national championship games in 2018 and 2019 but missed 2020 with a spinal injury and, at one point, was not going to play football again. He’s a big X-type receiver that should mesh well with DJ Uiagalelei.
On the second-team, Charleston Rambo brings an explosive deep threat to Miami after transferring from Oklahoma and should bevy D’Eriq King’s Heisman hopes. Jordan Addison finished second in the voting for ACC Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year last year (behind Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams); Pitt has one of the better receiving corps, so Addison should be able to take advantage of secondaries that won’t be able to focus on a single weapon. Tre Turner is an incredibly consistent receiver from Virginia Tech; if the Hokies had more consistency at the quarterback position, he might be on the first-team.
Emeka Emezie is back for what seems like his ninth year in college football, but he’s a reliable outside receiver for the Wolfpack. Taj Harris is far and away the best player on an absolutely putrid Syracuse offense; the scheme is very advantageous for him, but defenses will surely key on him. Billy Kemp is a diminutive slot receiver for the Cavaliers who will see significant targets.
Tay’vion Robinson is Virginia Tech’s other wide receiver, who is smaller and more of the underneath threat. Similarly, Mike Harley is back for the Hurricanes; he’s an explosive athlete that also contributes as a returner. The final wide receiver is another slot receiver, Thayer Thomas, who seems destined to be the Patriots’ next slot receiver in the wake of Julian Edelman’s retirement.
TE:
1st-Team - James Mitchell (Virginia Tech)
2nd-Team - Will Mallory (Miami)
3rd-Team - Braden Galloway (Clemson)
Honorable Mention - Trae Barry (Boston College)
All four of the tight ends that appear on these All-ACC teams exhibit the shift in how tight ends are utilized. They are tall, relatively lanky athletes who make great plays as receivers but might not be dominant blockers. James Mitchell is the most wide receiver-like of the bunch, as he plays in the slot for most of his snaps. But he’s a great threat in the intermediate and deep areas of the field. Will Mallory is probably the best, or at least the most proven, blocker. He played the more traditional tight end role last year, while Brevin Jordan played a variety of positions. But Mallory is a dangerous receiving weapon in his own right and should be one of the top tight ends in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Braden Galloway is probably the best athlete of this bunch, but he has missed some time, and Clemson does not typically feature the tight ends in their offense. However, with Travis Etienne off to the NFL and an unproven wide receiver group, Galloway could be a preferred target for DJ Uiagalelei. Trae Barry might be a bit of a homer pick for me. But he was an all-conference and all-American at the FCS level for Jacksonville State the last two years. Furthermore, he will be taking over for Hunter Long, who led all FBS tight ends in targets last year. Even if he can’t surpass Long’s production, he should be able to get decently close to it.
OT:
1st-Team - Ikem Ekwonu (NC State), Zion Nelson (Miami)
2nd-Team - Jordan McFadden (Clemson), Tyler Vrabel (Boston College)
3rd-Team - Luke Tenuta (Virginia Tech), Je’vionte Nash (Wake Forest)
Honorable Mention - Zach Tom (Wake Forest), Jarrid Williams (Miami)
Ikem Ekwonu and Zion Nelson are projected to be first-round picks this April in the 2022 NFL Draft. Jordan McFadden and Tyler Vrabel are both switching from right tackle to left this year, and while McFadden’s future is probably at guard in the next level, both are excellent young talents. Luke Tenuta is also kicking over to left tackle from right in the wake of Christian Darrisaw’s departure for the NFL but was already a very solid tackle. Je’Vionte Nash is an undersized seventh-year player, but he’s been a stalwart for Wake’s offensive line. Last year, Zach Tom played his first year at left tackle after playing center in 2019 and played remarkably well. Jarrid Williams followed D’Eriq King from Miami and performed quite well in his first season in the ACC.
ACC Offensive Line Rankings (Atlantic)
OG:
1st-Team - Zion Johnson (Boston College), Lecitus Smith (Virginia Tech)
2nd-Team - Matt Bockhorst (Clemson), Caleb Chandler (Louisville)
3rd-Team - Chris Glazer (Virginia), Jacob Monk (Duke)
Honorable Mention - Marcus McKethan (North Carolina), Will Putnam (Clemson)
Zion Johnson could have been a top-100 draft pick if he declared this past year but elected to come back for another season and will return to his natural position at left guard. Lecitus Smith was among the best guards in the conference last year, and there is no reason to think he can’t return to that level this year. Matt Bockhorst is Clemson’s most experienced lineman and should provide a valuable veteran presence on the interior. Caleb Chandler returns for Louisville and is an excellent player but might not have much on offense to block for. Chris Glazer is a dominating run blocker for Virginia. Jacob Monk played center and guard for Duke last year and played very well, but like Chandler, his performance on a very understaffed offense goes unnoticed. Marcus McKethan is the best player on North Carolina’s relatively underwhelming offensive line. Will Putnam will play the other guard spot across from Bockhorst, who should help the young players around him.
C:
1st-Team - Grant Gibson (NC State)
2nd-Team - Alec Lindstrom (Boston College)
3rd-Team - Brock Hoffman (Virginia Tech)
Honorable Mention - Cole Bentley (Louisville)
Rounding out the offensive line, Grant Gibson makes the first team, as he has been a dominant force along the Wolfpack’s offensive line for multiple seasons. He’s undersized, but that shouldn’t stop him from putting in another great year. Alec Lindstrom makes the second team, as he excelled in pass protection last year but struggled to adjust to the new run blocking system. Lindstrom seems like a more natural fit for a zone-heavy scheme anyways, so a full “normal” offseason of training and working in the offense should lead to an improvement. After transferring from Coastal Carolina, Brock Hoffman made the most of his opportunity last year, seizing the starting center job and putting together a very good season for the Hokies. With most of the line returning, Hoffman should be even better this year. Finally, our first Louisville Cardinal makes an appearance, as Cole Bentley has been a solid, underappreciated mainstay at the center position. Bentley is a natural fit for Scott Satterfield’s system and should play himself into being drafted this spring.
ACC Offensive Line Rankings (Coastal)
Counts by School:
Clemson: 7
Miami: 7
Boston College: 6
Virginia Tech: 6
NC State: 5
Wake Forest: 4
North Carolina: 3
Virginia: 2
Duke: 2
Louisville: 2
Georgia Tech: 1
Pittsburgh: 1
Syracuse: 1
Florida State: 1