Cal's Jacob De Jesus Finds 3 Spots on All-ACC Football Team

Cal wide receiver/return specialist Jacob De Jesus landed three spots on the All-ACC football teams, announced by the conference on Tuesday.

The nation’s third-leading pass catcher, De Jesus was named first-team all-purpose on offense, first-team return specialist and second-team wide receiver.

Junior linebacker Cade Uluave and senior cornerback Hezekiah Masses also picked up first-team honors. Cornerback Paco Austin was named to the third team and defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina, linebacker Luke Ferrelli and running back Kendrick Raphael were made honorable mention picks.

Austin, a senior transfer from South Florida, was tied for second in the conference with 13 pass breakups.

Raphael’s 853 rushing yards were sixth-most in the ACC. The junior from North Carolina State also scored 13 touchdowns, second-most of any player in the conference.

Keanaaina had a career-high 55 tackles, ninth-most among defensive linemen in the country and most by a Cal defensive tackle since Cameron Jordan totaled 62 in 2010.

Ferrelli showed as much improvement as anyone on the Cal squad, compiling 87 tackles and clinching the Bears’ win at Boston College with a last-minute interception at the goal line.

The teams were chosen through a vote of 65 media voters and all 17 ACC head coaches. Ballots were assigned point values on a 3-2-1 scoring system for first-, second- and third-team votes.

Cal, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Miami led the way, each with four first-team selections. The Hurricanes topped all schools with 14 selections over the first-, second- and third teams.

Not included anywhere among Tuesday’s honorees is Cal freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who has passed for 3,117 yards this season. Five quarterbacks were included, led by Georgia Tech’s Haynes King as the first-team selection.

It’s also notable that Virginia and Duke, who will square off Saturday in the ACC championship game, had a combined total of just one player — running back J’Mari Taylor of Virginia — chosen to the first team.

Duke had six players named to the second team, including quarterback Darian Mensah.

The voters seemed in agreement that De Jesus, a senior transfer from UNLV, was perhaps the ACC’s most productive versatile player.

He caught 99 passes (for 892 yards and five touchdowns) to top the conference, he ranks fifth in the ACC in both kick returns (20.6 average) and punt returns (11.3), and leads the league in all-purpose yards at 119.7 per game.

Uluave is third among ACC players in tackles per game (8.2). He had 90 total tackles despite missing one game and subsequently playing with his injured right hand in a cast. Uluave also had 11.5 tackles for loss.

Masses, a senior transfer from Florida International, led the nation in interceptions for much of the season, finishing with five to rank second in the ACC. His 18 passes defended (pass breakups plus interceptions) lead the nation.

The ACC’s major individual awards, for Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, will be announced on Wednesday. The Coach of the Year will be revealed on Thursday.

2025 All-ACC Football Teams

(Votes in parenthesis)

First-Team All-ACC

Offense

QB – Haynes King, Georgia Tech (200)

RB – Hollywood Smothers, NC State (214)

RB – J’Mari Taylor, Virginia (207)

WR – Duce Robinson, Florida State (217)

WR – Chris Bell, Louisville (210)

WR – Malachi Toney, Miami (208)

TE – Justin Joly, NC State (178)

AP – Jacob De Jesus, California (134)

OT – Francis Mauigoa, Miami (212)

OT – Blake Miller, Clemson (125)

OG – Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech (202)

OG – Logan Parr, SMU (132)

C – Luke Petitbon, Florida State (115)

Defense

DE – Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (167)

DE – Akheem Mesidor, Miami (164)

DT – Jordan van den Berg, Georgia Tech (121)

DT – Peter Woods, Clemson (120)

LB – Caden Fordham, NC State (188)

LB – Cade Uluave, California (167)

LB – Sammy Brown, Clemson (147)

CB – Hezekiah Masses, California (160)

CB – Avieon Terrell, Clemson (138)

S – Nick Andersen, Wake Forest (137)

S – Ahmaad Moses, SMU (125)

Specialists

PK – Aidan Birr, Georgia Tech (209)

P – Jack Stonehouse, Syracuse (165)

SP – Jacob De Jesus, California (158)

Second-Team All-ACC

Offense

QB – Darian Mensah, Duke (114)

RB – Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest (165)

RB – Nate Sheppard, Duke (99)

WR – Cooper Barkate, Duke (160)

WR – Jacob De Jesus, California (132)

WR – Lewis Bond, Boston College (119)

TE – Sam Roush, Stanford (114)

AP – Malachi Toney, Miami (123)

OT – Brian Parker II, Duke (121)

OT – PJ Williams, SMU (71)

OG – Anez Cooper, Miami (127)

OG – Logan Taylor, Boston College (94)

C – Brady Wilson, Virginia (98)

Defense

DE – Isaiah Smith, SMU (140)

DE – Melkart Abou Jaoude, North Carolina (90)

DT – Ahmad Moten Sr., Miami (83)

DT – Rene Konga, Louisville (73)

LB – Kyle Louis, Pitt (143)

LB – Matt Rose, Stanford (133)

LB – Rasheem Biles, Pitt (131)

CB – Keionte Scott, Miami (118)

CB – Chandler Rivers, Duke (104)

S – Jakobe Thomas, Miami (111)

S – Earl Little Jr., Florida State (96)

Specialists

PK – Trey Butkowski, Pitt (62)

P – Daniel Sparks, Virginia (108)

SP – Sahmir Hagans, Duke (117)

Third-Team All-ACC

Offense

QB – Carson Beck, Miami (66)

RB – Isaac Brown, Louisville (80)

RB – Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami (62)

WR – Jordan Hudson, SMU (84)

WR – Trell Harris, Virginia (82)

WR – Antonio Williams, Clemson (34)

TE – Jeremiah Franklin, Boston College (43)

AP – Caullin Lacy, Louisville (87)

OT – McKale Boley, Virginia (64)

OT – Markel Bell, Miami (61)

OG – Noah Josey, Virginia (90)

OG – Justin Pickett, Duke (88)

C – James Brockermeyer, Miami (83)

Defense

DE – Will Heldt, Clemson (80)

DE – Clev Lubin, Louisville (79)

DT – Kemari Copeland, Virginia Tech (69)

DT – Aaron Hall, Duke (64)

LB – Kam Robinson, Virginia (98)

LB – TJ Quinn, Louisville (94)

LB – Wesley Bissainthe, Miami (42)

CB – Karon Prunty, Wake Forest (89)

CB – Paco Austin, California (53)

S – Ricardo Jones, Clemson (84)

S – Devin Neal, Virginia (81)

Specialists

PK – Cooper Ranvier, Louisville (52)

P – Marshall Nichols, Georgia Tech (86)

SP – Chris Barnes, Wake Forest (52)

Cal honorable-nention picks

RB – Kendrick Raphael, California (57)

DT – Aidan Keanaaina, California (21)

LB - Luke Ferrelli, California (36)

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