Miami Litters the All-ACC Preseason Team With a Clear Front-Running Player of the Year
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The Miami Hurricanes start the season as the favorites in the ACC, and it comes with more preseason polls that have key players littered all over the place.
The Hurricanes have seven players on the 2026 All-ACC Preseason Team. Four players are on offense, three on defense, and Malach Toney is listed three times.
The Hurricanes also landed the preseason player of the year, and it's not Malachi Toney. Toney wasn't listed on the poll given to those in Charllete during ACC Football Kickoff, leaving one player, Derian Mensah, tabbed player of the year.
He is the clear-cut favorite and has the chance to make good on that promise after winning the conference championship last season.
Here is the full list:
2026 All-ACC Preseason Football Team
Offense
QB: Darian Mensah, Miami (112) *
RB: Mark Fletcher, Jr., Miami (127)
RB: Isaac Brown, Louisville (94)
WR: Malachi Toney, Miami (164)
WR: Duce Robinson, Florida State (131)
WR: Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson (64)
TE: Jeremiah Hasley, Duke (61)
AP: Malachi Toney, Miami (94)
OT: PJ Williams, SMU (96)
OT: McKale Boley, Virginia (77)
OG: Noah Josey, Virginia (71)
OG: Samson Okunlola, Miami (53)
C: Josh Bates, SMU (64)
Defense
DE: Will Heldt, Clemson (87)
DE: Clev Lubin, Louisville (79)
DT: Ahmad Moten Sr., Miami (126)
DT: Kemari Copeland, Virginia Tech (89)
LB: Sammy Brown, Clemson (139)
LB: Kam Robinson, Virginia (98)
LB: Mohamed Toure, Miami (64)
CB: Ashton Hampton, Clemson (81)
CB: Chris Peal, Syracuse (45)
S: Bryce Fitzgerald, Miami (86)
S: KP Price, Boston College (45)
Specialists
PK: Aidan Birr, Georgia Tech (105)
P: Daniel Sparks, Virginia (48)
SP: Malachi Toney, Miami (104)
Votes by position in parentheses*Preseason Player of the Year188 media voters
2026 ACC Football Preseason Player of the Year
Rank, Name, Position, School
1. Darian Mensah, QB, Miami (97)
2. Kevin Jennings, QB, SMU (25)
3. Isaac Brown, RB, Louisville (16)
4. CJ Bailey, QB, NC State (15)
5. Duce Robinson, WR, Florida State (12)
6. Sammy Brown, LB, Clemson (11)
7. Kam Robinson, LB, Virginia (5)
8. Will Heldt, DE, Clemson (4)
9. Mason Heintschel, QB, Pitt (3)
Votes in parentheses:188 media voters
Miami Hurricanes Preseason Awards
QB Darian Mensah
ACC Preseason Player of the Year
ACC Preseason All-ACC team (QB)
RB Mark Fletcher Jr.
ACC Preseason All-ACC team (RB)
Phil Steele Preseason All-America
WR Malachi Toney
Athlon Sports Preseason All-America (First team AP, Third team (PR)
Phil Steele Preseason All-America
ACC Preseason All-ACC team (WR, AP & SP)
WR Cooper Barkate
Athlon Sports Preseason All-America (Fourth team, WR)
OL Samson Okunola
ACC Preseason All-ACC team (OG)
DL Ahmad Moten Sr.
Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
Athlon Sports Preseason All-America (Fourth team, DL)
Phil Steele Preseason All-America
ACC Preseason All-ACC team (DL)
LB Mohamed Toure
ACC Preseason All-ACC team (LB)
DB Bryce Fitzgerald
ACC Preseason All-ACC team (S)
2026 ACC Football Preseason Media Poll
1. Miami (165 first-place votes) - 3,159 points
2. SMU (6) - 2,794
3. Louisville (4) - 2,569
4. Clemson (7) - 2,520
5. Georgia Tech (2) - 2,006
6. Virginia - 1,981
7. NC State - 1,964
8. Virginia Tech - 1,962
9. Pittsburgh - 1,740
10. Duke - 1,452
11. Florida State (3) - 1,439
12. California - 1,392
13. Wake Forest - 1,103
14. Syracuse - 878
15. North Carolina - 831
16. Boston College - 491
17. Stanford (1) - 483
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.
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