2020 All-ACC Preseason Team - Defense
Notre Dame is prepared to kick off its first season in the ACC on September 12 when the Irish begin the 2020 season with Duke.
That means its time for me to generate my first-ever preseason All-ACC projection. I already broke down the offense, so now it’s time to look at the defense.
Some of the players were named to the All-Opponent squad, but this list is comprised of the entire ACC, including Notre Dame.
Player of the Year: Carlos Basham Jr., DE, Wake Forest
Rookie of the Year: Bryan Breese, DE, Clemson
Coach of the Year: Scott Satterfield, Louisville
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DE Carlos Basham Jr., Sr., Wake Forest
Basham had an absolutely brilliant junior season, which made it a surprise he returned for his senior campaign. The Wake Forest edge player racked up 18 tackles for loss and 11 sacks last season, and his all around dominance makes him the best returning defender Notre Dame will face this season.
DE Patrick Jones II, Sr., Pittsburgh
It was hard not to have Duke’s Chris Rumph II here, but I’m a big fan of the game of Jones. Like Basham, Jones has a unique combination of size, length, power and athleticism. He used those traits to register 12 tackles for los and 8.5 sacks for arguably the best defensive line in the ACC last season.
DT Marvin Wilson, Sr., Florida State
Wilson finally started turning his five-star talent into top-level production last season. Like Basham, him returning for his senior season was a bit of a surprise. There is room for his game to grow, and if it does he could be one of the nation’s premier big men as both a run defender and pass rusher.
DT Tyler Davis, Soph., Clemson
Davis earned Freshman All-American honors last season after racking up 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Now in his second season, Davis should see his game take a big leap. The depth at the position for the Tigers should help Clemson keep him fresh, and now he’s a year stronger. Watch out for a big year from Davis.
LB Chazz Surratt, Sr., North Carolina
The last time Notre Dame faced North Carolina, Surratt was the starting quarterback. He moved to linebacker in 2019 and the transition was exceptionally smooth. Surratt registered 115 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last fall. According to Pro Football Focus, he had the most run stops and hurries of all returning ACC backers.
LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Sr., Notre Dame
Owusu-Koramoah had a breakout season in 2019, racking up 80 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Now a second-year starter, the Notre Dame senior should emerge as one of the nation’s best linebackers and best playmakers in the ACC.
LB Rayshard Ashby, Sr., Virginia Tech
Ashby is small, but what he lacks in size he makes up for with instincts, athleticism and tremendous production. The Chesterfield, Va. native racked up a league leading 120 tackles last season, and his 17 tackles for loss were the most in the league for a linebacker.
S Paris Ford, Sr., Pittsburgh
Ford and teammate Damar Hamlin form the best safety duo Notre Dame will face in 2020. In fact, they are arguably the best safety duo in the country, and a big part of that is Ford. He registered 97 tackles last season and also had more pass break ups than any other safety in the league. According to PFF he had more run stops than any safety on the Irish schedule.
S Kyle Hamilton, Soph., Notre Dame
This is a projection pick, but there really isn’t a safety in the league that can match his raw physical talent. Hamilton was highly productive as a true freshman in 2019, leading the Irish defense with four picks. Now a full-time starter, Hamilton is poised for a major breakout.
CB Asante Samuel Jr., Jr., Florida State
Samuel has represented the family name extremely well. He was one of the best cover corners in the ACC last season, and he should be even better in 2020. Samuel ranked second in the ACC in passes defensed last season (15) and led the conference in pass break ups (14). He could emerge as one of the nation’s top cover players in 2020.
CB Ifeatu Melifonwu, Jr., Syracuse
This is a projection pick. Melifonwu is still raw and he has to stay healthy, but his elite size (6-3, 213), length and playmaking ability is tremendous for a cornerback. Despite playing in just nine games, Melifonwu racked up 10 passes defensed last fall, and according to PFF opponents completed just 43.1 percent of their throws against him.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DE Chris Rumph III, Jr., Duke
DE Quincy Roche, Sr., Miami (Fla.)
DT Alim McNeil, Jr., NC State
DT Cory Durden, Jr., Florida State
LB Max Richardson, Sr., Boston College
LB James Skalski, Sr., Clemson
LB Charles Snowden, Sr., Virginia
S Hamsah Nasirildeen, Sr., Florida State
S Damar Hamlin, Sr., Pittsburgh
CB Jermaine Waller, Jr., Virginia Tech
CB Tre Swilling Jr., Georgia Tech
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