TILOCK: Preseason All-ACC football ballot — How many Virginia Cavaliers?

College football is almost here. But before the pageantry of late August begins, the window for season predictions is still open. Here are my predictions for three All-ACC teams.

FIRST TEAM


Quarterback	Darian Mensah (Miami)
Running back	Justice Haynes (GT), Mark Fletcher (Miami)
Wide receiver	Duce Robinson (FSU), Malachi Toney (Miami)
Tight end	Brody Foley (Louisville)
Offensive tackle	McKale Boley (UVA), PJ Williams (SMU)
Offensive guard	Noah Josey (UVA), Addison Nichols (SMU)
Center	Drake Metcalf (UVA)

Defensive end	Clev Lubin (Louisville), Melkart Abou Jaoude (North Carolina)
Defensive tackle	Kamari Copeland (VT), Ahmad Moten (Miami)
Linebacker	Kam Robinson (UVA), Sammy Brown (Clemson) and Braylan Lovelace (Pitt)
Cornerback	Ashton Hampton (Clemson), Xavier Lucas (Miami)
Safety	Brandyn Hillman (UVA), Bryce Fitzgerald (Miami)
Kicker	John Love (VT)
Punter	Dylan Joyce (Miami)

Mensah was already elite in 2025. He now heads to a team that was the national runner-up, loaded with NFL-caliber talent. It would be a great surprise if he does not excel as a Hurricane. Some of that Miami talent includes seven other members of the First Team.

Notable non-Hurricanes include Duce Robinson, returning to Florida State after some stellar performances in 2025. Other familiar names are Louisville’s Lubin, Clemson’s Brown and Pitt’s Lovelace. The ACC is flush with elite linebackers, but the top three might narrowly beat out the stars on the Second Team.

For Virginia, its elite offensive line should result in several All-ACC selections. It would not be all that ludicrous for the Cavaliers to land three or four linemen on the First Team. If healthy, Kam Robinson should have his name written in permanent marker on this list. Hillman, if he performs as advertised, could also find his way onto this list.

Some surprises — Copeland, Love and Foley have elite talent and have occasionally flown under the radar. All three are deserving of all-conference honors in some way, if they continue their high level of play.

SECOND TEAM


Quarterback	Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Cal)
Running back	Isaac Brown (Louisville), Kendrick Raphael (SMU)
Wide receiver	Ian Strong (Cal), Cooper Barkate (Miami)
Tight end	Luke Reynolds (VT)
Offensive tackle	Monroe Mills (UVA), Ethan Mackenny (GT)
Offensive guard	Andrew Chamblee (SMU), BJ Williams (Pitt)
Center	Harrison Sewell (Clemson)

Defensive end	Will Heldt (Clemson), Damon Wilson (Miami)
Defensive tackle	Justin Scott (Miami), Katron Evans (NCST)
Linebacker	Kyle Efford (GT), Mohamed Toure (Miami) and Matt Rose (Stanford)
Cornerback	Davaughn Patterson (Wake), Chris Peal (Syracuse)
Safety	Corey Myrick (Clemson), Koen Entringer (Miami)
Kicker	Aidan Birr (GT)
Punter	Kade Reynoldson (Duke)

There are several players on this list who could very well earn First Team honors — most notably Sagapolutele, Isaac Brown, Reynolds and Birr. Efford, Toure and Rose also reside among that group. There are some who are new to the ACC, including Reynolds and Evans, who could be fun to watch.

THIRD TEAM


Quarterback	CJ Bailey (NCST)
Running back	Peyton Lewis (UVA) and Marcellous Hawkins (VT)
Wide receiver	Bryant Wesco (Clemson) and Que'Sean Brown (VT)
Tight end	Jeremiah Hasley (Duke)
Offensive tackle	Brayden Jacobs (Clemson), Jimarion McCrimon (NCST)
Offensive guard	Spike Sowells (NCST), Malachi Carney (GT)
Center	Josh Bates (SMU)

Defensive end	Fisher Camac (UVA), Langston Hardy (Wake)
Defensive tackle	Markus Strong (Clemson), Jason Hammond (UVA)
Linebacker	Chris Jones (FSU), Stanquan Clark (Louisville) and Brandon Booker (SMU)
Cornerback	Tayon Holloway (Louisville), Marcellus Barnes (SMU)
Safety	Omar Thornton (Miami), Ethan Minter (UVA)
Kicker	Sam Hunsaker (Pitt)
Punter	Daniel Sparks (UVA)

The Third Team is full of players who might not be proven stars, but certainly have the talent to dominate in 2026. However, the offensive line and receiver spots feature players who could absolutely move up a level or two on this list.

There are a few difficult omissions — namely Duke’s Nate Sheppard, a talented running back who deserves an honorable mention, at the very least. The limited quantity of spots is also detrimental to Georgia Tech, a squad which does well in the trenches and should earn more fanfare later in the season.

Another note — If the versatile Carney sticks at guard, he has the skill to earn a spot on this list. Elsewhere, players like Brown and Jones could break out as national darlings given their elite talent.

Which schools have the most players on this list?


Miami	13
Virginia	11
Clemson	8
SMU	7
Louisville	5
Georgia Tech	5
Virginia Tech	5
NC State	4
Pitt	3
California	2
Duke	2
Florida State	2
Wake Forest	2
Syracuse	1
North Carolina	1
Stanford	1
Boston College	0

This distribution generally aligns with the projected ACC standings. The only sizable differences are that Clemson may be overrepresented while SMU and NC State are underrepresented. Cal and Pitt could also climb this list, but will need to prove themselves first.

Given their successes in 2025, Miami and Virginia are deserving of having 10-plus players on this list. That should not come as a surprise. The exact inverse is true for Boston College. However, anything can happen in college football. Perhaps some lesser known quantities emerge as megastars and claim a spot on the First Team.

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