Clemson’s Travis Etienne named ACC Player of the Year

Clemson sophomore running back Travis Etienne has been named the ACC Football Player of the Year, the league announced Wednesday.

Clelin Ferrell, the Tigers’ junior defensive end, made it a Clemson sweep as he was recognized as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

The award winners were chosen by a vote of a select 46-member media panel and the league’s 14 head coaches.

Etienne enters this Saturday night’s Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship game versus Pitt as the conference leader in rushing yards with 1,307 – the fourth-best single-season total in Clemson history.

The Jennings, Louisiana, native also leads the ACC and ranks second in the nation with 19 rushing touchdowns, and he owns one scoring reception on the year for a total of 20 TDs.

Etienne’s 2018 season includes six 100-yard rushing games, and his 150-yard rushing performance against rival South Carolina in the Tigers’ regular-season finale pushed his two-year career total past the 2,000-yard mark.

Ferrell’s intimidating presence is another reason Clemson will carry a 12-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking into Saturday night’s Championship Game. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound native of Richmond, Virginia, leads the ACC and ranks eighth nationally with 10.5 quarterback sacks, and his 15.5 tackles for loss are the fourth-most among conference players.

Ferrell has helped the Tigers limit opponents to an average of just 14 points per game while netting a mere 82.7 rushing yards per game and 283 total yards per contest. The 2017 All-American was voted the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week on Sept. 10 and is a candidate for numerous national honors this season.

ACC Player of the Year voting

ACC Player of the Year
Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson – 22
Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson – 14
Ryan Finley, QB, NC State – 8
AJ Dillon, RB, Boston College – 4
Eric Dungey, QB, Syracuse – 4
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson – 3
Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson – 2
Qadree Ollison, RB, Pitt – 1
Greg Dortch, WR, Wake Forest – 1
Bryce Perkins, QB, Virginia – 1

ACC Offensive Player of the Year
Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson – 32
Ryan Finley, QB, NC State – 9
AJ Dillon, RB, Boston College – 6
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson – 5
Eric Dungey, QB, Syracuse – 3
Greg Dortch, WR, Wake Forest – 2
Bryce Perkins, QB, Virginia – 2
Qadree Ollison, RB, Pitt – 1

ACC Defensive Player of the Year
Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson – 28
Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson – 20
Zach Allen, DE, Boston College – 5
Gerald Willis III, DT, Miami – 3
Brian Burns, DE, Florida State – 2
Alton Robinson, DE, Syracuse – 2