Six-time defending champion Clemson leads all schools with eight players on the 27-member 2021 All-ACC Preseason Football Team announced Tuesday.
Preseason honors were determined by a vote of 147 media members, including several who were credentialed for last week’s ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte.
Virginia Tech landed two players on the team – defensive end Amaré Barno and tight end James Mitchell.
Barno enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2020 after making the move from linebacker to defensive end. He recorded 43 total tackles on the season, including 28 solo stops. The Blythewood, S.C., native led the ACC and all Power Five players with 16.0 tackles for loss and tied with Tech defensive end Justus Reed for sixth in the league with 6.5 sacks. He earned All-ACC honorable mention honors last season.
Mitchell enters his fourth season with the Hokies after leading the team with four receiving touchdowns in 2020. The Big Stone Gap native recorded 26 receptions for 435 yards in 10 games last season.
In his 36 career games for Tech, Mitchell racked up 47 catches for 796 yards with six touchdowns to go along with five rushing TDs. Friday, Mitchell earned a spot on the Mackey Award watch list as one of the country’s top tight ends. He was a second-team All-ACC pick of PFF College last season.
Virginia had one selection – junior linebacker Nick Jackson.
The Atlanta native, a third-team All-ACC selection as a sophomore in 2021, started all 10 games at linebacker for the Cavaliers last season. His 105 tackles were the second most in the ACC and sixth most in the nation. He averaged 5.5 solo tackles per game, the second most in the ACC and ranked No. 16 in the country.
On Monday, Jackson was one of 51 linebackers in college football featured on the Butkus Award watch list, presented to the nation’s best linebacker.
2021 Preseason All-ACC Football Team
Offense
(Total votes in parentheses)
- QB Sam Howell, North Carolina (118)
- RB Zonovan Knight, NC State (96)
- RB Mataeo Durant, Duke (49)
- WR Justyn Ross, Clemson (110)
- WR Zay Flowers, Boston College (101)
- WR Jaquarii Roberson, Wake Forest (80)
- TE James Mitchell, Virginia Tech (77)
- AP Jahmyr Gibbs, Georgia Tech (56)
- OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State (83)
- OT Jordan McFadden, Clemson (53)
- OG Zion Johnson, Boston College (82)
- OG Joshua Ezeudu, North Carolina (56)
- C Alec Lindstrom, Boston College (77)
Defense
(Total votes in parentheses)
- DE Myles Murphy, Clemson (108)
- DE Amare’ Barno, Virginia Tech (63)
- DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson (120)
- DT Tyler Davis, Clemson (53)
- LB Payton Wilson, NC State (99)
- LB James Skalski, Clemson (95)
- LB Nick Jackson, Virginia (37)
- CB Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson (86)
- CB Tony Grimes, North Carolina (55)
- S Bubba Bolden, Miami (100)
- S Nolan Turner, Clemson (85)
Special Teams
- PK Nick Sciba, Wake Forest (69)
- P Lou Hedley, Miami (84)
- SP Jahmyr Gibbs, Georgia Tech (60)
Preseason Player of the Year
- Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina, 114
- D’Eriq King, QB, Miami, 11
- Bryan Bresee, DE, Clemson, 8
- D.J. Uiagalelei, QB, Clemson, 6
- Phil Jurkovec, QB, Boston College, 3
- Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College, 2
- Jahmyr Gibbs, AP, Georgia Tech, 2
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Chris Graham
