UNC football lands three players on preseason All-ACC team. Here’s who made it

A panel of 147 media members picked North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell as the ACC’s preseason Player of the Year on Tuesday. If that indeed comes to fruition, the 6-foot-1 junior quarterback would be the first time a Carolina player took the ACC’s highest individual honor since Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor won the award in an eight-team league back in 1980.

Joining Howell on the preseason All-ACC team were offensive lineman Josh Ezeudu and cornerback Tony Grimes. The Tar Heels haven’t had three players make the All-ACC team since winning their lone Coastal Division title in 2015.

Howell was the runaway choice for preseason Player of the Year, getting 114 of the 147 total votes from a panel of media. Miami quarterback D’Eriq King was in second place with 11 votes.

No one in the ACC has thrown more touchdown passes through their sophomore season than Howell, whose 68 touchdowns surpassed Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence’s record of 66. Howell has started every game the past two seasons for the Heels. He enters the season with the highest rated career passing efficiency (168.76), which also bested Lawrence’s current ACC record of 164.26.

“If we play well enough as a team around him, and we have a chance to win a lot of games, he’ll be right in the mix of the Heisman (Trophy race),” UNC coach Mack Brown told reporters last week during the ACC Football Kickoff. Brown added that he expects this to be Howell’s final season before declaring for the NFL draft.

Carolina isn’t planning a formal Heisman Trophy campaign, but he’s certainly considered a contender. Howell, who was named the ACC’s 2019 Rookie of the Year, was asked about how he was handling the considerable hype that has preceded this season.

“I don’t get too caught up in what other people are saying,” Howell told reporters at ACC Football Kickoff. “I’m just worried about what I think of myself and what the people close to me say. That’s the same mindset of my team.”

Ezeudu, a 6-foot-4, 325-pound junior, is regarded as Carolina’s most versatile offensive lineman. He started all 10 games that he played in last season, splitting time at both left guard and right tackle. Ezeudu was named All-ACC second team last season by the Associated Press.

Grimes, a 6-foot sophomore, reclassified a year ago at this time in order to join the Heels ahead of schedule. He played mainly on special teams early in the season, but got his chance to become an every down cornerback in the second half of their win over Wake Forest. Once he proved his mettle then, Grimes took over the position. The highlight of his season may have been an interception in UNC’s win over Miami.

Player of the Year voting

(147 total votes; Total votes)

1. Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina, 114

2. D’Eriq King, QB, Miami, 11

3. Bryan Bresee, DE, Clemson, 8

4. D.J. Uiagalelei, QB, Clemson, 6

5. Phil Jurkovec, QB, Boston College, 3

6. Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College, 2

6. Jahmyr Gibbs, AP, Georgia Tech, 2

Full 2021 Preseason All-ACC Football Team

(147 total votes; Total votes in parentheses)

Offense

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

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)