With the ACC Championship of Clemson football against North Carolina this Saturday (12/3/22), there’s no better time to revisit the season and give out the (My) Rubbing The Rock All-Conference Teams as well as Players/Coach(es) of the Year in the Atlantic Coast Conference:
Co-ACC Coaches of the Year: Mike Norvell, Florida State / Mike Elko, Duke
I don’t believe there is any debate on which coaches had the best seasons in the conference. Mike Norvell went through a tough time in the middle third of the season, however, instead of packing it in, as we’ve seen in Tallahassee in the past, this Norvell-led team righted the ship and is arguably the best team in the conference at this time.
Mike Elko came to Duke from Texas A&M and got 8 wins out of his Blue Devils team. A perennial bottom dweller in the ACC, Elko led his team to a 2nd place finish in the Coastal Division. And this is in year 1. A lot of positives to take into the future for the Blue Devils.
Now onto the players:
Offense:
1st Team 2nd Team
QB – Drake Maye, UNC Jordan Travis, FSU
RB – Israel Abanikanda, Pitt Sean Tucker, Syr
RB – Will Shipley, Clemson Trey Benson, FSU
WR – Josh Downs, UNC Jared Wayne, Pitt
WR – Zay Flowers, BC Jordan Moore, Duke
WR – A.T. Perry, Wake Forest Tyler Hudson, Lou
TE – Orande Gadsden II, Syracuse Will Mallory, Miami
OL – Jordan McFadden, Clemson Will Putnam, CU
OL – Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse Dillon Gibbons, FSU
OL – Jacob Monk, Duke Grant Gibson, NC St
OL – Marcus Minor, Pitt Maurice Smith, FSU
OL – Michael Jurgens, Wake Forest Caleb Chandler, Lou
Offensive Player of the Year: Israel Abanikanda, Pitt
Offensive Freshman of the Year: Drake Maye, UNC
Defense:
1st Team 2nd Team
DL – Jared Verse, FSU TyJuan Garbutt, VT
DL – Donovan Ezeiruaku, BC Chico Bennett, UVA
DL – Calijah Kancey, Pitt Tyler Davis, Clemson
DL – KJ Henry, Clemson Deslin Alexandre, Pitt
LB – SirVocea Dennis, Pitt Barrett Carter, CU
LB – Isaiah Moore, NC State Drake Thomas, NC St
LB – Charlie Thomas, Georgia Tech Mikel Jones, Syracuse
DB – Kamren Kinchens, Miami Jammie Robinson, FSU
DB – Jaylen Stinson, Duke Storm Duck, UNC
DB – DeAndre Boykins, UNC Aydan White, NC State
DB – Brandon Hill, Pitt Garrett Williams, Syr
Defensive Player of the Year: SirVocea Dennis, Pitt
Defensive Freshman of the Year: Wesley Bissainthe, Miami
Special Teams:
1st Team 2nd Team
K – Christopher Dunn, NC St BT Potter, CU
P – Lou Hedley, Miami Ben Kiernan, UNC
KR – Trebor Pena, Syracuse Jaylen Stinson, Duke
PR – MJ Devonshire, Pitt Mycah Pittman, FSU
Best Transfer of the Year, Offense: Trey Benson, RB, FSU
Best Transfer of the Year, Defense: Jared Verse, DE, FSU