AP All-ACC: Miami QB Ward honored as offensive player and newcomer of the year
AP Sports Writer
Miami quarterback Cam Ward is The Associated Press offensive player of the year and newcomer of the year in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was voted the league’s top defensive player for the 2024 season.
SMU coach Rhett Lashlee, whose bid for an ACC title in the school’s debut season came up just short in a 34-31 loss to Clemson, earned coach of the year honors from the panel of 15 media members who cover the conference.
The Hurricanes, who went 10-2 this season but lost their final two ACC games to fall out of the conference championship game, had a league-high eight players selected to the first and second teams, including receiver Xavier Restrepo who had 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns receiving to lead the ACC.
Miami brothers Francis and Francisco Mauigoa were both honored with second team selections, Francis on the offensive line and Franciso at linebacker.
BC’s Ezeiruako, Miami’s Restrepo, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II and Cal cornerback Nohl Williams were all unanimous, first-team selections.
SMU, which was 8-0 in regular-season ACC games, had six players chosen including first-team running back Brashard Smith. While Clemson earned the league’s automatic bid to the College Football Playoff, SMU also qualified for the 12-team field.
The Tar Heels’ Hampton, who led the ACC with 1,660 yards rushing, was also picked as the second-team all-purpose player,
Clemson, which won the ACC title for the eighth time in the past 10 seasons, had four players picked including first-team selections in linebacker Barrett Carter and offensive tackle Blake Miller.
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The 2024 Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference team, as selected by a panel of 15 sports writers who regularly cover the league. Players at all positions are listed alphabetically with name, school, height, weight, class and hometown; “u-” denotes unanimous selections:
First team
Offense
QB — Cam Ward, Miami, 6-2, 223, R-Sr., West Columbia, Texas
u_RB — Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, 6-0, 220, Jr., Clayton, North Carolina
RB — Brashard Smith, SMU, 5-10, 196, Sr., Richmond Heights, Florida
u_WR — Xavier Restrepo, Miami, 5-10, 198, R-Sr., Coconut Creek, Florida
WR — Ja’Corey Brooks, Louisville, 6-3, 195, R-Sr., Bradenton, Florida
u-TE — Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse, 6-5, 236, R-Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida
OT — Blake Miller, Clemson, 6-6, 315, Jr., Strongsville, Ohio
OT — Brian Parker II, Duke, 6-5, 300, R-Soph., Cincinnati
OG — Willie Lampkin, North Carolina, 5-11, 290, Sr., Lakeland, Florida
OG — Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech, 6-4, 310, Jr., Royston, Georgia
C — Drew Kendall, Boston College, 6-4, 299, R-Jr., Norwell, Massachusetts
PK — Andres Borregales, Miami, 5-11, 170, Jr., Miami
All-purpose — Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh, 5-8, 175, Jr., Miami Gardens, Florida
Defense
u-DE — Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College, 6-2, 247, Sr., Williamstown, New Jersey
DE — Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr., Virginia Tech, 6-3, 252, R-Sr., Portsmouth, Virginia
DT — Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech, 6-1, 290, Gr., Raleigh, North Carolina
DT — Simeon Barrow Jr., Miami, 6-3, 290, R-Sr., Grovetown, Georgia
LB — Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh, 6-0, 225, R-Soph., East Orange, New Jersey
LB — Teddye Buchanan, Cal, 6-2, 235, R-Sr., San Francisco
LB — Barrett Carter, Clemson, 6-1, 230, Sr., Suwanee, Georgia
u-CB — Nohl Williams, Cal, 6-1, 200, R-Sr., Oxnard, California
CB — Chandler Rivers, Duke, 5-10, 180, Jr., Beaumont, Texas
S — Jonas Sanker, Virginia, 6-1, 210, Sr., Charlottesville, Virginia
S — Mishael Powell, Miami, 6-1, 210, R-Sr., Seattle
P — Alex Mastromanno, Florida State, 6-1, 241, R-Sr., Melbourne, Australia
Second team
Offense
QB — Kyle McCord, Syracuse, 6-3, 220, Sr., Mount Laurel, New Jersey
RB — Brayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech, 5-11, 209, Sr., Paulsboro, New Jersey
RB — Isaac Brown, Louisville, 5-9, 190, Fr., Homestead, Florida
WR — Antonio Williams, Clemson, 5-11, 190, R-Soph., Irmo, South Carolina
WR — Jackson Meeks, Syracuse, 6-2, 210, Sr., Phenix City, Alabama
TE — Elijah Arroyo, Miami, 6-4, 245, R-Jr., Frisco, Texas
OT — Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College, 6-8, 309, Gr., Norwell, Massachusetts
OT — Francis Mauigoa, Miami, 6-6, 315, Soph., Ili’ili, American Samoa
OG — Caleb Krings, Duke, 6-3, 317, Gr., Fayetteville, North Carolina
OG — Logan Parr, SMU, 6-4, 316, Sr., Helotes, Texas
C — (tie), Zeke Correll, N.C. State, 6-3, 310, Gr., Cincinnati; Jakai Clark, SMU, 6-3, 334, Gr., Loganville, Georgia
PK — Collin Rogers, SMU, 6-4, 219, Jr., Prattville, Alabama
All-purpose — Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, 6-0, 220, Jr., Clayton, North Carolina
Defense
DE — Davin Vann, N.C. State, 6-2, 280, Gr., Cary, North Carolina
DE — T.J. Parker, Clemson, 6-3, 265, Soph., Phenix City, Alabama
DT — Jared Harrison-Hunte, SMU, 6-4, 294, Sr., Middle Village, New York
DT — Kendy Charles, Duke, 6-0, 280, Gr., Orange Park, Florida
LB — Kobe Wilson, SMU, 6-0, 225, Sr., Snellville, Georgia
LB — Branson Combs, Wake Forest, 6-3, 228, Sr., Evansville, Indiana
LB — (tie), Franciso Mauigoa, Miami, 6-3, 230, Sr., Ili’ili, American Samoa; Rasheem Biles, Pittsburgh,
CB — Quincy Riley, Louisville, 6-0, 195, Sr., Columbia, South Carolina
CB — Avieon Terrell, Clemson, 5-11, 180, Soph., Atlanta
S — Isaiah Nwokobia, SMU, 6-1, 202, Jr., Dallas
S — Terry Moore, Duke, 6-1, 200, Jr., Washington, North Carolina
P — (tie) Jack Stonehouse, Syracuse, 6-1, 197, Jr., Camarillo, California; Lachlan Wilson, Cal, R-Sr., Eaglemont, Australia
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Coach of the Year — Rhett Lashlee, SMU
Offensive Player of the Year — Cam Ward, Miami
Defensive Player of the Year — Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Newcomer of the Year — Cam Ward, Miami
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Voting panel:
Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News; Brent Axe, Syracuse.com, Syracuse, New York; Chad Bishop, Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Rick Bozich, WDRB-TV, Louisville, Kentucky; Jordan Crammer, WNCN-TV, Goldsboro, North Carolina; Jerry DiPaola, Tribune Total Media, Pittsburgh; Louis Fernandez Jr., WRAL-TV, Raleigh, North Carolina; Chapel Fowler, The State, Columbia, South Carolina; Trevor Hass, The Boston Globe/Boston.com; Adam Lichtenstein, South Florida Sun Sentinel; Greg Madia, The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Virginia; Mitchell Northam, WUNC, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Kate Rogerson, WTVD/ABC-11, Durham, North Carolina; Alex Simon, SFGate.com, San Francisco; Damien Sordelett, Roanoke (Virginia) Times.
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AP Sports Writer Aaron Beard contributed to this report.
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