Clemson picked to win ACC. Here’s where UNC, NC State and Duke were picked to finish
Clemson is the favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference again in the 2020 season, according to the annual media poll that was released Friday by the league.
Clemson junior quarterback Trevor Lawrence was selected as the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, with running back teammate Travis Etienne finishing second in the top player voting.
The Tigers, ranked No. 1 nationally in preseason polls, received 132 of the media panel’s 134 first-place votes. Notre Dame, which will compete as an ACC football member this season, received the remaining two first-place votes. North Carolina placed third, followed by Louisville, Virginia Tech and Miami.
Clemson led all schools with five players on the 27-member 2020 preseason All-ACC team.
Each ACC team will play 11 games (10 conference, one non-conference) this season. The ACC season kicks off Thursday night (Sept. 10) with Miami playing host to UAB. Clemson opens Sept. 12 at Wake Forest.
ACC football preseason poll
(First-place votes in parenthesis, followed by total points)
1. Clemson (132) – 2008 - also picked to win ACC Football Championship Game
2. Notre Dame (2) – 1824
3. North Carolina – 1682
4. Louisville – 1434
5. Virginia Tech – 1318
6. Miami – 1280
7. Florida State – 1177
8. Pitt – 1132
9. Virginia – 994
10. Wake Forest – 659
11. NC State – 634
12. Duke – 618
13. Boston College – 532
14. Syracuse – 449
15. Georgia Tech – 339
2020 All-ACC Preseason Football Team
(Total votes in parenthesis)
Offense
WR – Tamorrion Terry, Florida State (100)
WR – Tutu Atwell, Louisville (96)
WR – Dazz Newsome, North Carolina (75)
TE – Brevin Jordan, Miami (77)
AP – Michael Carter, North Carolina (82)
OT – Jackson Carman, Clemson (64)
OT – Ben Petrula, Boston College (61)
OG – Zion Johnson, Boston College (78)
OG – Aaron Banks, Notre Dame (34)
C – Jimmy Morrissey, Pitt (80)
QB – Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (131)
RB – Travis Etienne, Clemson (133)
RB – Javian Hawkins, Louisville (80)
Defense
DE – Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest (89)
DE – Patrick Jones II, Pitt (37)
DT – Marvin Wilson, Florida State (108)
DT – Tyler Davis, Clemson (75)
LB – Chazz Surratt, North Carolina (106)
LB – Rayshard Ashby, Virginia Tech (66)
LB – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame (47)
CB – Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State (90)
CB – Derion Kendrick, Clemson (85)
S – Paris Ford, Pitt (62)
S – Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State (56)
Special Teams
PK – Nick Sciba, Wake Forest (69)
P – Trenton Gill, NC State (43)
SP – Damond Philyaw-Johnson, Duke (48)
ACC Player of the Year
1. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson – 100
2. Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson – 30
3. Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina – 1
4. Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina – 1
5. Ian Book, QB, Notre Dame – 1
6. Carlos Basham Jr., DE, Wake Forest – 1
This story was originally published September 4, 2020 at 11:33 AM with the headline "Clemson picked to win ACC. Here’s where UNC, NC State and Duke were picked to finish."