GREENSBORO, N.C. (WNCN) – Expectation continues to mount for NC State’s 2022 college football season as five players were voted to the All-ACC Preseason Team, including quarterback Devin Leary who was voted as the ACC Player-of-the-Year.
Leary is coming off a record-setting 2021 campaign where he posted the best interception avoidance mark in school history at 0.23. He also became the only quarterback in Atlantic Coastal Conference history to hit the 35 touchdowns, five interceptions threshold in a single season. His 35 touchdowns also broke the school record Philip Rivers set in 2003 (34).
Leary was also named to the Preseason All-ACC Football Team alongside center Grant Gibson, linebackers Drake Thomas and Payton Wilson, as well as safety Tanner Ingle.
The Wolfpack’s five selections to the preseason team are second in the conference behind only the University of Clemson. N.C. State also sits behind Clemson in the preseason picks to win the Conference and Atlantic Division.
Meanwhile, wide receiver Josh Downs is North Carolina’s lone representative on the All-ACC Preseason Team.
Downs led all players named to the preseason team with 128 votes at wide receiver and was also selected as the team specialist with 57 votes. Downs set a program record in 2021 in both receptions (101) and receiving yards (1,335).
Below is a complete list of the All-ACC Preseason Team as well as the Preseason Player-of-the-Year voting.
2022 Preseason All-ACC Football Team
Total votes in parenthesis
QB Devin Leary, NC State (56)
RB Sean Tucker, Syracuse (125)
RB Will Shipley, Clemson (112)
WR Josh Downs, North Carolina (128)
WR A.T. Perry, Wake Forest (111)
WR Zay Flowers, Boston College (104)
TE Will Mallory, Miami (69)
AP Keytaon Thompson, Virginia (70)
OT Jordan McFadden, Clemson (127)
OT Zion Nelson, Miami (82)
OG Caleb Chandler, Louisville (104)
OG Christian Mahogany, Boston College (67)
C Grant Gibson, NC State (90)
DE Myles Murphy, Clemson (120)
DE Habakkuk Baldonado, Pitt (54)
DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson (116)
DT Calijah Kancey, Pitt (62)
LB Drake Thomas, NC State (92)
LB Trenton Simpson, Clemson (82)
LB Payton Wilson, NC State (60)
CB Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville (70)
CB Josh DeBerry, Boston College (65)
S Jammie Robinson, Florida State (93)
S Tanner Ingle, NC State (63)
PK B.T. Potter, Clemson (99)
P Lou Hedley, Miami (101)
SP Josh Downs, North Carolina (57)
Preseason Player of the Year
1. Devin Leary, QB, NC State (40)
2. Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest (30)
3. Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami (21)
4. Bryan Breese, DT, Clemson (14)
4-t. Brennan Armstrong, QB, Virginia (14)
6-t. Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville (12)
6-t. Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina (12)
8. Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse (11)
9. Myles Murphy, DT, Clemson (5)
10. Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson (3)
11. Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State (2)