Three Heels named Preseason All-ACC
Three North Carolina seniors---wide receiver Dwight Jones and defensive linemen Quinton Coples and Tydreke Powell---were named to the preseason All-Conference team that was released by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Wednesday.
Florida State and Miami led all Atlantic Coast Conference schools each with four players selected to the 2011 Preseason All-ACC Football team in voting conducted by the media at the annual ACC Football Kickoff, which was held July 24-25 at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, N.C.
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The Preseason All-ACC team was announced Wednesday.
In all, 15 of the 25 honorees on the team earned first or second-team All-ACC honors last fall, with nine having been selected to the All-ACC first team. Three of the selections are returning first-team 2011 All-Americas.
Those who were chosen first-team All-ACC last fall included Montel Harris and Luke Kuechly of Boston College, Brandon Jenkins of Florida State, Kenny Tate of Maryland (though selected at safety last year), Brandon Washington of Miami, Coples of North Carolina, George Bryan of NC State, Chase Minnifield of Virginia, and Jayron Hosley of Virginia Tech.
The six selections who were named to the second team 2010 All-ACC squad were Conner Vernon and Will Snyderwine of Duke, Sean Spence and Ray-Ray Armstrong of Miami, Omoregie Uzzi of Georgia Tech and Blake DeChristopher of Virginia Tech.
Three members of the 2011 preseason team were repeaters from 2010 preseason squad in Montel Harris and Luke Kuechly of Boston College and George Bryan of NC State.
The three All-Americas were Boston College's Luke Kuechly, who was a 2011 unanimous first-team choice, Duke's Will Snyderwine (AFCA) and Virginia Tech's Jayron Hosley (Walter Camp, Scout.com).
In all, eleven of the 12 ACC schools were represented on the preseason All-ACC team. A total of 51 ballots were turned in from the more than 290 media members in attendance at the 2011 ACC Football Kickoff.
2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Team
Offense
Pos. Name (Votes) Ht Wt Class Hometown
WR Conner Vernon, Duke (20) 6-2 195 Junior Miami, Fla.
WR Dwight Jones, North Carolina (26) 6-4 225 Senior Burlington, N.C.
TE George Bryan, NC State (40) 6-5 265 Senior Castle Hayne, N.C.
T Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech (30) 6-5 312 Senior Midlothian, Va.
T Andrew Datko, Florida State (29) 6-6 321 Senior Weston, Fla.
G Brandon Washington, Miami (28) 6-4 320 Senior Miami, Fla.
G Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech (21) 6-3 300 Junior Lithonia, Ga.
C Tyler Horn, Miami (18) 6-4 305 Senior Memphis, Tenn.
QB EJ Manuel, Florida State (23) 6-5 245 Junior Virginia Beach, Va.
RB Montel Harris, Boston College (49) 5-10 200 Senior Jacksonville, Fla.
RB Andre Ellington, Clemson (19) 5-10 190 Junior Moncks Corner, S.C.
Defense
Pos. Name (Votes) Ht Wt Class Hometown
DE Brandon Jenkins, Florida State (44) 6-3 265 Junior Tallahassee, Fla.
DE Quinton Coples, North Carolina (38) 6-6 285 Senior Kinston, N.C.
DT Tydreke Powell, North Carolina (21) 6-3 310 Senior Ahoskie, N.C.
DT Brandon Thompson, Clemson (21) 6-2 310 Senior Thomasville, Ga.
LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College (49) 6-3 235 Junior Cincinnati, Ohio
LB Sean Spence, Miami (35) 6-0 224 Senior Miami, Fla.
LB Kenny Tate, Maryland (23) 6-4 220 Senior Forestville, Md.
CB Chase Minnifield, Virginia (38) 6-0 185 Senior Lexington, Ky..
CB Jayron Hosely, Virginia Tech (32) 5-10 170 Junior Delray Beach, Fla.
S Ray-Ray Armstrong, Miami (36) 6-4 215 Junior Sanford, Fla.
S Eddie Whitley, Virginia Tech (17) 6-1 187 Senior Charlotte, N.C.
Specialists
Pos. Name (Votes) Ht Wt Class Hometown
PK Will Snyderwine, Duke (18) 5-11 190 Senior Potomac, Md..
P Dawson Zimmerman, Clemson (21) 6-0 205 Senior Lawrenceville, Ga..
SP Greg Reid, Florida State (22) 5-8 186 Junior Valdosta, Ga.