Duke lands eight players on All-ACC teams
Duke’s football team had eight players land on All-ACC teams, though none of them was a first-team selection.
On the second-team offense are quarterback Darian Mensah, running back Nate Sheppard, wide receiver Cooper Barkate and offensive tackle Brian Parker II.
Mensah has thrown a program-record 28 touchdown passes for Duke this season. In eight ACC games, he threw 17 touchdowns and was never intercepted. Barkate was on the receiving end of six of those touchdowns; he’s Duke’s leading receiver with 63 catches for 978 yards.
Sheppard is a freshman who emerged as Duke’s lead back in September. Of his 865 yards this season, 638 came in ACC games. Parker is a two-year starter whose grade on Pro Football Focus is 88.3. He’s played 833 of Duke’s 850 offensive snaps this season.
Cornerback Chandler Rivers is on the second-team defense, and receiver Sahmir Hagans is on the second-team as a specialist.
Rivers is Duke’s highest-graded defensive player on PFF, at 79.1. He has 51 tackles, two interceptions and eight pass break-ups this season. Hagans didn’t have a kick return in Duke’s first five games, but he leads the ACC with 454 kick return yards and an average of 34.9 yards per return.
On the third-team were offensive guard Justin Pickett and defensive tackle Aaron Hall. Making the honorable mention list were tight end Jeremiah Hasley and defensive ends Vincent Anthony Jr. and Wesley Williams.
The All-ACC teams were announced Tuesday afternoon by the league. The teams were voted on by a select panel of the league’s coaches and media members. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.
Here are the full All-ACC teams, with voting points in parentheses:
First-Team All-ACC
Offense
QB – Haynes King, Georgia Tech (200)
RB – Hollywood Smothers, N.C. State (214)
RB – J’Mari Taylor, Virginia (207)
WR – Duce Robinson, Florida State (217)
WR – Chris Bell, Louisville (210)
WR – Malachi Toney, Miami (208)
TE – Justin Joly, NC State (178)
AP – Jacob De Jesus, California (134)
OT – Francis Mauigoa, Miami (212)
OT – Blake Miller, Clemson (125)
OG – Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech (202)
OG – Logan Parr, SMU (132)
C – Luke Petitbon, Florida State (115)
Defense
DE – Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (167)
DE – Akheem Mesidor, Miami (164)
DT – Jordan van den Berg, Georgia Tech (121)
DT – Peter Woods, Clemson (120)
LB – Caden Fordham, NC State (188)
LB – Cade Uluave, California (167)
LB – Sammy Brown, Clemson (147)
CB – Hezekiah Masses, California (160)
CB – Avieon Terrell, Clemson (138)
S – Nick Andersen, Wake Forest (137)
S – Ahmaad Moses, SMU (125)
Specialists
PK – Aidan Birr, Georgia Tech (209)
P – Jack Stonehouse, Syracuse (165)
SP – Jacob De Jesus, California (158)
*** JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON DEVIL INSIDER ***
Second-Team All-ACC
Offense
QB – Darian Mensah, Duke (114)
RB – Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest (165)
RB – Nate Sheppard, Duke (99)
WR – Cooper Barkate, Duke (160)
WR – Jacob De Jesus, California (132)
WR – Lewis Bond, Boston College (119)
TE – Sam Roush, Stanford (114)
AP – Malachi Toney, Miami (123)
OT – Brian Parker II, Duke (121)
OT – PJ Williams, SMU (71)
OG – Anez Cooper, Miami (127)
OG – Logan Taylor, Boston College (94)
C – Brady Wilson, Virginia (98)
Defense
DE – Isaiah Smith, SMU (140)
DE – Melkart Abou Jaoude, North Carolina (90)
DT – Ahmad Moten Sr., Miami (83)
DT – Rene Konga, Louisville (73)
LB – Kyle Louis, Pitt (143)
LB – Matt Rose, Stanford (133)
LB – Rasheem Biles, Pitt (131)
CB – Keionte Scott, Miami (118)
CB – Chandler Rivers, Duke (104)
S – Jakobe Thomas, Miami (111)
S – Earl Little Jr., Florida State (96)
Specialists
PK – Trey Butkowski, Pitt (62)
P – Daniel Sparks, Virginia (108)
SP – Sahmir Hagans, Duke (117)
Third-Team All-ACC
Offense
QB – Carson Beck, Miami (66)
RB – Isaac Brown, Louisville (80)
RB – Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami (62)
WR – Jordan Hudson, SMU (84)
WR – Trell Harris, Virginia (82)
WR – Antonio Williams, Clemson (34)
TE – Jeremiah Franklin, Boston College (43)
AP – Caullin Lacy, Louisville (87)
OT – McKale Boley, Virginia (64)
OT – Markel Bell, Miami (61)
OG – Noah Josey, Virginia (90)
OG – Justin Pickett, Duke (88)
C – James Brockermeyer, Miami (83)
Defense
DE – Will Heldt, Clemson (80)
DE – Clev Lubin, Louisville (79)
DT – Kemari Copeland, Virginia Tech (69)
DT – Aaron Hall, Duke (64)
LB – Kam Robinson, Virginia (98)
LB – TJ Quinn, Louisville (94)
LB – Wesley Bissainthe, Miami (42)
CB – Karon Prunty, Wake Forest (89)
CB – Brent Austin, California (53)
S – Ricardo Jones, Clemson (84)
S – Devin Neal, Virginia (81)
Specialists
PK – Cooper Ranvier, Louisville (52)
P – Marshall Nichols, Georgia Tech (86)
SP – Chris Barnes, Wake Forest (52)
Did you enjoy this story? If so, subscribe to Devils Illustrated to read *every* in-depth, objective, substantive story. Click here, subscribe, and stop missing out!
