UNC football quarterback Drake Maye leads All-ACC preseason team selections

Following a record-setting redshirt freshman season at North Carolina a year ago, UNC quarterback Drake Maye is the 2023 preseason ACC Player of the Year, leading a group of three Tar Heels on the preseason All-ACC team, the league announced Wednesday.

Maye passed for 3,847 yards and 35 touchdowns to go along with 629 yards rushing and six rushing TDs in 2022, making him just the ninth FBS quarterback since 2010 to post 3,500 passing yards, 35 passing TDs, 500 rushing yards and five rushing scores in a season. The Huntersville, North Carolina native, also became the only ACC player in the past 25 years to register at least 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in four consecutive games.

Maye led the preseason Player of the Year balloting with 88 votes, followed by Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis (66), who was second-team All-ACC last season after passing for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushing for 417 yards and seven TDs.

Clemson running back Will Shipley totaled 17 votes, with six players total receiving votes for preseason Player of the Year.

Linebacker Cedric Gray and wide receiver Tez Walker join Maye as Tar Heels on the preseason all-conference squad.

Duke’s contingent on the team included receiver Jalon Calhoun, offensive tackle Graham Barton and defensive tackle DeWayne Carter.

Cornerback Aydan White is N.C. State’s lone representative on the preseason all-conference team.

Clemson led all programs with seven players on the 27-member All-ACC team, including Shipley, who is on the list three times as a running back, all-purpose player and special teams player.

Florida State followed with four selections, while UNC, Duke and Miami had three.

2023 Preseason All-ACC Football Team

176 total votes

• QB: Drake Maye, North Carolina (107)
• RB: Will Shipley, Clemson (169)
• RB: Trey Benson, Florida State (125)
• WR: Johnny Wilson, Florida State (117)
• WR: Tez Walker, North Carolina (51)
• WR: Jalon Calhoun, Duke (49)
• TE: Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse (89)
• AP: Will Shipley, Clemson (105)
• OT: Graham Barton, Duke (110)
• OT: Matt Goncalves, Pitt (58)
• OG: Christian Mahogany, Boston College (101)
• OG: Javion Cohen, Miami (69)
• C: Bryan Hudson, Louisville (56)

• DE: Jared Verse, Florida State (136)
• DE: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College (58)
• DT: Tyler Davis, Clemson (124)
• DT: DeWayne Carter, Duke (97)
• LB: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson (132)
• LB: Cedric Gray, North Carolina (109)
• LB: Barrett Carter, Clemson (87)
• CB: Fentrell Cypress II, Florida State (88)
• CB: Aydan White, NC State (85)
• S: Kam Kinchens, Miami (117)
• S: Andrew Mukuba, Clemson (46)

• K: Andres Borregales, Miami (70)
• P: Daniel Sparks, Virginia (54)
• SP: Will Shipley, Clemson (68)

2023 ACC Preseason Player of the Year

• 1. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina (88)
• 2. Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State (66)
• 3. Will Shipley, RB, Clemson (17)
• 4. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson (3)
• T5. Riley Leonard, QB, Duke (1)
• T5. Tyler Davis, DT, Clemson (1)

This story was originally published August 2, 2023 at 11:15 AM.