NC State, North Carolina football each land two players on preseason all-ACC first team

Two of the ACC’s most exciting offensive players, who play on opposite sides of the N.C. State-North Carolina rivalry, headline the preseason all-ACC football team that was announced on Thursday.

UNC running back Omarion Hampton, the ACC’s leading rusher last season, and N.C. State wide receiver KC Concepcion, last season’s league rookie of the year, are among two players each from the Tar Heels and Wolfpack on the first team.

Hampton, from Clayton’s Cleveland High School, rushed for 1,504 yards with 15 rushing touchdowns for the Tar Heels last season as a sophomore, leading the ACC in both categories. Hampton also placed second in the preseason player of the year balloting.

One of the players charged with creating running room for Hampton, UNC guard Willie Lampkin, joined Hampton on the all-ACC preseason team.

Concepcion, from Charlotte’s Chambers High School, recorded 71 catches for 839 yards with 10 touchdowns while being named a freshman all-American for N.C. State last season. Among the 170 media members who voted in the poll, Concepcion received 119 votes. That’s more than any other player on the offense.

Cornerback Aydan White also represents the Wolfpack on the first team. White, a senior from Asheville, has eight career interceptions.

Miami quarterback Cam Ward made the first team and was voted as the league’s preseason player of the year. A transfer from Washington State, Ward threw for 25 touchdowns and 3,736 yards last season. He’s one of five Miami players named preseason all-ACC, joining wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, defensive tackle Rueben Bain, Jr., linebacker Francisco Mauigoa and kicker Andres Borregales.

Reigning league champion Florida State, the preseason pick to win the league again, has four players on the team: offensive tackle Darius Washington, center Maurice Smith, defensive tackle Joshua Farmer and punter Alex Mastromanno.

League newcomers SMU, Stanford and Cal all landed one player each on the team. SMU, joining the ACC from the American Athletic Conference, has specialist Brashard Smith while Cal running back Jaydn Ott made the team at his position but also as the league’s top all-purpose player. Ott rushed for 1,315 yards for the Bears in the Pac-12 last season while also returning kicks.

Stanford, another new ACC team that jumped from the collapsing Pac-12, landed wide receiver Elic Ayomanor on the preseason all-ACC team. Ayomanor caught 62 passes for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns last season.

2024 Preseason All-ACC Football Team

QB: Cam Ward, Miami (85)

RB: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (114), Jaydn Ott, Cal (70)

WR: Kevin “KC” Concepcion, NC State (119), Xavier Restrepo, Miami (93), Elic Ayomanor, Stanford (42)

TE: Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse (48)

All-Purpose: Jaydn Ott, Cal (49)

OT: Darius Washington, Florida State (93), Blake Miller, Clemson (53)

OG: Willie Lampkin, North Carolina (64), Michael Gonzalez, Louisville (56)

C: Maurice Smith, Florida State (62)

DE: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville (52), Rueben Bain, Jr., Miami (49)

DT: Joshua Farmer, Florida State (75), Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech (64)

LB: Barrett Carter, Clemson (129), Francisco Mauigoa, Miami (72), Marlowe Wax, Syracuse (67)

CB: Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech (65), Aydan White, NC State (56)

S: Jonas Sanker, Virginia (73), R.J. Mickens, Clemson (44)

K: Andres Borregales, Miami (92)

P: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State (81)

Specialist: Brashard Smith, SMU (36)

(Votes in parentheses, 170 media voters)

2024 ACC Preseason Player of the Year