2015 ACC Football Kickoff: 12 preseason watch list players to attend

Atlantic Coast Conference, TheACC.com
Atlantic Coast Conference, TheACC.com
Atlantic Coast Conference, TheACC.com

RALEIGH, N.C. – Twenty-eight student-athletes will represent their schools July 19-21 at the 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Football Kickoff that will take place at the Pinehurst Resort in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. beginning on Sunday.

The event is the league’s signature media blitz and takes place across three days, with players from every school participating in a variety of interview formats on Monday, and the league’s head coaches participating in their media engagements on Tuesday.

As each school brings two of its standout players along with their coach, 12 of those attending this year’s Kickoff have been named to the preseason watch lists for the Maxwell, Bednarik, or Rimington Awards.

Also included on the list is Florida State placekicker Roberto Aguayo, who was the 2013 Lou Groza Award-winner and a consensus first-team All-American in 2014, first-team 2015 All-Americans James Conner of Pitt (AFCA) and Jalen Ramsey of Florida State (USA Today), and second-team All-Americans Kendall Fuller of Virginia Tech (FWAA, Walter Camp, USA Today, Phil Steele) and Jeremy Cash of Duke (FWAA, Walter Camp, Phil Steele).

Attendees named to the preseason Maxwell list, for the National Player of the Year Award, were Conner, N.C. State quarterback Jacoby Brissett, Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya, Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas, and North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams.

Those named to the preseason Bednarik Award watch list for Defensive Player of the Year include Cash, Ramsey, Fuller, Wake Forest linebacker Brandon Chubb, Louisville defensive end Sheldon Rankins and N.C. State defensive end Mike Rose.

Notes: Duke’s Matt Skura was one of five ACC pivotmen named to the Rimington Award’s preseason list, the recognition presented annually to the nation’s top center…North Carolina’s Williams is the only student-athlete who attended the 2014 ACC Kickoff held at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C.

2015 ACC Football Kickoff Student-Athletes

Player, School, Position

Harris Williams, Boston College, Offensive Lineman

Mehdi Abdesmad, Boston College, Defensive Tackle

Eric Mac Lain, Clemson, Offensive Guard

D.J. Reader, Clemson, Defensive Tackle

Matt Skura, Duke, Center

Jeremy Cash, Duke, Safety

Roberto Aguayo, Florida State, Placekicker

Jalen Ramsey, Florida State, Cornerback

Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech, Quarterback

D.J. White, Georgia Tech, Defensive Back

James Burgess, Louisville, Linebacker

Sheldon Rankins, Louisville, Defensive Line

Brad Kaaya, Miami, Quarterback

Raphael Kirby, Miami, Linebacker

Marquise Williams, North Carolina, Quarterback

Jeff Schoettmer, North Carolina, Linebacker

Jacoby Brissett, N.C. State, Quarterback

Mike Rose, N.C. State, Defensive End

James Conner, Pitt, Running Back

Darryl Render, Pitt, Defensive Tackle

Terrel Hunt, Syracuse, Quarterback

Zaire Franklin, Syracuse , Linebacker

Canaan Severin, Virginia, Wide Receiver

David Dean, Virginia, Defensive Tackle

Michael Brewer, Virginia Tech, Quarterback

Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech, Cornerback

Alex Kinal, Wake Forest, Punter

Brandon Chubb, Wake Forest, Linebacker