July 29, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The 2008 Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year and four members of the defending champion Virginia Tech Hokies were among the 24 players named to the preseason All-ACC football team Monday. Media members attending the 2009 ACC Football Kickoff at the Grandover Resort cast 44 ballots for the teams.

Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer, who is seeking to become the league's first two-time Player of the Year since 1992 and '93, led all candidates with 41 votes. Dwyer averaged 107 rushing yards per game as the Yellow Jackets quickly adapted to coach Paul Johnson's triple-option spread offense last season.

C.J. Spiller of Clemson appears twice on the chart. He's Dwyer's running mate in the backfield and the media's choice at specialist. In 2008, he placed 14th nationally in kickoff-return average at 27 yards an attempt.

N.C. State's Russell Wilson, who threw 249 consecutive passes without an interception over his final nine games as a redshirt freshman a year ago and became the first freshman in league history to earn first-team All-ACC honors as a quarterback, was the top vote-getter among signal callers.

Three players topped the defensive honorees with 34 votes apiece: Duke defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase, widely considered among the best five players nationally at his position; Florida State linebacker Dekoda Watson; and Georgia Tech safety Morgan Burnett, a second-team All-American according to three sources last season.

Virginia Tech led the way with four selections: tight end Greg Boone; defensive end Jason Worilds, who made 18.5 tackles for loss in 2008; safety Kam Chancellor; and offensive guard Sergio Render.

Three teams had three selections.

• North Carolina was represented by linebacker Quan Sturdivant, whose 87 unassisted tackles led the nation last year; tackle Marvin Austin; and cornerback Kendric Burney.

• Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who made 39 of his team's 74 pass receptions on the season, joined Dwyer and Burnett among the Jackets' honorees.

• Clemson got two of its three appearances from Spiller. Wide receiver Jacoby Ford provided the other.

In all, 17 players who earned first or second-team or Honorable Mention All-ACC honors in 2008 were chosen for the 2009 pre-season team including 2009 first-team honorees Wilson, Dwyer, Spiller (as specialist), Florida State guard Rodney Hudson and Maryland punter Travis Baltz.

Nine members of the 2009 preseason team earned second team All-ACC honors last year including Spiller (as a running back), Worilds, Burnett, Boston College offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo, Virginia Tech offensive guard Sergio Render, Miami placekicker Matt Bosher (who actually earned 2nd-team ALL-ACC as a punter and placekicker), Maryland linebacker Alex Wujciak, Virginia cornerback Ras-I-Dowling and North Carolina cornerback Kendric Burney. The 2008 honorable mention All-ACC selections were Duke's Oghobaase, Boston College center Matt Tennant and NC State defensive end Willie Young.