Which NC State, Duke and UNC players received All-ACC recognition?

The ACC released its list of all-conference honorees Tuesday, with 21 players from Duke, N.C. State and North Carolina receiving recognition.

Duke, which will play in the ACC Championship game this weekend, led the Triangle teams with 11 total selections, but it did not have anyone named on the first team. N.C. State, which had five players selected, led with three first-team selections. Five UNC players were honored, with four receiving honorable mention.

The major individual awards will be announced on Wednesday, and coach of the year will be announced Thursday.

NC State All-ACC selections

Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers was one of two running backs selected for the first team alongside Virginia’s J’Mari Taylor. Smothers was the league’s leader for most of the season but finished second in total yardage (939), behind Taylor. Smothers ranked No. 1 in the ACC for yards per game (85.4) and yards per carry (5.9). He finished with six touchdowns, including a career-best 65-yard score.

Tight end Justin Joly was the lone tight end on the first team . He finished with 468 receiving yards for 9.9 yards per catch and seven touchdowns, which tied for No. 1 in the ACC. Joly’s highlight play came at Pittsburgh when he limped into the end zone due to a hamstring injury.

Linebacker Caden Fordham rounded out the first-team honorees. He led the ACC and the Power Four ranks with 130 tackles during the regular season, averaging 10.8 tackles per game. He added 32 tackles for loss.

Offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak and punter Caden Noonkester received honorable mention.

Duke All-ACC honorees

Duke virtually filled the All-ACC second team, picking up six selections. Quarterback Darian Mensah, running back Nate Sheppard, wide receiver Cooper Barkate, cornerback Chandler Rivers, offensive lineman Brian Parker and specialist Sahmir Hagans all earned a spot.

Mensah finished with 3,450 yards passing yards, 28 touchdowns and four interceptions to top the conference. He completed 67.5% of his passes and averaged 287.5 yards per game.

Sheppard ranked No. 5 in the ACC for total rushing yards (865) and yards per game (72.1). He added nine touchdowns.

Barkate added 978 receiving yards, six touchdowns and 81.5 yards per game. He ranked No. 4 in the ACC for average yardage and No. 3 for total yards.

Chandler Rivers finished with eight pass breakups and two interceptions in 12 games.

Offensive guard Justin Pickett and defensive tackle Aaron Hall made third team, while tight end Jeremiah Hasley and defensive ends Vincent Anthony and Wesley Williams received honorable mention .

UNC All-ACC recipients

North Carolina finished with five players on the All-ACC squads. The Tar Heels were led by defensive end Melkart Abou Jaoude. He recorded a conference-high 10.5 sacks and added 47 total tackles.

Wide receiver Jordan Shipp, linebackers Andrew Simpson and Khmori House, and place kicker Rece Verhoff were honorable mention. House and Simpson combined for 143 tackles, two pass breakups and two interceptions.

Shipp grabbed 60 receptions for 671 yards and six touchdowns. He was one of quarterback Gio Lopez’s favorite targets and most consistent players down field.

Verhoff ended the regular season 20 for 20 on PATs and 19 of 23 on field goals. He scored 77 points for the Tar Heels, averaging 6.4 points per game.

2025 All-ACC Football Team

First-Team All-ACC

Offense

QB – Haynes King, Georgia Tech (200) RB – Hollywood Smothers, NC 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)

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)

Honorable-Mention All-ACC

QB – Kevin Jennings, SMU (45) QB – Chandler Morris, Virginia (39) RB – Kendrick Raphael, California (57) RB – Adam Randall, Clemson (23) RB – Malachi Hosley, Georgia Tech (18) WR – CJ Williams, Stanford (29) WR – T.J. Moore, Clemson (28) WR – Jordan Shipp, North Carolina (24) WR – Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson (22) WR – Kenny Johnson, Pitt (21) WR – Caullin Lacy, Louisville (21) TE – Sage Ennis, Virginia (23) TE – Jeremiah Hasley, Duke (23) TE – Matthew Hibner, SMU (21) TE – Randy Pittman Jr., Florida State (21) AP – Adam Randall, Clemson (33) AP – Cam Ross, Virginia (21) AP – Chris Barnes, Wake Forest (16) OT – Jacarrius Peak, NC State (44) OT – Malachi Carney, Georgia Tech (40) OT – Ryan Baer, Pitt (37) OT – Ethan Mackenny, Georgia Tech (30) OT – Tristan Leigh, Clemson (20) OT – Fa’alili Fa’amoe, Wake Forest (20) OG – Lance Robinson, Louisville (51) OG – Walker Parks, Clemson (41) OG – George Sell, Wake Forest (31) OG – BJ Williams, Pitt (30) OG – Richie Leonard IV, Florida State (28) C – Pete Nygra, Louisville (66) C – Ryan Linthicum, Clemson (45) C – Joshua Bates, SMU (29) C – Devin Kylany, Wake Forest (27) DE – Langston Hardy, Wake Forest (69) DE – Mitchell Melton, Virginia (49) DE – Vincent Anthony Jr., Duke (30) DE – Wesley Williams, Duke (21) DE – T.J. Parker, Clemson (20) DT – Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State (61) DT – Jeffrey M’ba, SMU (48) DT – Terry Webb, SMU (43) DT – Jahmeer Carter, Virginia (39) DT – Jayden Loving, Wake Forest (27) DT – Francis Brewu, Pitt (27) DT – Mandrell Desir, Florida State (26) DT – Clay Patterson, Stanford (24) DT – David Blay Jr., Miami (23) DT – Kody Huisman, Virginia Tech (22) DT – Aidan Keanaaina, California (21) LB – Wade Woodaz, Clemson (40) LB – Braylan Lovelace, Pitt (37) LB – Luke Ferrelli, California (36) LB – Andrew Simpson, North Carolina (35) LB – Antonio Watts, Louisville (31) LB – Dylan Hazen, Wake Forest (23) LB – Kyle Efford, Georgia Tech (23) LB – Mohamed Toure, Miami (23) LB – Khmori House, North Carolina (20) CB – Ja’son Prevard, Virginia (53) CB – Deuce Harmon, SMU (32) CB – Shawn Lee Jr., Pitt (30) CB – Damari Brown, Miami (23) CB – Tayon Holloway, Louisville (22) CB – Jerry Wilson, Florida State (20) S – Isaiah Nwokobia, SMU (70) S – KP Price, Boston College (39) S – Omar Thornton, Boston College (38) S – Davaughn Patterson, Wake Forest (36) S – Zechariah Poyser, Miami (35) S – Jay Green, Stanford (31) S – Cruce Brookins, Pitt (23) S – Khalil Barnes, Clemson (22) PK – Luca Lombardo, Boston College (51) PK – Will Bettridge, Virginia (32) PK – Rece Verhoff, North Carolina (23) P – Caden Noonkester, NC State (43) P – Caleb Junko, Pitt (31) SP – Luca Lombardo, Boston College (33) SP – Yamir Knight, SMU (27) SP – Keelan Marion, Miami (24) SP – Trey Butkowski, Pitt (21)

This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 7:40 PM.

Jadyn Watson-Fisher

The News & Observer