Three Eagles Tabbed for 2022 All-ACC Preseason Team
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)Publisher
Finishing above .500 in conference play has been a remarkable challenge for Boston College over the past decade and change. Churning out individual talent, on the other hand, has remained routine for the program.
That developmental pedigree was on full display again Wednesday afternoon when the Eagles saw three of their players land on the 2022 All-ACC Preseason Team: wide receiver Zay Flowers, offensive guard Christian Mahogany and cornerback Josh DeBerry.
Flowers—also a Biletnikoff Award watch list nominee—is 70 catches, 822 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns away from leaving BC as the school's all-time leading receiver.
Mahogany is sidelined with an ACL tear but was the Eagles' lone returning starter up front and was ranked as ESPN Draft Analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s No. 2 offensive guard in the 2023 NFL Draft.
DeBerry is a do-it-all defensive back that spent most of the 2021 campaign at nickel yet was also an All-ACC honorable mention at corner the season prior. DeBerry missed the final two games of the regular season with an ankle injury, however, he still finished fifth on the team in total tackles and ranked atop the BC leaderboard with 36 solos.
BC is tied with Miami for the third most honorees this year. The only schools ahead of them are North Carolina State and Clemson, which boast five and six representatives, respectively.
As for ACC Preseason Player of the Year, N.C. State quarterback Devin Leary is the 2022 recipient. Leary broke Phillip Rivers' Wolfpack single-season passing touchdown record last season (35) while throwing just five interceptions. He grabbed 40 Player of the Year votes. Up next was Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman, who accounted for 30 votes.
A total of 11 players received votes, none of whom are from BC.
2022 ALL-ACC PRESEASON TEAM
(Total votes in parenthesis)OFFENSE
QB - Devin Leary, N.C. State (56)
RB - Sean Tucker, Syracuse (125)
RB - Will Shipley, Clemson (112)
WR - Josh Downs, North Carolina (128)
WR - A.T. Perry, Wake Forest (111)
WR - Zay Flowers, Boston College (104)
TE - Will Mallory, Miami (69)
AP - Keytaon Thompson, Virginia (70)
OT - Jordan McFadden, Clemson (127)
OT - Zion Nelson, Miami (82)
OG - Caleb Chandler, Louisville (104)
OG - Christian Mahogany, Boston College (67)
C - Grant Gibson, NC State (90)
DEFENSE
DE - Myles Murphy, Clemson (120)
DE - Habakkuk Baldonado, Pitt (54)
DT - Bryan Bresee, Clemson (116)
DT - Calijah Kancey, Pitt (62)
LB - Drake Thomas, N.C. State (92)
LB - Trenton Simpson, Clemson (82)
LB - Payton Wilson, N.C. State (60)
CB - Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville (70)
CB - Josh DeBerry, Boston College (65)
S - Jammie Robinson, Florida State (93)
S - Tanner Ingle, N.C. State (63)
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - B.T. Potter, Clemson (99)
P - Lou Hedley, Miami (101)
SP - Josh Downs, North Carolina (57)
ACC PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR VOTING
1. Devin Leary, QB, N.C. State (40)2. Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest (30)
3. Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami (21)
T-4. Bryan Breese, DT, Clemson (14)
T-4. Brennan Armstrong, QB, Virginia (14)
T-6. Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville (12)
T-6. Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina (12)
8. Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse (11)
9. Myles Murphy, DT, Clemson (5)
10. Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson (3)
11. Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State (2)
