July 24, 2013
Greensboro, N.C. – Georgia Tech senior Jeremiah Attaochu, who has been named to pre-season watch lists for four national awards, has been named to the 2013 Preseason All-ACC Football Team announced on Wednesday.
The 6-3, 242-pound Washington, D.C., native, who has played linebacker for Tech the last three years, was named to the team as a defensive end, a position he moved to during the Yellow Jackets’ spring practice. Expected to be one of the top defenders and pass rushers in the ACC, Attaochu enters the 2013 season with 19 career sacks, which ranks eighth in Georgia Tech history. His 27.5 career tackles for loss rank 21st in Tech history.
Attaochu is on the watch lists for the Nagurski, Lombardi, Butkus and Bednarik Awards. He started 13 games last season, missing one with an injury, and was an honorable mention All-ACC selection after registering 69 tackles, including 44 solo. His 10 quarterback sacks were the seventh-most in Tech history.
Clemson quarterback Tahj Boyd, who enters his senior season with 8,053 career passing yards and 73 career touchdown passes, was the overwhelming choice at quarterback in balloting by media in attendance at the 2013 ACC Football Kickoff, held earlier this week at Greensboro’s Grandover Resort.
Boyd, who was also voted the 2013 ACC Preseason Player of the Year, is one of three players from ACC preseason favorite Clemson on the 25-member squad. Florida State led all schools with six players, and four from North Carolina were voted to the team.
Duke, Miami and Wake Forest followed with two selections apiece, while Boston College, Georgia Tech Maryland, Pittsburgh, Virginia and Virginia Tech each placed one player on the team.
Nine student-athletes named to the 2013 Preseason All-ACC Team were first- or second-team All-ACC offensive selections last season: Clemson’s Boyd, Wake Forest wide receiver Michael Campanaro, North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron and tackle James Hurst, Florida State guard Tre’ Jackson and center Bryan Stork, Miami running back Duke Johnson, Clemson placekicker Chandler Catanzaro and Maryland kick return specialist Stefon Diggs.
Seven members of the 2013 All-ACC Preseason defensive unit were first- or second-team All-ACC in 2012: Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell and punter Will Monday; Florida State cornerback Lamarcus Joyner and linebacker Christian Jones, North Carolina defensive end Kareem Martin, Wake Forest nose tackle Nikita Whitlock, and Virginia Tech linebacker Jack Tyler.
2013 Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Team
Offense
Pos. Name (Votes) Ht Wt Class Hometown
WR Sammy Watkins, Clemson (57) 6-1 205 Junior Fort Myers, Fla.
WR Michael Campanaro, Wake Forest (20) 5-11 190 Senior Clarksville, Md.
TE Eric Ebron, North Carolina (35) 6-4 245 Junior Greensboro, N.C.
T James Hurst, North Carolina (37) 6-7 305 Senior Plainfield, Ind.
T Morgan Moses, Virginia (35) 6-6 325 Senior Richmond, Va.
G Tre’ Jackson, Florida State (36) 6-4 330 Junior Jesuup, Ga.
G Brandon Linder, Miami (28) 6-6 317 Senior Southwest Ranches, Fla.
C Bryan Stork, Florida State (29) 6-4 298 Senior Vero Beach, Fla.
QB Tajh Boyd, Clemson (59) 6-1 225 Senior Hampton, Va.
RB Duke Johnson, Miami (58) 5-9 194 Sophomore Miami, Fla.
RB James Wilder Jr., Florida State (23) 6-2 229 Junior Tampa, Fla.
Defense
Pos. Name (Votes) Ht Wt Class Hometown
DE Jeremiah, Attaochu, Georgia Tech (39) 6-3 242 Senior Washington, D.C.
DE Kareem Martin, North Carolina (37) 6-6 265 Senior Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
DT Nikita Whitlock, Wake Forest (35) 5-11 250 Senior Wylie, Texas
DT Timmy Jernigan, Florida State (34) 6-2 294 Junior Lake City, Fla.
LB Jack Tyler, Virginia Tech (42) 6-1 236 Senior Oakton, Va.
LB Christian Jones, Florida State (38) 6-4 232 Senior Winter Park, Fla.
LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, Boston College (21) 6-1 215 Senior Norwalk, Conn.
CB Ross Cockrell, Duke (48) 6-0 180 Senior Waxhaw, N.C.
CB Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State (32) * 5-8 190 Senior Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
S Tre Boston, North Carolina (30) 6-1 205 Senior Ft. Myers, Fla.
S Jason Hendricks, Pitt (18) 6-0 180 Senior Brooklyn, N.Y.
Specialists
Pos. Name (Votes) Ht Wt Class Hometown
PK Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson (41) 6-2 195 Graduate Greenville, S.C.
P Will Monday, Duke (41) 6-4 210 Sophomore Flowery Branch, Ga.
SP Stefon Diggs, Maryland (34) 6-1 185 Sophomore Gaithersburg, Md.
*Florida State’s Joyner also received 11 votes at the safety position
