The ACC released the Preseason All-ACC team on Wednesday morning.
The team was voted on by ACC media at the preseason ACC Kickoff event and honors standout ACC players like Jameis Winston, Duke Johnson, and others.
ACC players won plenty of hardware last season, including Winston’s Heisman trophy, Andre Williams’ Doak Walker Award, and Aaron Donald’s Outland Trophy.
Unlike those national awards, however, players named to the preseason All-ACC team get nothing to put in their trophy case.
ACC Associate Commissioner for Football Communications Mike Finn confirmed that, “There is no physical award for the preseason team.”
Similarly, the weekly awards during the season have no trophy or plaque associated with them. “Just a pat on the back,” said former Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell after winning Defensive Back of the Week last season.
If an ACC player wants some hardware from the conference, they’ll need to hold out until the end of the season.
Finn said, “The first team All-ACC team (voted by ACSMA) receives a small, but very nice trophy.”