Cam Ward is ACC Preseason Player of Year in media voting, 5 Hurricanes on All-ACC team

Headlined by quarterback Cam Ward’s selection as 2024 ACC Preseason Player of the Year, the Miami Hurricanes placed a conference-high five players on the 2024 Preseason All-ACC Team released Thursday.

Ward, the lone quarterback on the conference’s preseason team as voted by media, was joined by wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, defensive end Rueben Bain, Jr., linebacker Francisco Mauigoa and kicker Andy Borregales on the Preseason All-ACC Team.

Ward, who earned 71 of a possible 170 votes for ACC Preseason Player of the Year, spent the previous two seasons at Washington State (2022-2023), starting all 25 games for the Cougars. He finished his WSU career with 6,963 passing yards, 48 passing touchdowns and 13 rushing touchdowns.

Restrepo delivered one of the best seasons by a Miami wide receiver in program history a season ago, starting all 13 games. He set the program single-season record with 85 catches and posted just the sixth 1,000-yard season in Miami history with 1,092 yards and six touchdowns.

Bain, Jr., is the reigning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, having dominated his competition in his first season of collegiate action in 2023. Bain was a consensus Freshman All-America last fall, posting 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

An All-ACC Second Team pick in 2023, Mauigoa started all 13 games and led Miami with 82 tackles.  Mauigoa posted a team-best 18 tackles for loss to go along with 7.5 tackles for sacks in his first campaign in the orange and green after two seasons at Washington State.

Borregales served as Miami’s primary placekicker for the third straight year last season and earned first-team All-ACC honors for the first time. He was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, finishing 22-for-26 on field goal attempts and 44-for-45 on extra point attempts.

Bain and Borregales became the sixth and seventh Hurricanes, respectively, to receive preseason recognition. Ward and Restrepo were named to the Maxwell Award watch list along with running back Damien Martinez. Mauigoa was selected as a preseason candidate for the Nagurski Trophy, while Jalen Rivers was tabbed as an Outland Trophy candidate.

2024 Preseason All-ACC Football Team
QB: Cam Ward, Miami (85)
RB: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (114)
RB: Jaydn Ott, Cal (70)
WR: Kevin “KC” Concepcion, NC State (119)
WR: Xavier Restrepo, Miami (93)
WR: Elic Ayomanor, Stanford (42)
TE: Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse (48)
AP: Jaydn Ott, Cal (49)
OT: Darius Washington, Florida State (93)
OT: Blake Miller, Clemson (53)
OG: Willie Lampkin, North Carolina (64)
OG: Michael Gonzalez, Louisville (56)
C: Maurice Smith, Florida State (62)

DE: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville (52)
DE: Rueben Bain, Jr., Miami (49)
DT: Joshua Farmer, Florida State (75)
DT: Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech (64)
LB: Barrett Carter, Clemson (129)
LB: Francisco Mauigoa, Miami (72)
LB: Marlowe Wax, Syracuse (67)
CB: Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech (65)
CB: Aydan White, NC State (56)
S: Jonas Sanker, Virginia (73)
S: R.J. Mickens, Clemson (44)

PK: Andres Borregales, Miami (92)
P: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State (81)
SP: Brashard Smith, SMU (36)

2024 ACC Preseason Player of the Year
Rk. Name, Position, School
1.    Cam Ward, QB, Miami (71)
2.    Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina (38)
3.    Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson (15)
4.    Kyron Drones, QB, Virginia Tech (13)
5.    Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech (12)
6.    Jaydn Ott, RB, Cal (8)
7.    Ashton Gillotte, DL, Louisville (5)
8.    Jordan Moore, WR, Duke (3)
9.    Preston Stone, QB, SMU (2)
10.  Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech (2)
11.  Antwaun Powell-Ryland, DL, Virginia Tech (1)

Votes in parentheses
170 media voters