NC State well represented in preseason publication All-ACC teams
The 2022 NC State football hype train has continued to pick up steam over the past few weeks. With less than two months to go until the Wolfpack kicks off its season against East Carolina September 3, a large group of individual athletes have been recognized by a pair of preseason college football magazines.
Both Athlon and Phil Steele recently released their All-ACC teams, with double-digit NC State athletes recognized by each publication.
Phil Steele recognizes 13 NC State athletes
Steele’s list highlighted three first-team All-ACC selections for NC State and awarded a preseason All-American honor to long snapper Joe Shimko. Linebacker Drake Thomas and center Grant Gibson are the two headlining the first team on their respective sides of the ball. Neither is a surprising inclusion.
Thomas put up All-ACC numbers as a senior, leading the team in tackles with 100 and interceptions with three. He’ll be joined in one of the nation’s best linebacker corps by Isaiah Moore and Payton Wilson, who both appeared on all-conference teams during their time at NC State as well. Wilson received a spot on the third team after leading the ACC in tackles two years ago, and Moore was selected to the fourth team.
Gibson is a staple on the NC State offensive line, starting the program’s last 35 games at that position. His teammate on the line, graduate student Chandler Zavala, picked up third-team honors going into the season after winning a lengthy battle with the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility.
Shimko received some well deserved recognition from the publication after registering a fourth-team All-American season in 2021. According to the NC State athletics website, Shimko has never recorded a bad snap in his career.
Star quarterback Devin Leary was selected to the second team, and All-ACC safety Tanner Ingle also joined him on that squad. Ingle was a first-team All-ACC selection last year after finishing second on the team with 82 tackles.
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Defensive tackle Cory Durden, a first-team all-conference athlete in 2021, is a second-team preseason pick this year, receivers Devin Carter and Thayer Thomas landed on the third and fourth teams respectively, cornerback Shyheim Battle is on the fourth team and kicker Christopher Dunn made the third team to round out the honors.
Athlon Selects 11 NC State athletes for all-conference honors
NC State also landed three first-team selections on Athlon’s All-ACC teams. Gibson and Drake Thomas appear once again on the first team lists, but Athlon does not recognize long snappers, so Shimko is not. Instead Wilson is the third first-team selection
Moore filled out the linebacker squad with a selection to the third team. Durden and Ingle both appear on the second team All-ACC defense squad, and Leary joins them on the other side of the ball. Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman made the first team ahead of the Wolfpack signal caller. Leary threw for 3433 yards and 35 touchdowns last year.
Thayer Thomas appeared on the all-conference list twice, first on the second team as a punt returner and then on the third team as a receiver. During the 2021 season, Thomas averaged 9.5 yards per punt return and led the team with eight touchdown receptions.
Battle and nickel Tyler Baker-Williams each made the fourth team.
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