Participants announced for 2023 ACC Football Kickoff

2023 ACC Commencement Schedule (pdf)
2023 ACC Commencement Information

GREENSBORO, NC (theACC.com) The Atlantic Coast Conference on Wednesday announced the 42 student-athletes who will participate in the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff from March 25-27. July at The Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. For the third year in a row, each of the league’s 14 teams brings three players to the annual event.

The ACC Network will broadcast live coverage of the ACC Football Kickoff. The extensive three-day coverage begins at 9:00 a.m. each day, and the 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports offers the strongest telecast to date.

Among the offensive players participating in the ACC Kickoff are 11 quarterbacks, eight offensive linemen, three tight ends, two running backs and a wide receiver. Eight defensive linemen are slated to participate on defense, joining in addition to five linebackers and four defensive backs.

The ACC continued its status as the Conference of Quarterbacks in 2022, with many of the top players returning this season. Four quarterbacks in this year’s event finished in the top five in the ACC in passing yards per game last season North Carolinas Drake Maye (308.6 1), Florida States Jordan Travis (247.2 3), Dukes Riley Leonard (228.2 4) and NC States Brennan Armstrong (221.0 5th; while at Virginia).

Maye, the 2022 ACC Player of the Year, tied for the ACC lead with 38 passing touchdowns, two points shy of the conference freshman record set by Florida State’s Jameis Winston in 2013. Mayes’ 4,321 passing yards were the most ever by a freshman and junior. fifth all-time in the ACC.

Travis, who has thrown for nearly 5,900 yards in his time at FSU, returns after being Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) top-rated FBS quarterback and the ACC’s top-rated offensive player in the ACC (91.7). The West Palm Beach, Fla., native had 32 touchdowns on the season, the third-highest total in program history.

On the defensive side, the ACC’s top tackler in North Carolina, Cedric Gray, will be at this year’s event. Gray posted a Power-5-best 145 tackles with 82 solo in 2022, 27 more than second. The Hurricanes will be represented at this year’s event by Miamis Kam Kinchens, who paced the conference with six shutouts on the season. Kinchens was the first Miami DB to lead the ACC in interceptions since Artie Burns had six in 2015.

ACC Kickoff student-athletes hail from 14 states, including eight from Florida and six each from North Carolina and Virginia. Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania each have three student-athletes, while Maryland and New York each have two players. The five states are represented by one player, along with Belgium’s Ruisbroek (Georgia Tech defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen).

The ACC celebrates its 71st football season as the conference continues to build on its traditions. The ACC has had a team in either the College Football Playoff or the BCS National Championship Game in eight of the last 10 years, including two teams in 2020. The ACC has the second-most CFP appearances in the conference. The ACC had five bowl wins in 2022, the second most of any conference.

The complete list of participants for the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff includes:

Boston College

Head Coach Jeff Hafley
Donovan Ezeiruaku, DL, Williamstown, NJ
Christian Mahogany, OL, Elmwood Park, NJ
Emmett Morehead, QB, Woodside, Calif.

Clemson

Head Coach Dabo Swinney
Tyler Davis, DL, Apopka, Fla.
Cade Klubnik, QB, Austin, Texas
Will Putnam, OL, Tampa, Fla.

Duke

Head Coach Mike Elko
DeWayne Carter, DL, Pickerington, Ohio
Riley Leonard, QB, Fairhope, Ala.
Jacob Monk, OL, Clayton, NC

State of Florida

Head Coach Mike Norvell
Kalen DeLoach, LB, Savannah, Ga.
Jordan Travis, QB, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Jared Verse, DL, Dayton, Ohio

Georgia Tech

Head Coach Brent Key
LaMiles Brooks, DB, Jacksonville, Fla.
Jordan Williams, OL, Gainesville, Ga.
Sylvain Yondjouen, DL, Ruisbroek, Belgium

Louisville

Head Coach Jeff Brohm
Ashton Gillotte, DL, Boca Raton, Fla.
Bryan Hudson, OL, Georgetown, Ky.
Jawhar Jordan, RB, Long Island, NY

Miami

Head coach Mario Cristobal
Kam Kinchens, DB, Miami, Fla.
Matt Lee, OL, Oviedo, Fla.
Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Glastonbury, Conn.

North Carolina

Head Coach Mack Brown
John Copenhaver, TE, Roswell, Ga.
Cedric Gray, LB, Charlotte, NC
Drake Maye, QB, Huntersville, NC

NC State

Head Coach Dave Doeren
Brennan Armstrong, QB, Shelby, Ohio
Aydan White, DB, Asheville, NC
Payton Wilson, LB, Hillsborough, NC

Pitt

Head Coach Pat Narduzzi
MJ Devonshire, DB, Aliquippa, Pa.
Matt Goncalves, OL, Manorville, NY
Phil Jurkovec, QB, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Syracuse

Head coach Dino Babers
Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Garrett Shrader, QB, Charlotte, NC
Marlowe Wax, LB, Baltimore, Md.

Virginia

Head Coach Tony Elliott
Chico Bennett, DL, Ashburn, Va.
Perris Jones, RB, Alexandria, Va.
Tony Muskett, QB, Springfield, Va.

Virginia Tech

Head Coach Brent Pry
Josh Fuga, DL, Woodbridge, Va.
Nick Gallo, TE, Richboro, Pa.
Ali Jennings, WR, Richmond, Va.

Wake Forest

Head Coach Dave Clawson
Mitch Griffis, QB, Ashburn, Va.
Chase Jones, LB, Warren, NJ
Michael Jurgens, OL, Damascus, Md.