The preseason buzz has already started for a couple of ACC football players from the Old North State.
Duke senior offensive lineman Graham Barton and UNC sophomore quarterback Drake Maye have been named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation preseason All-American team.
Barton earned first-team honors. Maye was picked second team, behind reigning Heisman Trophy quarterback Caleb Williams from Southern Cal.
Barton, a native of Brentwood, Tenn., has started 30 games for the Blue Devils, including all 13 last season at left tackle. Duke finished the 2022 campaign with nine wins. With Barton helping pave the way, the Devils scored 31 rushing touchdowns – a single-season school record.
Duke’s offensive front led the ACC in fewest sacks allowed last season (17) as well as fewest tackles for loss (51). According to a school release, Barton graded out with a Pro Football Focus season score of 88.2, fifth nationally among offensive tackles.
Maye put himself into the Heisman conversation for a time, helping UNC jump to a 9-1 start. Though the Heels struggled down the stretch, the Huntersville, N.C., product collected the top four ACC post-season awards – Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Maye finished with 4,321 passing yards and 38 touchdowns. He also rushed for 698 yards and seven more scores. UNC also earned nine wins a year ago.
Maye was just the sixth quarterback since 2010, per GoHeels.com, to throw for 4,000 yards, record 35 passing touchdowns, rush for at least 650 yards and earn at least seven rushing TD on the ground in a season. The others include Kyler Murray (2018), DeShaun Watson (2015, 2016), Marcus Mariota (2014), Johnny Manziel (2013) and Robert Griffin III (2011). Each of those players won the Heisman or finished second in the balloting.
Fans can catch the two standout players in upcoming spring scrimmages. The UNC spring game is Saturday, April 15 at 3 p.m., while Duke will host its Blue-White game on Saturday, April 22 at 2 p.m. Both contests will be available on ACC Network platforms.
Here is a list of the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-American players. Source: waltercamp.org.
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., Ohio State* 6-4 205 Jr. Philadelphia, PA
WR Rome Odunze, Washington 6-3 211 Jr. Las Vegas, NV
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia # 6-4 230 Jr. Napa, CA
OL Joe Alt, Notre Dame # 6-7 317 Jr. North Oaks, MN
OL Olu Fashanu, Penn State # 6-6 323 Jr. Waldorf, MD
OL Cooper Beebe, Kansas State 6-4 332 Sr. Kansas City, MO
OL Graham Barton, Duke 6-5 311 Sr. Brentwood, TN
C Drake Nugent, Michigan 6-1 300 Gr. Lone Tree, CO
QB Caleb Williams, USC* 6-1 220 Jr. Washington, D.C.
RB Blake Corum, Michigan* 5-8 210 Sr. Marshall, VA
RB Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss 5-11 210 So. Pike Road, AL
PK Joshua Karty, Stanford 6-2 207 Sr. Burlington, NC
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
DL Jared Verse, Florida State 6-4 248 Jr. Dayton, OH
DL Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois # 6-2 295 So. St. Petersburg, FL
DL Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati 6-2 320 So. Cincinnati, OH
DL Bralen Trice, Washington 6-4 267 Jr. Phoenix, AZ
LB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State # 6-2 239 Gr. Cleveland, OH
LB Jeremiah Trotter, Jr., Clemson 6-0 230 Jr. Hainesport, NJ
LB Harold Perkins, Jr., LSU 6-1 220 So. New Orleans, LA
DB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama 6-1 195 Jr. Birmingham, AL
DB Kamren Kinchens, Miami 5-11 202 Jr. Miami, FL
DB Calen Bullock, USC 6-3 190 Jr. Pasadena, CA
DB Kalen King, Penn State # 5-11 190 Jr. Detroit, MI
P Kai Kroeger, South Carolina # 6-4 220 Sr. Lake Forest, IL
KR Jaylin Lucas, Indiana * 5-9 185 So. Houma, LA
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State 6-1 205 Jr. Steilacoom, WA
WR Xavier Worthy, Texas 6-1 164 Jr. Fresno, CA
TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota 6-7 270 Sr. St. Cloud, MN
OL Zak Zinter, Michigan 6-6 315 Sr. North Andover, MA
OL Christian Haynes, Connecticut 6-3 305 Sr. Bowie, MD
OL Beaux Limmer, Arkansas 6-5 306 Sr. Tyler, TX
OL JC Latham, Alabama 6-6 335 Jr. Oak Creek, WI
C Zach Frazier, West Virginia 6-3 306 Jr. Fairmont, WV
QB Drake Maye, North Carolina 6-4 225 So. Huntersville, NC
RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin 6-2 236 Jr. Fond Du Lac, WI
RB Raheim Sanders, Arkansas 6-2 237 Jr. Rockledge, FL
PK Jonah Dalmas, Boise State 5-8 172 Sr. Meridian, ID
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Pos. Name, School Hgt Wgt. Class Hometown
DL Mykel Williams, Georgia 6-5 265 So. Columbus, GA
DL Mekhi Wingo, LSU 6-1 295 Jr. St. Louis, MO
DL Chop Robinson, Penn State 6-3 253 Jr. Gaithersburg, MD
DL Leonard Taylor, Miami 6-3 305 Jr. Miami, FL
LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion 6-1 225 Jr. Dingsman Ferry, PA
LB Barrett Carter, Clemson 6-1 225 Jr. Suwanee, GA
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia 6-1 245 Jr. Hyattsville, MD
DB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo # 6-0 200 Jr. Williston, FL
DB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame 6-0 179 So. Phoenix, AZ
DB Malaki Starks, Georgia 6-1 205 So. Jefferson, GA
DB Cole Bishop, Utah 6-2 206 Jr. Peachtree City, GA
P Tory Taylor, Iowa 6-4 230 Sr. Melbourne, Australia
KR Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State # 5-10 185 Sr. Philadelphia, PA
* – 2022 First Team Walter Camp All-America selection
# – 2022 Second Team Walter Camp All-America selection
