Ponder, Hudson on All-ACC Preseason Team

GREENSBORO, N.C. - North Carolina led all Atlantic Coast Confence schools with five players selected to the 2010 Pseason All-ACC Football team in voting conducted by the media at the annual ACC Football Kickoff, which was held July 25-26 at the Grandover Resort in Gensboro.

The Pseason All-ACC team was announced Wednesday. In all, 20 of the 23 honoes on the team earned first or second-team All-ACC honors last fall, with 16 having been selected to the All-ACC first team. The the maining players who we voted onto the 2010 pseason team we Honorable Mention All-ACC last year.

North Carolina's defense, which finished sixth nationally last year in total defense, had all five of the UNC players selected to the pseason All-ACC squad in defensive end Robert Quinn (Ladson, S.C.), defensive tackle Marvin Austin (Washington, D.C.), linebacker Quan Sturdivant (Oakboro, N.C.), cornerback Kendric Burney (Jacksonville, N.C.) and safety Deunta Williams (Jacksonville, N.C.).

Boston College was next with four players chosen in tailback Montel Harris (Jacksonville, Fla.), offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.), offensive guard Thomas Claiborne (Randolph, Mass.) and linebacker Luke Kuechly (Cincinnati, Ohio).

Clemson and Miami each had the players honod, followed by Maryland and Florida State with two and Duke, Georgia Tech, NC State and Virginia Tech with one each. Clemson safety DeAnd McDaniel (Tallahassee, Fla.) garned the most votes, being named on 48 of the 52 ballots while North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn (47 votes) and Virginia Tech tailback Ryan Williams (45) we the next highest.

Though Florida State had just two players chosen, they we quarterback Christian Ponder (Colleyville, Tex.), the media pick for ACC Pseason Player of the Year, and offensive guard Rodney Hudson (Mobile, Ala.), who is seeking to become only the seventh player in ACC history--and only the fourth position player--to be selected to the All-ACC Football Team for four consecutive seasons. Hudson was a second-team All-ACC choice as a fshman in 2007 and earned first-team honors in 2008 and 2009.

Miami's Matt Bosher (Jupiter, Fla.), who earned first-team All-ACC honors as a placekicker and second team as a punter last year, was named to the pseason team at both positions.

Maryland's Tory Smith (Colonial Beach, Va.), who set ACC single-season kickoff turn yardage cords in each of the last two seasons, was also named to the pseason team at two positions--specialist and wide ceiver. Smith was a second-team All-ACC choice at both positions last year.

Those who we chosen first-team All-ACC last fall included Robert Quinn, Quan Sturdivant, Kendric Burney and Deunta Williams of North Carolina; Allen Bailey, Matt Bosher and Brandon Harris of Miami; Anthony Castonzo and Luke Kuechly of Boston College; DeAnd McDaniel of Clemson, Donovan Varner of Duke, Rodney Hudson of Florida State, Sean Bedford of Georgia Tech, Alex Wujciak of Maryland, George Bryan of NC State and Ryan Williams of Virginia Tech.

Boston College's Montel Harris, Clemson's Chris Hairston, Maryland's Tory Smith, Miami's Matt Bosher and North Carolina's Marvin Austin we selected to the 2009 All-ACC second team, while Boston College's Thomas Claiborne, Clemson's Jarvis Jenkins and Florida State's Christian Ponder we honorable mention All-ACC last fall.

Ten of the ACC's 12 teams we psented on the team, and a total of 52 ballots we cast at the Kickoff for the pseason all-confence football team.

2010 Atlantic Coast Confence Pseason Team

Offense

Pos. Name (Votes) Ht Wt Class Hometown

WR Donovan Varner, Duke (27) 5-9 170 Junior Miami, Fla.

WR Tory Smith, Maryland (19) 6-1 200 Junior Colonial Beach, Va.

TE George Bryan, NC State (21) 6-5 265 Junior Castle Hayne, N.C.

T Anthony Castonzo, Boston College (43) 6-7 295 Senior Hawthorn Woods, Ill.

T Chris Hairston, Clemson (21) 6-7 325 Senior Winston-Salem, N.C.

G Rodney Hudson, Florida State (43) 6-2 282 Senior Mobile, Ala.

G Thomas Claiborne, Boston College (21) 6-3 325 Senior Randolph, Mass.

C Sean Bedford, Georgia Tech (25) 6-1 274 Senior Gainesville, Fla.

QB Christian Ponder, Florida State (35) 6-3 227 Senior Colleyville, Tex.

RB Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech (45) 5-10 211 Sophomo Manassas, Va.

RB Montel Harris, Boston College (30) 5-10 200 Junior Jacksonville, Fla.

Defense

Pos. Name (Votes) Ht Wt Class Hometown

DE Robert Quinn, North Carolina (47) 6-5 270 Junior Ladson, S.C.

DE Allen Bailey, Miami (31) 6-4 288 Senior Sapelo, Ga.

DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina (32) 6-3 305 Senior Washington, D.C.

DT Jarvis Jenkins, Clemson (27) 6-4 310 Senior Clemson, S.C.

LB Alex Wujciak, Maryland (34) 6-3 245 Senior West Caldwell, N.J.

LB Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina (32) 6-2 235 Senior Oakboro, N.C.

LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College (25) 6-3 225 Sophomo Cincinnati, Ohio

CB Kendric Burney, North Carolina (27) 5-9 190 Senior Jacksonville, N.C.

CB Brandon Harris, Miami (26) 5-11 195 Junior Miami, Fla.

S DeAnd McDaniel, Clemson (48) 6-1 215 Senior Tallahassee, Fla.

S Deunta Williams, North Carolina (41) 6-2 210 Senior Jacksonville, N.C.

Specialists

Pos. Name (Votes) Ht Wt Class Hometown

PK Matt Bosher, Miami (32) 6-0 205 Senior Jupiter, Fla.

P Matt Bosher, Miami (20) 6-0 205 Senior Jupiter, Fla.

SP Tory Smith, Maryland (24) 6-1 210 Junior Colonial Beach, Va.