Here is Phil Steele's preseason All-ACC Team as well as his All-American Team as it will appear in the Magazine, hitting newsstands June 7th. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is the nation’s most informative national preseason football magazine and has always provided a preseason All-American team as well as preseason All-Conference teams. For more information or to obtain a copy of each of the All-Conference teams, please visit PhilSteele.com
Virginia has nine on the list, up from the seven last year. This includes two second team selections and seven fourth team selections. Four are on the defensive side of the ball, four are on offense, and one specialist also made the cut.
Senior DE Cam Johnson and senior CB Chase Minnifield lead the way for the Cavaliers on the second team. Johnson finished last year receiving third team honors from Steele. Minnifield had received an honorable mention on SI.com's All-American team. Johnson finished last year No. 5 in ACC with 14.5 tackles for a loss and No. 6 in the ACC with 0.54 sacks per game. His tackles for a loss rank No. 12 all-time for a season at UVa. Minnifield finished last season No. 2 in the ACC and No. 7 nationally with six interceptions.
Also named to the All-ACC team were senior WR Kris Burd (Touchdown Club of Richmond's Offensive End of the Year; received 58 passes for an average of 13.8 yards; five touchdowns), junior TE Colter Phillips (Orange Bowl Courage Award finalist; 18 catches averaging 8.6 yards; three touchdowns), senior OG Austin Pasztor (2010 Phil Steele Preseason All-ACC second team; part of an OL that allowed only two sacs over 22 quarters) and sophomore OT Morgan Moses (Phil Steele's Postseason Fourth Team Freshman All-American; CollegeFootballNews.com Honorable Mention Freshman All-American) on the offensive side of the ball
Coming in on the fourth team on the defensive side are junior LB Steve Greer (Was on last year's preseason second team; 59 total tackles) and senior S Rodney McLeod (Missed two games due to a knee strain; 54 total tackles; two interceptions) were on the defensive side.
Senior punter Jimmy Howell was named to the fourth team for the first time. He was the first punter in Virginia history to throw a touchdown. He averaged 42.2 yards per punt in 49 tries.
Up from last year's seven, but still, only two players coming in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd teams. Phil Steele's is the only publication I know of that goes four deep. What do you say -- was anyone snubbed? Is Minnifield better than VT's Jayron Hosley or FSU's Xavier Rhodes?
Virginia ranked sixth in the ACC for number of players who made the list:
Florida State Seminoles (17)
Virginia Tech Hokies (13)
North Carolina Tar Heels (11)
Clemson Tigers (11)
Miami Hurricanes (10)
Virginia Cavaliers (9)
N.C. State Wolfpack (8)
Boston College Eagles (8)
Maryland Terrapins (8)
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6)
Duke Blue Devils (6)
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5)
Here is the full list:
