Nick Jackson represents Virginia on preseason All-ACC team

The preseason All-ACC Team for the upcoming football season was released Tuesday (July 27) as we get closer and closer to August and the start of the season. Unsurprisingly, Clemson led the way with eight players named to the offensive and defensive teams. The Tigers are expected to win the Atlantic Division and the conference for the seventh straight season.

North Carolina QB Sam Howell was picked as the conference preseason Player of the Year.

Virginia had just one player on the two squads as inside linebacker Nick Jackson earned a spot on the Preseason All-ACC Defensive Team. The Cavaliers lose a lot at the position with OLB Charles Snowden and ILB Zane Zandier graduating, but expectations are high for the 6’1, 235 pound junior from Atlanta.

Jackson had an outstanding shortened 2020 season, earning himself a spot on the All-ACC third team as the No. 2 tackler in the conference with 10.5 tackles per game. His 5.5 solo tackles per game and 105 total season tackles for last year were also good for No. 2 in the ACC. He started all 10 games for the Hoos last year, and was named to the 2021 Butkus Award Watch List earlier this week.

Here is the full team:

2021 Preseason All-ACC Football Team
(147 total votes; Total votes in parentheses)

QB Sam Howell, North Carolina (118)
RB Zonovan Knight, NC State (96)
RB Mataeo Durant, Duke (49)
WR Justyn Ross, Clemson (110)
WR Zay Flowers, Boston College (101)
WR Jaquarii Roberson, Wake Forest (80)
TE James Mitchell, Virginia Tech (77)
AP Jahmyr Gibbs, Georgia Tech (56)
OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State (83)
OT Jordan McFadden, Clemson (53)
OG Zion Johnson, Boston College (82)
OG Joshua Ezeudu, North Carolina (56)
C Alec Lindstrom, Boston College (77)

DE Myles Murphy, Clemson (108)
DE Amare Barno, Virginia Tech (63)
DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson (120)
DT Tyler Davis, Clemson (53)
LB Payton Wilson, NC State (99)
LB James Skalski, Clemson (95)
LB Nick Jackson, Virginia (37)
CB Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson (86)
CB Tony Grimes, North Carolina (55)
S Bubba Bolden, Miami (100)
S Nolan Turner, Clemson (85)

PK Nick Sciba, Wake Forest (69)
P Lou Hedley, Miami (84)
SP Jahmyr Gibbs, Georgia Tech (60)

Preseason Player of the Year

1. Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina, 114

2. D’Eriq King, QB, Miami, 11

3. Bryan Bresee, DE, Clemson, 8

4. D.J. Uiagalelei, QB, Clemson, 6

5. Phil Jurkovec, QB, Boston College, 3

6. Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College, 2

6. Jahmyr Gibbs, AP, Georgia Tech, 2