Seven Yellow Jackets Named to Phil Steele's Preseason All-ACC Team

Seven Georgia Tech players were named to the Phil Steele 2020 Preseason ACC Team

As the 2020 college football season nears, preseason football honors continue to pile up. Seven Georgia Tech football players were named to Phil Steele's All-ACC preseason team this week. 

First Team

Sr. LB David Curry 

Second Team 

So. LS Cade Long

Jr. DB Tre Swilling

Third Team

Sr. OL Devin Cochran

Sr. OL Jack DeFoor

Jr. RB Jordan Mason

Fourth Team

Jr. DB Juanyeh Thomas

Breaking down the Yellow Jackets honored:

Curry was named an honorable mention All-ACC performer in 2019 after leading Tech (and ranked eighth in the ACC) with 97 tackles. He was one of only four Power Five conference players to record at least 97 tackles last season. He also finished 2019 with an interception and fumble recovery. Last fall, Curry's 16 tackles versus North Carolina were tied for 36th-most by any NCAA Division I FBS player in a single game. Curry was also named to Athlon’s second-team preseason all-ACC team earlier this summer.

Swilling was also an honorable mention All-ACC pick last season. As a sophomore, he tied for tenth in the conference with 11 passes defended. He recorded an interception, 23 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss in 2019. From the cornerback position, Swilling helped the Jackets hold five opponents to 200 passing yards or less last fall. He was recently named to the official watch list for the 2020 Lott IMPACT Trophy and was an Athlon’s Third-Team preseason All-ACC selection this year.

Cochran committed to Georgia Tech in January as a grad transfer from Vanderbilt. He performed very well at left tackle on a weak Commodores' offensive line last season. Throughout his three years in Nashville, he started 32 games for the 'Dores and has drawn attention from NFL scouts with his play and size. 

DeFoor started 11 games as a redshirt junior and was named an All-ACC honorable mention last season. He started one game at right tackle and 10 games at left guard in 2019. He was a key cog on the offensive line and helped the Jackets average 4.1 yards per rush. He was also recently recognized to Athlon’s fourth-team preseason all-ACC team.

Mason received Third-Team All-ACC recognition after leading Tech with a career-high 899 rushing yards and seven touchdowns last season (sixth and eighth in the ACC in 2019). As a redshirt sophomore, he had three 100-yard games, including 141 yards apiece in wins over Miami and NC State. He also ran for 99 yards in the Yellow Jackets’ victory over USF. 

Thomas became one of the starters at safety for the Jackets in 2019. His 60 tackles and four passes defended ranked fourth on the team. As a sophomore, Thomas added an interception, a forced fumble and 2.5 tackles for loss. He helped Georgia Tech hold five of its opponents to 200 passing yards or less last season.

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