Ten Miami Hurricanes Named to PFF’s All-ACC Teams
Preseason projections continue to pop up as programs begin fall camp across the country.
Pro Football Focus released their list of all-conference teams on Monday and ten Miami Hurricanes players graced the list of All-ACC teams. The Canes have three players on the first team, three on the second team, two on the third team and two on the honorable mentions list.
The first-teamers include offensive tackle Zion Nelson, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, and safety James Williams. Nelson, who’s missing fall camp while tuning up his knee rehab, is a legitimate NFL Draft prospect with several experts contending that he should be selected in the first round. Stevenson and Williams will anchor Miami’s secondary, an area where they underperformed last year but one that has the potential to be dynamic in 2022.
Representing the Canes on the second team are offensive lineman DJ Scaife Jr. and specialists, Andres Borregales and Lou Hedley. While Nelson may receive most of the media attention on the line, Scaife, a fifth-year senior, is the leader of this unit and has the versatility to play guard or tackle. Borregales, the placekicker, and Hedley, the punter, have two of the most reliable legs in football and should put forth some All-ACC caliber performances this season.
Defensive tackle Jared Harrison-Hunte and tight end Will Mallory find themselves on the third team, while quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and defensive tackle Leonard Taylor received honorable mentions. Both Harrison-Hunte and Taylor are promising interior players, with the latter entering only his second season. Mallory’s been dubbed the ACC’s best tight end by several other outlets and third team feels a bit low for the fifth-year pass catcher.
However, Mallory's ranking certainly does not feel as low as Van Dyke’s “Honorable Mention” status (behind Pitt’s Kedon Slovis who threw only 11 touchdowns against eight picks in 2021). Van Dyke’s been projected to go as high as fifth overall in next April’s NFL Draft and is in the way-too-early running for Heisman.
The Canes are as talented on paper as they’ve been in the last few years. With a new regime in place, it will be interesting to see how high these ten Canes and their teammates fly this fall. There’s a good chance that a lot of the Miami names on this list, and quite possibly some additional ones, end up as true all-conference selections by season’s end.
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