Athlon Sports selected 11 Miami football players to its ACC 2023 All-Conference Team in their annual publication. Miami had two players selected as Athlon Sports’ first-team All-ACC, six on the second team, one on the third team and four on the fourth team. The Hurricanes had 11 players named 2022 All-ACC.
Athlon Sports named Miami offensive tackle Zion Nelson and safety Kamren Kinchens as the only Hurricanes as first-team All-ACC. Nelson was an interesting selection after missing almost the entire 2022 season with a knee injury. Kinchens who was a 2022 first-team All-American was expected.
Running back Henry Parrish, offensive lineman Javion Cohen, defensive linemen Akheem Mesidor and Leonard Taylor, safety James Williams and kicker Andres Borregales were named Athlon Sports second-team All-ACC. Parrish was named third-team All-ACC during the 2022 season.
Borregales, Mesidor, Taylor and Williams were named honorable mention All-ACC after the 2022 season. Center Matt Lee earned third-team All-ACC from Athlon Sports. Athlon Sports did not specify positions on the offensive line. Lee was named 2022 second-team All-American Athletic Conference at UCF.
Kamren Kinchens is the highest graded returning safety in the FBS according to @PFF_College 🙌@KKinchens5 x #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/Q82xUn4WXp
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) May 15, 2023
Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, offensive lineman Jalen Rivers, DL Jahfari Harvey and linebacker Francisco Mauigoa were named to the Athlon Sports All-ACC fourth team. The postseason All-ACC teams go three deep and honorable mention. The ACC will release its preseason All-Conference teams following kickoff days in July.
The noticeable Miami football player missing from the Athlon Sports preseason All-ACC team is quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. Van Dyke was the 2021 ACC Freshman of the Year and Offensive Freshman of the Year. Van Dyke regressed in 2022 partially due to a shoulder injury and barely played in the last four games.
Under new offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson in 2023, Van Dyke is projected to have a bounce-back season. Drake Maye of North Carolina is the Athlon Sports first-team All-ACC QB, followed by Jordan Travis of Florida State, Cade Klubnik of Clemson and Riley Leonard of Duke.
Expect Van Dyke to challenge for All-ACC in 2023. Maye was the 2022 ACC Player of the Year and first-team all-conference. Travis was the second-team ACC QB last season and Leonard earned honorable mention. The ACC has one of the best group of QBs in the country entering the 2023 season.