Seven Cavaliers receive All-ACC recognition

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Cornerback Anthony Johnson, a first team All-ACC selection, led a group of seven Virginia football student-athletes were recognized as All-ACC performers on Tuesday. Cornerback Fentrell Cypress, linebacker Nick Jackson and punter Daniel Sparks earned Second Team All-ACC while wide receiver Keytaon Thompson earned a Third Team All-ACC nod. Defensive linemen Chico Bennett and Aaron Faumui were honorable mentions.

First Team All-ACC
CB – Anthony Johnson

Second Team All-ACC
CB – Fentrell Cypress
LB – Nick Jackson
P – Daniel Sparks

Third Team All-ACC
WR – Keytaon Thompson

Honorable Mention
DE – Chico Bennett
DT – Aaron Faumui

Jackson was an All-ACC selection for the third-straight season (second team in 2021 and third team in 2020) while Thompson garnered All-ACC accolades for the second consecutive year (second team in 2021).

Johnson started all 10 games at corner for UVA amassing 51 tackles, two interceptions and 12 pass break ups. His 14 passes defended (12 breakups and 2 interceptions) were the second-most among ACC defenders and his 1.4 passes defended per game are the eighth-best in FBS. Johnson’s 38 career passes defended are tied for the fifth-most among active FBS defensive backs.

Johnson’s counterpart on the other side of the field, Fentrell Cypress, took home second team honors for the first time in his career. He led the ACC with 14 pass breakups and passes defended per game. The 1.56 passes defended per game are the fourth-most in the country. Cypress started all nine of the games in which he appeared and was credited with 39 tackles.

The Cavaliers’ leader in tackles for the third-straight season, Jackson finished with 104 stops including seven tackles for loss in 10 games played. He recorded double-digit tackle efforts in six of 10 games played, including 10 tackles playing just the second half against Duke. On Oct. 31 he was named the ACC Linebacker of the Week after an eight-tackle, two-sack effort against Georgia Tech in his hometown of Atlanta. Jackson’s 354 career tackles are tied for the 11th-most in program history.

Sparks matched the UVA single-season punting average record, with a 46.8 yard per kick average in 2022. He was named the ACC co-Specialist of the week on Nov. 15 after he punted eight times for 409 yards against Pitt. He had three 60-plus-yard punts in the contest, the only UVA punter ever with three 60-yarders in a game. Of his 46 punts on the year 12 landed inside the 20 and 14 were 50 or more yards.

For the second-straight season, Thompson was UVA’s top pass catcher. In eight games played, he had 53 receptions and 579 yards. Thompson’s 6.6 receptions per game were the second-most of any ACC receiver. He caught a pass in the final seven games he played and his 72.4 receiving yards were the sixth most by any ACC wideout.

Playing UVA’s bandit position, Bennett had a breakout season on a UVA defense that ranked 14th in the NCAA in sacks per game (3.0). Bennett started all but one game and led the team with seven total sacks. His 0.70 sacks per game are the third-most in the ACC. He garnered ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week twice this season, one of nine UVA defensive linemen ever to win the award twice in the same season.

Faumui started nine of 10 games on UVA’s defensive line, totaling 39 tackles, including a team-best 8.5 tackles for loss. He was credited with four sacks and four quarterback hurries on a Cavalier defense that improved over 75 spots in total defense from a year ago.

2022 All-ACC Football Teams

First-Team All-ACC
Offense
QB – Drake Maye, North Carolina, 177
RB – Israel Abanikanda, Pitt, 187
RB – Will Shipley, Clemson, 164
WR – Zay Flowers, Boston College, 184
WR – Josh Downs, North Carolina, 184
WR – A.T. Perry, Wake Forest, 167
TE – Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse, 127
AP – Will Shipley, Clemson, 166
OT – Jordan McFadden, Clemson, 159
OT – Graham Barton, Duke, 132
OG – Dillan Gibbons, Florida State, 131
OG – Chandler Zavala, NC State, 119 (tie)
OG – Marcus Minor, Pitt, 119 (tie)
C – Grant Gibson, NC State, 132

Defense
DE – Jared Verse, Florida State, 163
DE – Myles Murphy, Clemson, 112
DT – Calijah Kancey, Pitt, 160
DT – Tyler Davis, Clemson, 116
LB – Cedric Gray, North Carolina, 128
LB – Yasir Abdullah, Louisville, 116
LB – SirVocea Dennis, Pitt, 116
CB – Aydan White, NC State, 117
CB – Anthony Johnson, Virginia, 84
S – Kam Kinchens, Miami, 139
S – Jammie Robinson, Florida State, 129

Specialists
PK – Christopher Dunn, NC State, 177
P – Lou Hedley, Miami, 133
SP – Will Shipley, Clemson, 131

Second-Team All-ACC
Offense
QB – Jordan Travis, Florida State, 98
RB – Sean Tucker, Syracuse, 140
RB – Trey Benson, Florida State, 137
WR – Jared Wayne, Pitt, 114
WR – Tyler Hudson, Louisville, 109
WR – Johnny Wilson, Florida State, 81
TE – Will Mallory, Miami, 94
AP – Josh Downs, North Carolina, 81
OT – Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse, 114
OT – Robert Scott, Florida State, 69
OG – Sean Maginn, Wake Forest, 88
OG – Caleb Chandler, Louisville, 81
C – Bryan Hudson, Louisville, 57

Defense
DE – K.J. Henry, Clemson, 80
DE – Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College, 75
DT – DeWayne Carter, Duke, 95
DT – Bryan Bresee, Clemson, 61
LB – Drake Thomas, NC State, 108
LB – Nick Jackson, Virginia, 75
LB – Ayinde Eley, Georgia Tech, 70
CB – Fentrell Cypress, Virginia, 69
CB – Storm Duck, North Carolina, 65
S – Tanner Ingle, NC State, 91
S – Erick Hallett II, Pitt, 83

Specialists
PK – B.T. Potter, Clemson, 86
P – Daniel Sparks, Virginia, 97
SP – M.J. Devonshire, Pitt, 89

Third-Team All-ACC
Offense
QB – Sam Hartman, Wake Forest, 82
RB – Henry Parrish, Jr., Miami, 49
RB – Justice Ellison, Wake Forest, 38
WR – Jalon Calhoun, Duke, 68
WR – Antoine Green, North Carolina, 56
WR – Keytaon Thompson, Virginia, 50
TE – Davis Allen, Clemson, 52
AP – Sean Tucker, Syracuse, 64
OT – Matt Goncalves, Pitt, 66
OT – Asim Richards, North Carolina, 62
OG – D’Mitri Emmanuel, Florida State, 57
OG – Jake Kradel, Pitt, 50
C – Will Putnam, Clemson, 51

Defense
DE – Yaya Diaby, Louisville, 65
DE – Keion White, Georgia Tech, 44
DT – Kobie Turner, Wake Forest, 53
DT – Cory Durden, NC State, 44
LB – Charlie Thomas, Georgia Tech, 63
LB – Trenton Simpson, Clemson, 58
LB – Mikel Jones, Syracuse, 55
CB – Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville, 64
CB – Tyrique Stevenson, Miami, 42
S – Darius Joiner, Duke, 63
S – LaMiles Brooks, Georgia Tech, 47

Specialists
PK – James Turner, Louisville, 72
P – Ben Kiernan, North Carolina, 53
SP – Jalon Calhoun, Duke, 74

Honorable-Mention All-ACC
QB – Riley Leonard, Duke, 22

RB – Treshaun Ward, Florida State, 31
RB – Tiyon Evans, Louisville, 30

WR -Thayer Thomas, NC State, 43
WR – Nate McCollum, Georgia Tech, 37
WR – Kaleb Smith, Virginia Tech, 22
WR – Jahmal Banks, Wake Forest, 21
WR – Antonio Williams, Clemson, 15

TE- Bryson Nesbit, North Carolina, 44
TE – Marshon Ford, Louisville, 27

AP – Jalon Calhoun, Duke, 32
AP – Hassan Hall, Georgia Tech, 18

OT – DeVonte Gordon, Wake Forest, 38
OT – Renato Brown, Louisville, 32
OT – DJ Scaife, Jr., Miami, 31
OT – Timothy McKay, NC State, 30
OT – Silas Dzansi, Virginia Tech, 21

OG – Walker Parks, Clemson, 48
OG – Marcus Tate, Clemson, 38
OG – Loic Ngassam Nya, Wake Forest, 19
OG – Jalen Rivers, Miami, 16

C – Michael Jurgens, Wake Forest, 44
C – Corey Gaynor, North Carolina, 26
C – Maurice Smith, Florida State, 25
C – Jacob Monk, Duke, 25
C – Jake Kradel, Pitt, 21

DE – TyJuan Garbutt, Virginia Tech, 38
DE – Akheem Mesidor, Miami, 36
DE – Chico Bennett, Virginia, 35
DE – Jasheen Davis, Wake Forest, 21
DE – Deslin Alexandre, Pitt, 19
DE – Rondell Bothroyd, Wake Forest, 17

DT – Fabien Lovett, Florida State, 36
DT – Leonard Taylor III, Miami, 34
DT – Aaron Faumui, Virginia, 22
DT – Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson, 18
DT – Robert Cooper, Florida State, 17
DT – Chibueze Onwuka, Boston College, 16
DT – Ashton Gillotte, Louisville, 15

LB – Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson, 51
LB – Isaiah Moore, NC State, 48
LB – Ryan Smenda, Jr., Wake Forest, 45
LB – Barrett Carter, Clemson, 36
LB – Shaka Heyward, Duke, 34
LB – Payton Wilson, NC State, 25
LB – Dax Hollifield, Virginia Tech, 22
LB – Momo Sanogo, Louisville, 20
LB – Tatum Bethune, Florida State, 19
LB – Power Echols, North Carolina, 17
LB – Marlowe Wax, Syracuse, 16
LB – Vinny DePalma, Boston College, 15

CB – Duce Chestnut, Syracuse, 39
CB – Elijah Jones, Boston College, 37
CB – M.J. Devonshire, Pitt, 33
CB – Zamari Walton, Georgia Tech, 27
CB – Garrett Williams, Syracuse, 26
CB – Marquis Williams, Pitt, 26
CB – Sheridan Jones, Clemson, 25
CB – Renardo Green, Florida State, 24
CB – Nate Wiggins, Clemson, 24
CB – Josh DeBerry, Boston College, 23
CB – Mansoor Delane, Virginia Tech, 19
CB – Tyler Baker-Williams, NC State, 17

S – Brandon Hill, Pitt, 37
S – Andrew Mukuba, Clemson, 34
S – Ja’Had Carter, Syracuse, 33
S – Jaiden Woodbey, Boston College, 25
S – Brandon Johnson, Duke, 22
S – Jalyn Phillips, Clemson, 17

PK – Andres Borregales, Miami, 17

P – Mark Vassett, Louisville, 45
P – Porter Wilson, Duke, 16

SP – Mycah Pittman, Florida State, 59
SP – Tucker Holloway, Virginia Tech, 26