Virginia wideout Malik Washington and safety Jonas Sanker were first-team selections for the 2023 All-ACC Football team.
The conference announced its All-ACC teams on Tuesday.
Three Cavaliers were honorable-mention selections: defensive lineman Aaron Faumui, wideout Malachi Fields and center Brian Stevens.
The All-ACC teams were chosen by a voting panel of 51 media members and each of the league’s 14 head coaches for a total of 65 voters.
Not that you care, but I wasn’t one of the media members. (Neither am I a head coach.)
The votes were tabulated on a scale giving three points for a first-place vote, two for a second-place vote, and one for a third-place vote.
Washington’s 182 points were the most of any ACC player in the 2023 balloting. The Northwestern grad transfer set an ACC single-season record with 110 catches this season, and his total of 1,426 yards receiving the fifth-most in ACC history.
Washington had 10 100-yard receiving games, which led the nation, and his 110 catches also leads the nation at the conclusion of the 2023 regular season.
Sanker garnered All-ACC honors for the first time in his career. The junior led the ACC and ranked second in the country with 6.1 solo tackles per game. His 107 total tackles and 8.9 total tackles per game were the third-most in the league.
Sanker became the first Cavaliers defensive back to eclipse the 100-tackle mark since Quin Blanding in 2017.
Faumui’s honorable-mention selection is his second straight. From his interior line position, Faumui totaled 32 tackles (13 solo) and a team-high 6.5 tackles for loss in 2023..
Fields caught 58 passes and accumulated 811 receiving yards to go along with five touchdowns receptions. He ranked in the top-five in the league in receiving yards (fourth), receiving yards per game (fifth – 67.6), receptions (sixth) and receptions per game (seventh – 4.83).
Fields had 60 or more receiving yards in 11 of 12 games this season and 39 of his 58 receptions went for first downs.
Stevens, a grad transfer from Dayton, started all 12 games for the Cavaliers, two at guard before transitioning to center for the final 10 games. He sported the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus grade (77.3) for centers in the country and was the top-graded run-blocking center in the ACC.
Stevens allowed one sack in 476 pass dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
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Chris Graham
