Hardware on hardware
The inclusion of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the ACC this year will forever be a fantastic source of trivia questions in the future. Irish running back, Kyren Williams, was selected as the freshman of the year in the ACC.
Keep in mind “freshman” as defined here (and the rest of the country) accepts academic sophomores that used a redshirt their freshman year.
Per a press release from the ACC:
Irish’s Williams, Tigers’ Bresee Voted ACC Rookies of the Year
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams has been voted the 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Rookie of the Year by the league’s 15 head coaches and a 49-member select media panel.
Clemson tackle Bryan Bresee received the nod as the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year.
A five-time weekly award winner in 2020, Williams has totaled six 100-yard rushing performances while helping the No. 4 Fighting Irish to a 10-1 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff. The St. Louis native leads all FBS freshmen in rushing yards (1,061), rushing touchdowns (12) and total touchdowns (13). He also has 27 receptions on the season for 282 yards.
A second-team All-ACC selection, Williams’ efforts are a huge reason Notre Dame (10-1) will compete in the CFP for the second time in three seasons. The redshirt freshman is one of just four ACC players to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark, and his 27 receptions rank third among Notre Dame players.
Clemson’s Bresee earned first-team All-ACC honors after helping the Tigers (10-1) to their sixth consecutive ACC Football Championship and a No. 2 CFP seed.
One of the leading pass rushers on a Clemson squad that ranks second in the nation with 44 quarterback sacks, Bresee has dropped opposing quarterbacks three times. He has recorded one safety while breaking up two passes and forcing one fumble. The Damascus, Maryland, native’s blocked field goal in the season opener versus Wake Forest was the Tigers’ first since the 2018 season.
Bresee and the Clemson defense rank ninth nationally in rushing defense (99.8 yards per game) and sixth in total defense (298.5 ypg).
The complete voting for ACC Rookie of the Year honors was as follows:
ACC Rookie of the Year
- Kyren Williams, RB, Notre Dame, 37
- Jordan Addison, WR, Pitt, 10
- Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson, 7
- Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson, 6
- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB/KR Georgia Tech, 3
- Lavel Davis, Jr., WR, Virginia, 1
Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Kyren Williams, RB, Notre Dame, 42
- Jordan Addison, WR, Pitt, 15
- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB/KR, Georgia Tech, 4
- Lavel Davis, Jr., WR, Virginia, 1
- Donavon Greene, WR/KR, Wake Forest, 1
- Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse, 1
Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson, 36
- Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson, 18
- Garrett Williams, DB, Syracuse, 6
- Nick Andersen, S, Wake Forest, 2
- Tony Grimes, DB, North Carolina, 1
- Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame, 1
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