Three Most Likely All-ACC Candidates on Offense and Special Teams for Virginia Tech Football

Every season, the ACC announces its All-ACC Football teams, picking three teams that are comprised of each position on the field.

Here's who was nominated for the Hokies last year on the offensive side of the ball and on special teams.

• Bhayshul Tuten (Second Team, Running Back)
• Peter Moore (Third Team, Punter)
• Jaylin Lane (Third Team, Specialist)
• Xavier Chaplin (Honoravble Mention, Offensive Tackle)
• Kaden Moore (Honorable Mention, Offensive Guard)
• John Love (Honorable Mention, Kicker)

Of those six, only Love returns to Blacksburg this season. Tuten, both Moores and Lane haved moved on to professional ball; all of them except for Peter Moore are currently on a team. Chaplin is the lone man of those six to return to college, but not to Blacksburg; he now resides in Auburn.

With that being said, here's a look at the three players who have the best chances, in my opinion, of making an All-ACC squad this fall.

No. 1 - Tucker Holloway (Punt Returner)

Holloway has made the All-ACC squads before, qualifying for the 2023 iteration as a Third-Team punt returner. Though he went down in spring camp with what Athlon Sports called a "right knee injury", the vote of confidence from them this year and Holloway's 15.5-yard punt return average means that he's the front runner to make an All-ACC team.

No. 2 - Tomas Rimac (Offensive Line)

Whether he plays at guard or tackle isn't confirmed yet, but tackle seems a safer bet. Rimac's main obstacles to a First- or Second-Team bid in that department are Brian Parker II (Duke) and Francis Mauigoa (Miami), both of whom made the Second-Team last year and are slated by Athlon Sports to make the First-Team this year.

For now, I think Rimac slots in as a Second-Team candidate, though a successful season could elevate him into higher consideration.

No. 3 - Terion Stewart (Running Back)

Stewart's placement on the All-ACC teams mostly relies on the play of the running backs in the conference as a whole. Of last season's nine All-ACC nods (two each on First- through Third-Teams and three as Honorable Mentions), three return: Louisville's Isaac Brown (Third-Team), Georgia Tech's Jamal Haynes (Honorable Mention) and Pittsburgh's Desmond Reid (Honorable Mention).

Athlon Sports projects both Brown and Haynes as the First-Team All-ACC selections at running back, Reid earning a spot as the First-Team All-Purpose player and Stewart landing as a Fourth Team (Honorable Mention) back. While it's reasonable to envision Stewart landing on the Second or Third Team at this stage, he currently falls short of First-Team consideration in my view. That said, his placement could change depending on how the season unfolds.