Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis is The Associated Press offensive player of the year in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson is the unanimous choice as the league’s top defensive player for the 2023 season.
Travis’ selection in voting by 14 media members who cover the conference headlined a haul of honors for the fourth-ranked Seminoles. That included Mike Norvell as coach of the year, Michigan State transfer receiver Keon Coleman as the league’s top newcomer and FSU claiming 13 positions on the AP’s All-ACC first and second teams.
That comes after the Seminoles (13-0) won their first ACC championship since the 2014 season, though they were snubbed for the four-team College Football Playoff after losing Travis to a late-season injury.
Travis was a second-team pick at quarterback last year behind North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, who was the offensive player of the year. They flipped positions this year, with Travis the unanimous first-team pick while Maye was the second-team pick on all 14 ballots.
Travis — who accounted for 27 touchdowns — was joined by Wilson, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton and Virginia receiver Malik Washington as unanimous first-team picks. Wilson ranked fifth in the Bowl Subdivision with 11.5 tackles per game, Hampton was No. 5 in rushing (120.2 yards) and Washington was No. 2 in receiving (118.8).
FSU’s 13 All-ACC picks, including Coleman being voted at both receiver and as an all-purpose player, were more than twice the totals by UNC and Miami (six each) as the next-closest teams.
No. 16 Louisville, which lost to FSU in the ACC title game, and Duke each had four All-ACC picks.
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The 2023 Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference team, as selected by a panel of 14 sports writers who regularly cover the league. Players at all positions are listed alphabetically with name, school, height, weight, class and hometown; “u-” denotes unanimous…
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