The ACC revealed the pre-season all-conference team on Wednesday, and NC State did not have anybody selected. Which isn’t exactly surprising—I’m not sure who outside of CJ Bailey would have a credible argument at this point. There are guys with potential, of course—Harvey Dyson could have himself a year, for one—but the guesswork is a bit tougher in the portal era.
Bailey received 15 votes for Pre-season Player of the Year, fourth behind Darian Mensah, Kevin Jennings, and Isaac Brown.
2026 ACC Football Preseason Player of the Year(votes)
1. Darian Mensah, QB, Miami (97)
2. Kevin Jennings, QB, SMU (25)
3. Isaac Brown, RB, Louisville (16)
4. CJ Bailey, QB, NC State (15)
5. Duce Robinson, WR, Florida State (12)
6. Sammy Brown, LB, Clemson (11)
7. Kam Robinson, LB, Virginia (5)
8. Will Heldt, DE, Clemson (4)
9. Mason Heintschel, QB, Pitt (3)
The absence of Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele from this list is apparently due to the fact that the ACC did not even put him on the ballot, which is baffling, to say the least. Is there a paper shortage at the league office? What is the need for a list so short that it excludes one of the ACC’s best quarterbacks? They, uh, did remember that Cal is in the ACC, right?
