Deacs Earn 10 Preseason Honors from Athlon Sports

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Preseason recognition for the Wake Forest football program continues to come in with the Demon Deacons earning 10 All-ACC honors from Athlon Sports, as released by the publication Thursday.

In addition to earning a national top-20 ranking from the publication, the Deacs preseason All-ACC honors were highlighted by three players as first team selections in redshirt junior quarterback Sam Hartman, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Taylor Morin and redshirt junior wide receiver A.T. Perry. Morin was listed on the first team as a punt returner as well as being named to the second team as a wide receiver.

In addition to Hartman, Morin and Perry, redshirt junior offensive lineman Michael Jurgens, redshirt senior offensive lineman Sean Maginn and redshirt junior defensive lineman Rondell Bothroyd were placed on Second Team All-ACC while sophomore defensive back Caelen Carson was listed as a Third Team All-ACC selection and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jasheen Davis and senior linebacker Ryan Smenda garnered Fourth Team All-ACC recognition.

More on Hartman

Hartman was also named as the Preseason MVP by the publication and ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in the country while also earning the distinction of "Coolest in the Clutch" among all ACC quarterbacks by Lindy's Sports.

Last season, the Charlotte, N.C. native had a breakout sophomore campaign, being named a finalist for the Manning Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award while also being chosen as Semifinalist for Walter Camp Player of Year Award and Semifinalist list for the Davey O'Brien Award.

He garnered Second Team All-ACC honors from the league, coaches and media, was the back-to-back ACC Quarterback of the Week (Oct. 25 and Nov. 1) and was named MVP of the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, finishing the game with 304 yards and three touchdown passes

His 50 total touchdowns ranked second in conference history and was just one away from tying the ACC record. Hartman threw for 4,228 yards in 2021, ranking sixth in ACC history and first in Wake Forest history. Additionally, he ran for 11 touchdowns, the second-most in program history by a Wake Forest quarterback.

More on Perry

Perry, who was also ranked as the No. 9 wide receiver in the country by the Lindy's, is coming off one of the greatest single seasons by a Wake Forest wide receiver in program history, setting the single-season record with 15 touchdown receptions, three more than any other play in the program's history.

Additionally, the total was tied for the fifth most in ACC history and the third highest total since 1997.

The Lake Worth, Fla. native also ended the year as just the ninth player in Wake Forest history to cross over the 1,000-yard barrier, tallying 1,293 receiving yards, ranking second and just 37 yards shy of the program record.

Along with Jaquarii Roberson, the duo are the second pair of Wake Forest receivers to both go over 1,000 yards in the same season (2019: Sage Surratt, Kendall Hinton).

A 2021 Belitnikoff Semifinalist, Perry found the endzone in 11 of the 14 games while having 100-plus yards in seven contests. His most memorable moment of the season came at Syracuse when all three of Perry's catches (137 receiving yards) went for touchdowns including the game winner in overtime to secure a 40-37 win for the Deacs and a 6-0 start to the season.

More on Morin

Morin, who is entering his third year as a starter both as a wide receiver and as a punt returner, has been recognized as one of the better returners in the country headed into the season.

In 20 returns a season ago, Morin averaged nearly 10 yards per punt including a key 35-yard return in the Demon Deacons home finale against No. 16 NC State that helped the Deacs finish a perfect 6-0 in home contests.

As a wide receiver, he had at least one reception in every game played and multiple catches in all but two games. His breakout performance came in the victory over Louisville in October when he had a season-high 122 yards on six catches including a 42-yard touchdown.

He ended the season with 43 catches for 621 yards and five touchdowns, finishing third on the team in each category. Wake Forest is tied for the most returning 600-plus yard receivers in the conference with two. Additionally, the Deacs return 63 percent of their receiving yards from a season ago.

Preseason Honors

Sam Hartman