Virginia Safety Jonas Sanker Named to 2024 All-ACC Preseason Football Team

Virginia senior safety Jonas Sanker was named to the 2024 All-ACC Preseason Football Team, as announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Thursday afternoon. The team was selected by the same panel of 170 media members who voted for the ACC Football Preseason Poll, which predicted the Cavaliers to finish 16th in the conference standings this season.

Sanker received 73 total votes, third-most among the defensive players named to the All-ACC Preseason Team. See the full 2024 Preseason All-ACC Football Team below (note: votes in parenthesis).

2024 Preseason All-ACC Football Team
QB: Cam Ward, Miami (85)
RB: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (114)
RB: Jaydn Ott, Cal (70)
WR: Kevin “KC” Concepcion, NC State (119)
WR: Xavier Restrepo, Miami (93)
WR: Elic Ayomanor, Stanford (42)
TE: Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse (48)
AP: Jaydn Ott, Cal (49)
OT: Darius Washington, Florida State (93)
OT: Blake Miller, Clemson (53)
OG: Willie Lampkin, North Carolina (64)
OG: Michael Gonzalez, Louisville (56)
C: Maurice Smith, Florida State (62)

DE: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville (52)
DE: Rueben Bain, Jr., Miami (49)
DT: Joshua Farmer, Florida State (75)
DT: Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech (64)
LB: Barrett Carter, Clemson (129)
LB: Francisco Mauigoa, Miami (72)
LB: Marlowe Wax, Syracuse (67)
CB: Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech (65)
CB: Aydan White, NC State (56)
S: Jonas Sanker, Virginia (73)
S: R.J. Mickens, Clemson (44)

PK: Andres Borregales, Miami (92)
P: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State (81)
SP: Brashard Smith, SMU (36)

12 of the conference’s 17 teams were represented with at least one player on the 27-member All-ACC Preseason Team. Led by quarterback Cam Ward, who was voted the 2024 ACC Preseason Player of the Year, Miami led all teams with five selections, while Florida State had four players named to the team, Clemson had three honorees, and six other teams had two players selected.

Sanker is coming off of an incredible 2023 campaign that saw him earn a First-Team All-ACC selection after leading his team in tackling with 107 stops, pass breakups with 11, and forced fumbles with three. He made at least seven tackles in 11 out of UVA’s 12 games and led the Cavaliers in tackling eight times.

Sanker has reeled in several preseason recognitions. In addition to earning Preseason All-ACC honors, Sanker was also named to the watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, presented annually to the National Defensive Player of the Year, and the Jim Thorpe Award, which honors the top defensive back in college football.

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