Hokie ClubPostseason honors continue to roll in for Virginia Tech football. Over the past couple of days, Pro Football Focus, ESPN.com and The Associated Press have released postseason teams.
The top honor goes to Tech's head coach Justin Fuente as he's been honored as the AP's ACC Coach of the Year. Fuente adds this to his Atlantic Coast Conference Sports Media Association (ACSMA) Coach of the Year honor he picked up last week just before leading the Hokies on to the field for the 2016 ACC Championship Game in Orlando, Florida against No. 3 Clemson.
Woody Baron has picked up three honors so far this week - chosen by ESPN.com for its All-ACC team on the defensive line, being named The Touchdown Club of Richmond's Defensive Lineman of the Year and now a First Team honoree by the AP. The senior has put forth one of the best seasons for a Tech interior defensive lineman over the past 20 seasons. The Nashville, Tennessee native’s 17.5 TFLs in 2016 leads all Power 5 defensive tackles this season and are the most at the school since J.C. Price had 23.0 in 1995.
The Touchdown Club of Richmond also named junior quarterback Jerod Evans the Offensive Back of the Year, while the AP named him the Newcomer of the Year. Evans, out of Dallas, Texas, has enjoyed one of the best seasons ever for a quarterback at the school. He is already the single-season record holder in five categories and has a shot and eclipsing four more records in the Hokies’ bowl game in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Rounding out the honors from the AP are junior Isaiah Ford and sophomore Tremaine Edmunds, who each picked up Second Team All-ACC nods. CLICK HERE to see the full release.
After setting single-season school records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, the Jacksonville, Florida product has etched his name in the record books in those career categories. Ford currently has 24 career TDs, 2,911 receiving yards and 204 receptions. He is Tech's only 1,000 single-season yards receiver, and he's done it twice.
Edmunds, out of Danville, Virginia, has enjoyed his first year as a starting linebacker. He etched his name in the Tech record book as well, registering a TFL in 13 straight games, while he is just behind Baron this year with 17.0 for the season. In fact, Baron and Edmunds have combined for more TFLs in a single season than any other duo since 1998.
Picking up a prestigious national honor yesterday was the Hokies’ Sam Rogers. The senior from Mechanicsville, Virginia, has been chosen by Pro Football Focus as a Second Team All-American at the fullback position.
Rogers notched his first 100-yard rushing game with 105 vs. Virginia (11/26), which included his first two rushing TDs of the year - one of which included a career-long run of 31 yards. With his first rushing TD, Rogers became the first player at Tech since Tony Kennedy to have a rushing TD, a passing TD and a receiving TD in the same season. Kennedy had three rushing, one passing and one receiving TD during the 1992 season. Rogers has two rushing, one passing and three receiving. CLICK HERE to see the full team.
Terrell Edmunds, a redshirt-sophomore from Danville, Virginia, joined Baron on the ESPN.com All-ACC team as a defensive back. According to the release, Edmunds allowed just one touchdown all season (according to STATS, LLC), while notching three interceptions and is currently third among ACC strong safeties in total tackles. CLICK HERE for more on this team.
DECEMBER 8 - PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS - 2016 All-ACC Team - FULL RELEASE
The postseason teams continue to be released as the Hokies placed six players on the Pro Football Focus All-ACC team with first team members including Rogers at fullback, offensive guard Wyatt Teller and safety Chuck Clark. Second Team selections include wide receiver Ford, slot receiver Cam Phillips and linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka.
It's the second honor of the day for Teller and Motuapuaka, who were recognized by the ACC's league coaches, while Clark was an ACC sports media pick.
For Phillips, the Laurel, Maryland product, this is his first honor of the season. He is second on the team with 70 catches and has 868 yards receiving. He's added 124 rushing yards to his totals and has five receiving touchdowns. The junior also blocked a punt during the East Carolina contest (9/24).