UNC Football trio named to 2023 Preseason All-ACC Football Team

CHAPEL HILL, NC - SEPTEMBER 24: Umpire Jim Eckl, and Drake Maye #10, Myles Murphy #8, Cedric Gray #33, and honorary captain and recording artist Eric Church #34 listen to pregame instructions from Referee Jeff Flanagan before a game between Notre Dame and North Carolina at Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 24, 2022 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - SEPTEMBER 24: Umpire Jim Eckl, and Drake Maye #10, Myles Murphy #8, Cedric Gray #33, and honorary captain and recording artist Eric Church #34 listen to pregame instructions from Referee Jeff Flanagan before a game between Notre Dame and North Carolina at Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 24, 2022 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /
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The UNC football program is represented by three of its players on the 2023 Preseason All-ACC teams, which were released this week. 

Ahead of the start of the 2023 college football season, the Atlantic Coast Conference has released its preseason All-ACC squads.

A trio of UNC football standouts have made this year’s team, including star quarterback Drake Maye, who was also named the conference’s preseason player of the year.

Maye, along with wide receiver Tez Walker, represent the UNC football program on the offensive side of the football, while star linebacker Cedric Gray is the lone Tar Heel among the defensive selections.

Maye is an easy choice, given that he is the reigning ACC Player of the Year and is coming off a season in which he cemented himself among the top potentially available quarterbacks in next year’s NFL Draft class.

Walker, a transfer from Kent State, is expected to play a big role in the Tar Heels’ offense in his first season on campus. Expectations are very high for the 6-foot-2 junior, as his size and playmaking ability should make him a prime target for Maye to work with.

As Josh Downs and Antoine Green have departed for the NFL, Walker has the opportunity to be an impact player for the UNC football program right away. The media seems to think that he’ll be a huge weapon for the Tar Heels, as he makes the All-ACC preseason team before even playing a snap for the UNC football program.

Heading into his senior season, Cedric Gray is another Tar Heel that should draw plenty of NFL Draft buzz. As a junior, Gray was third in the nation in tackles and is looking to anchor a North Carolina defense that has aspirations of improving this season.

It’s safe to say that the trio of Maye, Walker, and Gray will play a big role in the UNC football program’s success throughout the 2023 campaign.

Next. Cedric Gray named to Nagurski Trophy Watch List. dark

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