Phil Steele has released his picks for every conference’s preseason teams. Nine Tar Heels have made the All-ACC team, headlined by first team preseason All-ACC wide receiver Josh Downs.
The total number of preseason picks is down from last season, when Steele selected 12 UNC players, three of them first team (Sam Howell, Joshua Ezeudu, and Ray Vohasek).
While 2021’s preseason All-ACC picks were spread evenly between offense and defense, this year’s selections skew towards the defensive side of the ball. The secondary is represented by junior cornerback Tony Grimes and senior safety Cam’Ron Kelly.