Well, here we go. It’s time to start ranking the best players in the ACC for the 2023 season.
As usual, we hope you enjoy the rankings.
Previous and Upcoming Rankings
Quarterbacks | Wide Receivers | Offensive Linemen | Tight Ends |
Defensive Linemen | Linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties | Special Teams
1) Will Shipley, Clemson
Will Shipley has been a very good as RB at Clemson, but I think this year we truly take center stage of the offense. Last season he averaged 124.9 all-purpose yards a game. That included 1,182 yards rushing with 15 TDs.
QB Cade Klubnik will be in his first full season starting, and the Tigers have some question marks at the other skill positions. Shipley is going to be the focus of the offense and I think he’ll shine with Garret Riley as OC. He’s a versatile player that runs, catches passes, and returns kicks. NFL draft projections have him going anywhere from the late 1st round to the 3rd round.
2) Trey Benson, Florida State
Florida State returns a wealth of talent. You’ll see the top 3 players at several positions dotted across their roster. That includes RB with Trey Benson.
Benson just missed 1,000 yards rushing to go along with 9 TDs. One word that keeps coming up when describing Benson is explosive. Pro Football Focus graded Benson out higher than Shipley, and you can certainly make an argument that he could top this list. He’s also considered a top 3 round NFL draft pick.
3) Jawhar Jordan, Louisville
Jawhar Jordan was Louisville’s leading rusher last season with 815 yards for a nice 5.7 yards per rush average. He also looked very solid in the Cardinal’s bowl game gaining 115 yards on the ground with 2 TDs. This was after a slow start to the season.
After November he had 555 rushing yards through the last 5 games of the season. Throughout the whole season that’s easily a 1000+ yard campaign. With a new offense this year, we expect Jordan to be a bigger part of the passing offense. If that happens Jordan could truly have a monster year.
4) Henry Parrish Jr, Miami
Henry Parrish Jr. led Miami in rushing in 2022 with 617 yards. He also showed some versatility by also catching 17 passes. The key for Parrish is to remain healthy. Parrish was banged up in the second half of last season and that limited his production. If he can remain healthy, Parrish looks like a player that could total 11-1200 total yards.
He’s a talent, that just has to get through the year.
5) Justice Ellison, Wake Forest
Wake Forest always seems to have an extremely productive offense these days. QB Sam Hartman is gone, but leading rushing Justice Ellison is back after a fine 2022 season. Ellison had 707 yards running the ball with 6 TD.
Ellison was a pre-season All-ACC 3rd Team pick by Athlon Sports so I would suggest keeping an eye on Ellison this year.
