CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Atlantic Coast Conference had a total of 17 football players named to a “Watch List” for consideration for the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award it was announced on Wednesday, August 7, by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization.
Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Representing the ACC on the preseason list are linebacker Bryce Steele of Boston College, quarterback CJ Harris of California, wide receiver Cole Turner of Clemson, wide receiver Eli Pancol of Duke, wide receiver Leo Blackburn and defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen of Georgia Tech, wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks and quarterback Tyler Shough of Louisville, quarterback Emory Williams of Miami, quarterback Grayson McCall of NC State, wide receiver Trebor Pena and tight end Oronde Gadsden II of Syracuse, wide receiver Kobe Paysour of North Carolina, defensive end Kam Butler of Virginia, tight end Nick Gallo and wide receiver Ali Jennings of Virginia Tech and wide receiver Donavon Greene of Wake Forest.
The watch list is comprised of 90 college football student-athletes from 68 different schools.
Mike Hollins of Virginia was one of three players to win the award last year.
ACC Representatives on the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List:
Name, School, Class, Position
Bryce Steele, Boston College, Redshirt Junior, LB
CJ Harris, Cal, Redshirt Sophomore, QB
Cole Turner, Clemson, Redshirt Sophomore, WR
Eli Pancol, Duke, Graduate Student, WR
Leo Blackburn, Georgia Tech, Redshirt Junior, WR
Sylvain Yondjouen, Georgia Tech, Redshirt Senior, DL
Ja’Corey Brooks, Louisville, Redshirt Senior, WR
Tyler Shough, Louisville, Redshirt Senior, QB
Emory Williams, Miami, Sophomore, QB
Kobe Paysour, North Carolina, Junior, WR
Grayson McCall, NC State, Graduate Student, QB
Trebor Pena, Syracuse, Redshirt Junior, WR
Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse, Redshirt Junior, TE
Kam Butler, Virginia, Sixth-Year, DE
Nick Gallo, Virginia Tech, Graduate Student, TE
Ali Jennings, Virginia Tech, Graduate Student, WR
Donavon Greene, Wake Forest, Redshirt Junior, WR
ACC Football Notes
The ACC is the Conference of Quarterbacks, with the return of full-time starters Thomas Castellanos at Boston College, Cade Klubnik at Clemson, Grayson Loftis at Duke, Haynes King at Georgia Tech, Preston Stone at SMU, and Kyron Drones at Virginia Tech, and transfers DJ Uiagalelei at Florida State, Tyler Shough at Louisville, Cam Ward at Miami, Grayson McCall at NC State, and Kyle McCord at Syracuse among others.
ACC had 10 quarterbacks named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list, no other conference had more.
ACC has the top-ranked group of quarterback transfers in 2024 by CBS Sports.
13 QBs in the league enter the 2024 season with over 20 career touchdown passes and 3,500 career passing yards.
Eight quarterbacks from ACC schools are projected to start Week 1 in the 2024 NFL season — 25 percent of NFL teams.
Since 2018, the ACC has had at least one quarterback drafted in the first round in five different drafts — the only conference to do that.
The ACC’s non-conference schedule continues to be the most challenging in the country.
27 games against Power 4 opponents, including Notre Dame, the most of any conference.
Nine non-conference games against teams ranked in the final 2023 Associated Press Top 25 Poll, the most of any conference.
10 non-conference games against teams in ESPN’s 2024 Way-Too-Early Top 25, the most of any conference.
ACC Features Elite Coaching Leadership
Six ACC head coaches were named to the 2024 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List, as announced by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Peach Bowl, no other conference had more.
Two of the three active coaches to win a national title reside in the ACC – Dabo Swinney led Clemson to national titles in 2016 and 2018. North Carolina’s Mack Brown won a national title at Texas in 2005.
The 2024 ACC Football Championship Game will kick off in primetime at 8 p.m. ET on ABC on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
About College Sports Communicators
The second oldest management association in intercollegiate athletics, College Sports Communicators was founded in 1957 and rebranded in August 2022. The organization, now in its 67th year as an organization, was previously known as College Sports Information Directors of America, or CoSIDA. Today, College Sports Communicators is a vibrant 4,200-plus member international association, composed of the athletic communications, media relations, digital and creative professionals throughout all levels of intercollegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. CSC’s signature program is the Academic All-America® program, honoring thousands of outstanding scholar-athletes annually. To learn more, visit collegesportscommunicators.com
About the ACC
The Atlantic Coast Conference, in its 72nd year and 18 members strong, stands as one of the most competitive and revered intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members including Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest are dedicated to upholding the league’s founding values of academic excellence, athletic competition at the highest level, and integrity. The ACC supports 28 NCAA sports, with 15 for women and 13 for men, and its member institutions span 12 states. In August 2019, the ACC and ESPN partnered to launch ACC Network (ACCN), a 24/7 national network exclusively devoted to ACC sports and original programming. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow the ACC on Instagram (@accsports), Twitter (@theACC) and Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).
