Charlotte, NC – The Atlantic Coast Conference Football Players of the Week have been recognized for their standout performances in Week 3 of the season. The selections are determined by a vote of a select media panel. The following are this week’s honorees:
QUARTERBACK – Garrett Shrader, Syracuse, QB, Charlotte, N.C.
Shrader was responsible for 379 yards of total offense, including 195 yards on the ground and four touchdowns, in Syracuse’s 35-20 win over Purdue. Shrader set a Syracuse record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with four and posted the program’s second-highest rushing yardage total by a quarterback in school history. His 195 rushing yards were also the ninth-highest total by a quarterback in school history. Shrader threw for 184 yards through the air, completing 14-of-28 passes in the victory. Shrader is now second in the FBS among active players in rushing touchdowns (34) and tops among quarterbacks, trailing only Michigan running back Blake Corum in the category. His 195 yards on the ground were also the third-highest single-game total in the FBS this season and the most among quarterbacks.
RUNNING BACK – LeQuint Allen, Syracuse, RB, Millville, N.J.
Allen ran for 80 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown and was also the team’s leading receiver with six receptions in Syracuse’s 35-20 road victory at Purdue on Saturday. Allen’s six catches went for 62 yards, bringing his all-purpose yardage to 142 yards in the contest. A total of 58 of Allen’s 62 receiving yards came on yards after the catch.
RECEIVER – Nate McCollum, North Carolina, WR, Atlanta, Ga.
McCollum led the Tar Heels offense with 15 receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown in UNC’s 31-13 win over Minnesota. In his Tar Heel debut, McCollum piled up over 100 receiving yards and a 46-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter alone. His 15 catches were one away from the Tar Heel single-game record.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Christopher Bleich, Syracuse, G, Hanover Township, Pa.
Bleich was Syracuse’s highest-graded offensive lineman in the team’s 35-20 win over Purdue. He and the offensive line unit paved the way for 455 yards of total offense – including 271 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns. Bleich was on the field for 79 total plays, leading the team with six knockdown blocks and only allowed one pressure, no sacks and was not penalized. Behind the offensive line, quarterback Garrett Shrader ran for 195 yards – the second-highest individual game total by a quarterback in school history and one of the top-10 rushing performances by a quarterback in ACC history. He also recorded a school record with four rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Jasheen Davis, Wake Forest, DL, Snellville, Ga.
Davis totaled five tackles, three sacks, and a fumble recovery that he returned for 14 yards and led to a score for the Demon Deacons in Wake Forest’s road win at Old Dominion. His, and Jacob Roberts’, three sacks versus the Monarchs tied them both for the second-most in a single game in program history. Wake Forest’s defense totaled 12.0 tackles-for-loss and a program-record 10.0 sacks on Saturday. For the 2023 season, Davis has recorded 18 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, and 4.5 sacks. His 4.5 sacks are the second-highest total in the country, trailing only his teammate, Roberts, with 5.0 sacks.
LINEBACKER – Jacob Roberts, Wake Forest, LB, Charlotte, N.C.
Roberts totaled a game-high tying 13 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, three sacks and a forced fumble in Wake Forest’s win on the road at Old Dominion. Roberts’ three sacks tied him with Davis for the second-most sacks in a game in program history. Wake Forest’s defense totaled 12 tackles-for-loss and a program-record 10.0 sacks in the win over the Monarchs. Tabbed the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week on Sunday, Roberts is Wake Forest’s leading tackler with 31 tackles and he has also tallied 6.5 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, one forced fumble and one quarterback hurry. His 5.0 sacks lead the nation.
DEFENSIVE BACK – Cam’Ron Kelly, Louisville, S, Chesapeake, Va.
Kelly paced the Louisville defense with 12 tackles, including six solo stops, to go with two tackles-for-loss and an interception in the Cardinals’ win over Indiana. The 12 tackles were a career-high for the senior safety.
SPECIALIST – Julian Gray, NC State, WR/KR, Charlotte, N.C.
Gray did it all for the Wolfpack on Saturday in the win over VMI, as the redshirt sophomore returned a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown in the 45-7 win. He also led the Wolfpack in receiving yards with 80 on two catches and tallied 181 yards of total offense for the afternoon. On the season, Gray leads the ACC and ranks eighth in the FBS in kickoff return average at 33.3 yards per return.
ROOKIE – Tyler Brown, Clemson, Fr., Greenville, S.C.
Brown recorded three receptions for 49 yards with two touchdowns in the Tigers’ win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday. With his two touchdown receptions, Brown became the first Clemson freshman wide receiver with two receiving touchdowns in a single game since Justyn Ross against Notre Dame in the 2018 Cotton Bowl. The freshman also added a 44-yard punt return among his two returns for 47 yards against the Owls.