Brissett & Jones Darkhorses for POY

Earlier this week ESPN picked 5 players on each side of the ball from the ACC as darkhorse candidates to win Player of the Year, and NC State Quarterback Jacoby Brissett and Safety Josh Jones made the lists.

ESPN’s ACC Offensive Player of the Year Outlook

ESPN already listed their Top-5 candidates to win this award back at the end of May: Pitt RB James Conner, FSU RB Dalvin Cook, FSU QB Everett Golson, GT QB Justin Thomas, & Clemson QB Deshaun Watson. Jacoby Brissett was listed this week as one of the Top-5 offensive darkhorses to win the Offensive Player of the Year Award. Here is the blurb they wrote about him:

Only four quarterbacks in the nation last season threw for at least 20 touchdowns and 2,500 yards and had five or fewer interceptions. Two were drafted by NFL teams (Marcus Mariota and Brett Hundley), another is a Heisman favorite for 2015 (Cody Kessler). The fourth is Brissett. There are questions about his receiving corps, and he needs to cut down on his fumbles this year, but Brissett had NC State’s offense clicking for much of last year, and there’s no reason to think he won’t get even better in 2015. (ESPN)

The other Offensive Player of the Year darkhorses were Louisville QB Reggie Bonnafon, Miami RB Gus Edwards, Boston College RB Jon Hilliman, VT WR Isaiah Ford.

ESPN’s ACC Defensive Player of the Year Outlook

ESPN’s Top-5 candidates to win the award are UVA Safety Quin Blanding, VT CB Kendall Fuller, Clemson DE Shaq Lawson, VT DE Dadi Nicolas, FSU DB Jalen Ramsey. Josh Jones was listed as one of the Top-5 defensive darkhorses to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Here is the blurb they wrote about him.

No one is predicting another ACC safety will put up numbers like Louisville’s Gerod Holliman did a year ago, but Jones could be this year’s breakthrough performer at the position. He finished with four picks last year, and his move to the starting lineup coincided with a major turnaround for the Wolfpack defense. If that trend continues, he’ll be a name ACC fans are familiar with by year’s end. (ESPN)

The other Defensive Player of the Year darkhorses were UNC DE Nazair Jones, Duke LB Kelby Brown, Clemson Safety Jayron Kearse, & FSU DE DeMarcus Walker.