NC State’s Darrion Williams is Your 2025-26 Preseason ACC Player of the Year!

The media has spoken, and NC State Senior Forward Darrion Williams (6’6”/215) was voted the 2025-26 ACC Preseason Player of the Year. As a result, it’s obviously not shocking that Williams was named to the Preseason All-ACC 1st Team.

ACC Preseason Player of the Year

Darrion Williams, NC State, 23 votes
Cameron Boozer, Duke, 19
J.J. Starling, Syracuse, 2
Markus Burton, Notre Dame, 2
Donald Hand Jr., Boston College, 1
Baye Ndongo, Georgia Tech, 1
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina, 1

2025-26 Preseason All-ACC Team

First Team
Name, School, Votes

Cameron Boozer, Duke, 46
Darrion Williams, NC State, 45
Markus Burton, Notre Dame, 46
Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville, 36
Ryan Conwell, Louisville, 36

Second Team

Boopie Miller, SMU, 27
J.J. Starling, Syracuse, 27
Isaiah Evans, Duke, 24
Baye Ndongo, Georgia Tech, 24
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina, 24

Williams is the first Wolfpack player to be named Preseason ACC Player of the Year since CJ Leslie in 2012-13.

Darrion has had an illustrious collegiate career.

As a freshman at Nevada, he was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, averaging 7.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.4 steals, shooting 35.7% from three.

The following year, Williams transferred to Texas Tech, earning a spot on the All-Big 12 Third Team, averaging 11.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals, shooting 49.4% from the field and 45.8% from three.

This past season, Williams was named First Team All-Big 12, averaging 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.3 steals, shooting 43.9% from the field and 34% from three.

ON3 ranked him as the #6 overall player to enter the Transfer Portal this offseason, and the #1 Small Forward.