GREENSBORO, N.C. – Duke redshirt junior kick return specialist Damond Philyaw-Johnson was named to the 2020 Preseason All-ACC Team, announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Friday.
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Philyaw-Johnson was voted to the team by 134 credentialed media members. This recognition is one of many for the Blue Devil as he was also tabbed to the Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, Sporting News preseason All-America list.
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A native of Pensacola, Fla., Philyaw-Johnson has compiled 637 all-purpose yards (88 receiving, 549 kickoff return) throughout his career (29.0 avg/g)Â and is tied with two others for third all-time on Duke's career kickoff return for TD chart. The 6-1, 170-pound wide receiver matched the NCAA single-game record with two kickoff returns for touchdowns against Wake Forest in 2019. Those two kickoff returns for scores in a single game marked just the second time in ACC history a player achieved the feat.
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His 251 kickoff return yards versus the Demon Deacons also marked the highest single-game total in school history, while his 98-yarder in that contest tied him with Shaun Wilson for the 10th longest return in program history. In 22 career games, Philyaw-Johnson has 17 returns, 549 yards (32.29 average) and two touchdowns.
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The league also announced that the Blue Devils were picked to finish 12th in the conference in the media's Preseason ACC Poll.
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Each ACC team is slated to play 11 games (10 conference, one non-conference) this season. The two teams with the highest conference winning percentages earn spots in the ACC Football Championship Game on Dec. 12 or Dec. 19 at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium.
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The Blue Devils' amended 2020 schedule has them scheduled to kick off their season on the road at Notre Dame on Sept. 12.Â
 ACC Preseason Poll (First-place votes in parenthesis, followed by total points)
1. Clemson (132) – 2008
2. Notre Dame (2) – 1824
3. North Carolina – 1682
4. Louisville   – 1434
5. Virginia Tech – 1318
6. Miami     – 1280
7. Florida State – 1177
8. Pitt      – 1132
9. Virginia    – 994
10. Wake Forest  – 659
11. NC State    – 634 12. Duke      – 618
13. Boston College – 532
14. Syracuse    – 449
15. Georgia Tech  – 339
 2020 All-ACC Preseason Football Team (Total votes in parenthesis) Offense
WR – Tamorrion Terry, Florida State (100)
WR – Tutu Atwell,   Louisville (96)
WR – Dazz Newsome,  North Carolina (75)
TE – Brevin Jordan,  Miami (77)
AP – Michael Carter, North Carolina (82)
OT – Jackson Carman, Clemson (64)
OT – Ben Petrula,   Boston College (61)
OG – Zion Johnson,  Boston College (78)
OG – Aaron Banks,   Notre Dame (34)
C – Jimmy Morrissey, Pitt (80)
QB – Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (131)
RB – Travis Etienne, Clemson (133)
RB – Javian Hawkins, Louisville (80)
Defense
DE – Carlos Basham Jr.,    Wake Forest (89)
DE – Patrick Jones II,    Pitt (37)
DT – Marvin Wilson,      Florida State (108)
DT – Tyler Davis,       Clemson (75)
LB – Chazz Surratt,      North Carolina (106)
LB – Rayshard Ashby,      Virginia Tech (66)
LB – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame (47)
CB – Asante Samuel Jr.,    Florida State (90)
CB – Derion Kendrick,     Clemson (85)
S – Paris Ford,       Pitt (62)
S – Hamsah Nasirildeen,   Florida State (56)
 Special Teams
PK – Nick Sciba,       Wake Forest (69)
P – Trenton Gill,      NC State (43) SP – Damond Philyaw-Johnson, Duke (48)
 ACC Player of the Year
1. Trevor Lawrence,  QB, Clemson – 100
2. Travis Etienne,  RB, Clemson – 30
3. Sam Howell,    QB, North Carolina – 1
4. Chazz Surratt,   LB, North Carolina – 1
5. Ian Book,     QB, Notre Dame – 1
6. Carlos Basham Jr., DE, Wake Forest – 1
 #GoDuke
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