The 2024 college football season is just around the corner and excitement is building for the great teams right here in North Carolina.
To get ready, the North State Journal put together our 2024 Preseason All-NC team composed of players from the dozen-plus colleges in the state in both the FBS and FCS conferences.
Here’s the breakdown:
Offense
Quarterback – Grayson McCall (NC State)
The three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year transferred to NC State for his final year of eligibility.
Across his collegiate career, McCall has thrown for over 10,000 yards and 88 touchdowns through the air while also adding over 1,000 yards and 18 yards on the ground.
Running Backs – Omarion Hampton (UNC), Mari Adams (Davidson)
After a breakout sophomore season that saw him break 1,500 yards and put up 15 touchdowns, UNC junior Omarian Hampton is poised for another big year for the Tar Heels. Hampton was also selected to the Preseason All-ACC Team and finished second for ACC Preseason Player of the Year.
Davidson sophomore Mari Adams, who made the Preseason All-PFL Team, also had 15 touchdowns last season and ran for 1,019 yards on 164 carries.
Wide Receivers – KC Concepcion (NC State), Jordan Moore (Duke), Kaedin Robinson (Appalachian State)
NC State sophomore and 2023 ACC Rookie of the Year KC Concepcion will look to continue to prove himself as one of the best players in college football following his record-setting freshman season that saw him finish with 1,159 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns.
Blue Devils senior Jordan Moore was a consistent and dependable presence for Duke last year with 835 yards and eight touchdowns on just 62 catches, giving him an average of 13.5 yards per reception.
Appalachian State takes the final wide receiver spot with senior Kaedin Robinson rounding out the WR group. Robinson capped off his junior season with 905 yards and 10 touchdowns, also averaging 13.5 yards per carry.
Tight End – Eli Wilson (Appalachian State)
Senior tight end Eli Wilson looks to be a big piece for the Mountaineers’ offense following up on his big season last year where he averaged 10.3 yards per catch and scored six touchdowns.
Offensive Line – Blake Whitmore (Western), Anthony Belton (NC State), DeVonte Gordon (Wake), Matt Gulbin (Wake), Willie Lampkin (UNC)
With senior Blake Whitmore starting at center for all 11 games last season, the Catamounts set a school record with 5,545 yards of total offense.
NC State’s starting left tackle, graduate Anthony Belton, led the team in pancake blocks with 51 last season and earned third-team All-ACC honors.
Redshirt senior DeVonte Gordon started every game for the Demon Deacons and ranked third among tackles in the ACC for pass blocking and earned the fourth highest grade overall.
Redshirt junior Matt Gulbin started 10 games for Wake, tallying 770 snaps in total and finished as the second ranked run blocking guard in the ACC.
Senior Willie Lampkin started every game for the Tar Heels who were one of college football’s most efficient offenses that averaged 491.2 yards per game. Lampkin was also a third-team All-ACC honoree and earned Preseason All-ACC honors this year.
Defense
Defensive End – Kaimon Rucker (UNC), Jasheen Davis (Wake)
Graduate Kaimon Rucker earned second-team All-ACC honors last year with 61 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Rucker is also a Preseason All-ACC honoree this year.
Senior Jasheen Davis led the Demon Deacons in sacks (7.5), tackles for loss (17) and quarterback hurries (10) along with having 49 tackles, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Defensive Tackle – Jaden Taylor (Central), D’Anta Johnson (ECU)
Senior Jaden Taylor was named a first-team All-MEAC player last season with 51 tackles. 8.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and three quarterback hurries.
Senior D’Anta Johnson finished last season with second-team All-AAC honors having had 32 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble.
Linebackers – Power Echols (UNC), Sean Brown (NC State), CJ Tillman (Campbell)
Senior Power Echols earned third-team All-ACC honors last year with 102 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and an interception.
NC State has a long history of success at the linebacker position and while junior Sean Brown played primarily at free safety last season, he did play linebacker a bit and in total had 66 tackles and two sacks and five tackles for loss last year.
Senior CJ Tillman had 89 tackles last season, five tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles for the Fighting Camels last season.
Cornerbacks – Aydan White (NC State), Shavon Revel Jr. (ECU), Dontae Balfour (Charlotte)
Senior Aydan White made the Preseason All-ACC Team and for good reason. White, who has not allowed a touchdown reception in the past two seasons, had two interceptions last season and 10 passes defended while also making 37 tackles and a sack.
Senior Shavon Revel Jr. earned second-team All-AAC honors last season with 54 tackles, six passes defended, an interception, a fumble recovery and a sack. Revel also has been named to the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Paycom Jim Thorpe Award and East-West Shrine Bowl watch lists.
Junior Dontae Balfour started 11 games for Charlotte and had 54 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, an interception and tied the school record with 11 pass breakups.
Safeties – Jaylen Stinson (Duke), Caleb Curtain (Elon)
Senior Jaylen Stinson started 13 games for the Blue Devils last season and registered 88 tackles, a sack, an interception and fumble recovery and six pass breakups.
Junior Caleb Curtain was first-team All-CAA and a second-team FCS All-American last season with the Phoenix. In 11 starts, Curtain had 80 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries and six pass breakups. Named to the Buck Buchanan preseason watch list for the best defensive player in the FCS.
