Florida State has one name on the 2026 Preseason All-ACC team, and it’s a familiar one.
Senior wide receiver Duce Robinson was selected Wednesday when the Atlantic Coast Conference announced its preseason teams, with the picks determined by a media vote at the 2026 ACC Football Kickoff. Robinson also picked up 12 votes for ACC Preseason Player of the Year.
Robinson’s 2025 season made the selection easy to understand. The Phoenix native landed first-team All-ACC and third-team All-America honors after becoming the 11th Seminole to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He finished with 56 catches for 1,081 yards and six touchdowns, and his five games with at least 120 receiving yards were second-most in the nation.
His biggest outings came in wins over East Texas A&M and Wake Forest, and he was named ACC Receiver of the Week after both. Against East Texas A&M, he had five catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Against Wake Forest, he posted five receptions for 148 yards and a score.
Robinson’s impact wasn’t limited to the field. He became Florida State’s first first-team Academic All-American since 2012 and only the ninth in program history. He graduated from Florida State in May and was also recently named a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which honors players who make a difference in their communities.
Florida State’s lone spot on the preseason team continues a recent trend. It’s the second straight year the Seminoles have had just one player on the preseason squad, after defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. was the only FSU representative last year.
Miami redshirt junior quarterback Darian Mensah was named the Preseason ACC Player of the Year after earning All-ACC Second Team honors last season at Duke.
The full preseason team featured a heavy Miami presence, with Mensah joined by running back Mark Fletcher, Jr., wide receiver Malachi Toney, offensive lineman Samson Okunlola, defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr., linebacker Mohamed Toure, safety Bryce Fitzgerald and specialist Malachi Toney. Clemson also placed several players on the list, including wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr., defensive end Will Heldt, linebacker Sammy Brown and cornerback Ashton Hampton.
The rest of the offensive group included Louisville running back Isaac Brown, Duke tight end Jeremiah Hasley, SMU tackle PJ Williams, Virginia tackle McKale Boley, Virginia guard Noah Josey, SMU center Josh Bates and Virginia guard McKale Boley. On defense, Louisville’s Clev Lubin, Virginia Tech’s Kemari Copeland, Virginia’s Kam Robinson, Syracuse cornerback Chris Peal and Boston College safety KP Price were among the selections. Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr, Virginia punter Daniel Sparks and Miami specialist Malachi Toney rounded out the specialists.
Mensah led the Player of the Year voting with 97 votes, followed by SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings with 25. Louisville’s Isaac Brown finished third with 16, NC State quarterback CJ Bailey was fourth with 15, and Robinson came in fifth with 12. Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown received 11 votes, Virginia linebacker Kam Robinson got five, Clemson defensive end Will Heldt got four and Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel got three.
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Ashlynd Barker Sounds Convinced Florida State Can Finally Be Different
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Barker is also in line for a bigger responsibility in Tony Whites 3-3-5 defense, with the rover spot opening up after Earl Little Jr. transferred to Ohio State. It is the kind of change that can sharpen the edge of a secondary, and it puts Barker in a position to help define what this defense becomes in 2026, even if the true test will not arrive until the season starts to reveal whether all that early confidence has any staying power. [Read more 🡒]