James Gayle, Jack Tyler and Antone Exum represented the Virginia Tech Hokies on the Second-Team All-ACC defense as voted on by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA). Those three players were the only three Hokies to make a team, though four other Hokies (Kyle Fuller, Antoine Hopkins, Derrick Hopkins and Bruce Taylor) all received honorable mention honors.
Obviously this is disappointing news for Hokie fans, as it's always good to be represented on all-conference teams, but to be bluntly honest, very few Virginia Tech players deserved to be considered for such an honor. There are two gripes I would have with the selection, as I would have included Jack Tyler on the first-team and Kyshoen Jarrett on the second-team. Tyler, a former walk-on who only became a starter by way of Tariq Edwards' slow recovery from an offseason surgery, led the Hokies in tackles from his mike backer spot with 112, also posted totals of 11 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 passes broken up and 2 passes defensed. He also posted 13 quarterback hurries.
The other issue I have is that the Hokies second-best defender all season long, rover Kyshoen Jarrett, who finished second on the team in tackles with 77, with 4.5 tackles for a loss, 3 passes broken up, 3 passes defensed and a forced fumble, not only didn't make a team, but was not given recognition as deserving honorable mention. While I wouldn't necessarily advocate Jarrett's inclusion on the First-Team, that he wasn't even listed as honorable mention while the likes of less consistent players like Antone Exum and Antoine Hopkins, virtually a platoon player this year, is disconcerting, and makes me wonder what the members of the ACSMA who voted on these teams were watching, considering Jarrett's play or the play of the Hokie defense.
Also, it is worth noting that the Hokies weren't represented by a single offensive player on either team or by honorable mention. While I cannot protest this, it's interesting that Marcus Davis, given his statistics, was not even an honorable mention pick. It is possible that the post-Florida State video of his blocking exploits played a part in that.
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