CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Miami quarterback Cam Ward has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year while Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was tabbed the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, it was announced on Wednesday, December 4.
Voting for the awards was conducted by a 71-member voting panel consisting of 54 selected media and the conference’s 17 head coaches.
A finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards, in addition to being a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, Ward has led a Miami offense that has ranked among the nation’s best in scoring offense, total offense and passing offense all season long.
The West Columbia, Texas, native set the Miami program single-season record for passing yards and touchdowns this season. An All-ACC First-Team selection, Ward leads the nation in passing touchdowns (36) and Total QBR (88.0), and ranks second in all of FBS in passing yards (4,123), passing yards per game (343.6), total offense per game (359.9), points responsible for (254), and points responsible for per game (21.2). He also ranks fourth in the nation in passing efficiency (171.1) and yards per pass attempt (9.48), all of which rank in the top two in the ACC.
Ward, who has passed for over 300 yards in 10 games this season, has thrown for 17,999 yards over his collegiate career which ranks in the top five in NCAA history. He also has recorded 155 career touchdown passes, which is tied for the NCAA Division I career record with Case Keenum (Houston).
Tabbed the ACC Quarterback of the Week six times this season, Ward was also named a two-time Maxwell Award Player of the Week (September 4 and October 22) and three-time Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Player of the Week (September 25, October 9, and October 23). He was also named the Davey O’Brien Award National Quarterback of the Week on September 4, the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week on September 24, and the Associated Press National Player of the Week on October 7.
Ward is the first player from Miami to be named the ACC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year.
A semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Bednarik and Lombardi awards, Ezeiruaku has been a force on the defensive side of the ball for Boston College all season long. The Williamstown, New Jersey, native leads the nation in sacks (16.5) and sacks per game (1.38), and ranks second in all of FBS in total tackles-for-loss (20.5) and tackles-for-loss per game (1.7). His 16.5 sacks this season are tied for the third-most in ACC’s single-season history.
An All-ACC First-Team selection, Ezeiruaku was named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week three times, including in each of the last two weeks to end the season. An AFCA Good Works Team nominee, he was also named the Walter Camp Award National Defensive Player of the Week on October 1 and the Bednarik Award Player of the Week on December 3.
Ezeiruaku becomes the third Eagle player to be named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, joining Mark Herzlich in 2008 and Luke Kuechly in 2011.
A complete breakdown of the 2024 ACC Football Player of the Year voting:
Player of the Year
Cam Ward – Miami (59)
Kevin Jennings – SMU (4)
Omarion Hampton – North Carolina (4)
Kyle McCord – Syracuse (2)
Brashard Smith – SMU (1)
Antwaun Powell-Ryland – Virginia Tech (1)
Offensive Player of the Year
Cam Ward – Miami (59)
Omarion Hampton – North Carolina (7)
Kyle McCord – Syracuse (3)
Kevin Jennings – SMU (1)
Brashard Smith – SMU (1)
Defensive Player of the Year
Donovan Ezeiruaku – Boston College (29)
Antwaun Powell-Ryland – Virginia Tech (14)
Kyle Louis – Pitt (12)
Nohl Williams – California (7)
Barrett Carter – Clemson (4)
Kobe Wilson – SMU (1)
T.J. Parker – Clemson (1)
Isaiah Nwokobia – SMU (1)
David Bailey – Stanford (1)
Jonas Sanker – Virginia (1)