Football

ACC Football Players of the Week for Week 8

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced its Football Players of the Week following standout performances in Week 8. The honorees were selected by a vote of a select media panel.

QUARTERBACK – Darian Mensah, Sr., QB, Miami (San Luis Obispo, California)
  • Completed 31-of-37 passes (83.8%) for 387 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in No. 1 Miami’s 52-23 win over Pitt.
  • Finished with a 207.3 passer rating, connecting with Malachi Toney for three touchdowns of 19, 53 and 11 yards, while also finding Gavin Mueller for a 3-yard score.
  • Helped lead Miami to 52 points as the Hurricanes improved to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in ACC play.
  • Picked up his second ACC Quarterback of the Week honor of the season.
 
RUNNING BACK – Bo MacCormack III, So., RB, Boston College (Westford, Massachusetts)
  • Finished with a career-high 155 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries in the Eagles’ win at Georgia Tech.
  • Posted his first career multi-touchdown with his third, fourth and fifth career touchdowns as an Eagle.
  • Also caught two passes for 13 yards in the conference road win.
  • Was the starting running back in the game in which the Eagles rushed for 399 yards, the most the Eagles have rushed for in a game since totaling 496 rushing yards at Syracuse on November 2, 2019. 
 
OFFENSIVE RECEIVER – Malachi Toney, So., WR, Miami (Liberty City, Florida)
  • Set a Miami single-game record with 16 receptions for 194 yards and three touchdowns in No. 1 Miami’s 52-23 win over Pitt.
  • Broke his own program record of 13 receptions, which he set against Pitt in 2025.
  • Caught 12 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone.
  • Finished the game with touchdown receptions of 19, 53 and 11 yards.
  • His performance helped Miami improve to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in ACC play. 
  • Picked up his second ACC Offensive Receiver of the Week honor of the season.
 
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Veguer Jean-Jumeau, Jr., OL, Boston College (Nashville, Tennessee)
  • Started at tackle and helped a Boston College offense rush for 399 yards and account for 500 yards of total offense in the road win at Georgia Tech.
  • The 399 rushing yards are the most the Eagles have rushed for since running for 496 yards on November 2, 2019, at Syracuse.
 
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Will Heldt, Sr., DE, Clemson (Carmel, Indiana)
  • Recorded a career-high-tying 2.0 sacks, the fourth such game of his career.
  • It marked the third game this season in which he has posted 2.0 sacks, tied with North Carolina's Xavier Lewis for the most in the nation.
  • Was one of three ACC players to record 2.0 sacks this week.
  • Became the fifth player in Dabo Swinney’s head coaching tenure to record at least three games in a single season with 2.0 or more sacks, joining Da’Quan Bowers (five in 2010), Andre Branch (three in 2011), Vic Beasley (four in 2013) and Clelin Ferrell (three in 2018).
  • Led Clemson as it recorded a season-high six sacks, its most since last November against Florida State (six).
  • His pass rush helped Clemson hold Virginia Tech to a season-low 234 yards of total offense after Virginia Tech entered the week averaging 449.7 yards per game.
  • He and the Tigers held Virginia Tech to 164 passing yards after the Hokies entered the week ranked 11th nationally in passing offense at 301.6 yards per game.
  • Picked up his second ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honor of the season.
 
LINEBACKER – Derek McDonald, 6th, LB, North Carolina (Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Totaled a game-high 16 tackles with a tackle-for-loss versus Syracuse on Saturday.
  • His 16-tackle performance marked his fifth game of the year with 10 or more tackles.
  • Recorded five tackles in the first half, eight in the second half and three in overtime.
  • Picked up three huge stops in overtime, including a three-yard tackle-for-loss.
  • Earned a 82.8 grade, his highest of the season, against his former team.
  • Played 81 of the team’s 89 snaps on defense.
  • Leads the ACC in tackles on the season with 72.
  • Picked up his second ACC Linebacker of the Week honor of the season.
 
DEFENSIVE BACK – Charlie Comella, Jr., CB, Boston College (Wellesley, Massachusetts)
  • Recorded two interceptions, including a pick-six, in the Eagles’ win at Georgia Tech, his first career multi-interception game and his first career touchdown.
  • Had an interception and a 23-yard return in the third quarter and added a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
  • The Eagles’ most recent interception return for a touchdown came in the 2025 season opener versus Fordham on August 29, 2025.
  • Finished with five tackles, tied for his second-most of the season.
  • Has recorded a team-leading four interceptions on the season, the second-most in the ACC. 
 
SPECIALIST – Nolan Hauser, Jr., PK, Clemson (Cornelius, North Carolina)
  • Went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, including field goals of 34, 49 and 36 yards.
  • Also punted twice, including a career-long 63-yard punt in the second quarter. It was the first Clemson punt of 60 or more yards since Aidan Swanson recorded punts of both 60 and 62 yards against Florida State in 2023.
  • Became the first FBS player to kick three or more field goals and register a 60-plus-yard punt in a single game since 2021.
  • With a 49-yard field goal and a 63-yard punt, he became the fifth FBS player since 2004 (and first since 2014) to record a field goal of 49 or more yards and a punt of 63 or more yards in a single game.
  • The game marked the sixth time in his career and the fourth time this season that he has recorded three or more field goals in a single game.
  • He passed Jad Dean for eighth in career field goals in Clemson history.
  • Also passed Chris Gardocki for seventh in Clemson history in career kick scoring and for 11th overall in Clemson history in career points of any kind.
  • Picked up his fourth ACC Specialist of the Week honor of the season.
 
ROOKIE – Calvin Russell III, Fr., WR, Syracuse (Opa Locka, Florida)
  • Hauled in eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in Syracuse's overtime victory at North Carolina on Saturday.
  • The bulk of his catches and receiving yards came at pivotal moments in the fourth quarter and overtime, as five of his eight catches came in the final seven minutes of regulation and overtime.
  • Registered three catches for 46 yards on Syracuse's 75-yard offensive drive that tied the game at 23-23 with less than two minutes left in regulation.
  • Caught two passes in overtime: a 16-yard reception on third-and-11 and a touchdown on fourth-and-goal.
  • Won the game for Syracuse with his 2-point conversion reception in overtime.
  • The game marked just his fourth collegiate game after returning earlier this month from an Achilles tear in spring practice.