CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced its Football Players of the Week following standout performances in Week 0. Honorees were selected by a vote of a select media panel.
 
QUARTERBACK – Beau Pribula, 5th, QB, Virginia (York, Pennsylvania)

• Accounted for 265 yards of total offense (155 passing and 110 rushing) and two touchdowns in UVA's 34-8, season-opening win over NC State.
• Was 9-for-11 passing (81.8%) and connected on touchdown passes of 45 yards and 47 yards in the contest.
• His 110 yards rushing were the most by any FBS quarterback in Week 0 action and the rushing output was the highest by a UVA quarterback since 2022.
• Became the first Cavalier to complete at least 81.8 percent of his passes (min. 10 attempts) against an ACC opponent since 2004.
• Just the ninth time an ACC player has recorded at least 150 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a season opener over the last 30 seasons.

 
RUNNING BACK – Micah Ford, Jr., RB, Stanford (Toms River, New Jersey)

• Carried the ball 25 times for 99 yards with three rushing touchdowns and added one reception for one yard in Stanford’s season-opening win over Hawai’i.
• Recorded his first career multi-touchdown game on the ground with his three scores.
• Was the first Cardinal to rush for multiple touchdowns in a game since Justin Lawson versus California in 2024.
• Was the only running back in the NCAA to score more than one touchdown in Week 0.
• Became the first Stanford running back since Bryce Love in 2017 to rush for over 90 yards with three touchdowns in a game.

 
OFFENSIVE RECEIVER – Samuel Singleton Jr., Sr., RB, Florida State (Charleston, South Carolina)

• Recorded a career-high and team-high four catches for 54 yards in the Seminoles’ season-opening win over New Mexico State.
• Caught his first career receiving touchdown.
• Also recorded a career-long 35-yard catch in the win.
• Added 42 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the season opener.
• Totaled 68 kick return yards, including a 46-yard return that was FSU's longest since Singleton's 95-yard kickoff touchdown return in 2024.

 
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Monroe Mills, 7th, OT, Virginia (Columbia, Missouri)

• Lining up at right tackle, he helped pave the way for 258 yards rushing and 413 yards of total offense for the Cavaliers in a season-opening win over NC State.
• The 258 rushing yards were the most by UVA in an ACC game since 2020.
• Did not allow a sack in 11 pass protection opportunities against the Wolfpack defensive front.
• Posted the highest overall grade by any offensive lineman (86.5) and the highest grade in the ACC in Week 0 according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
• His PFF run block grade of 81.4 was the highest of any ACC offensive lineman and was tied for the third highest in the country for Week 0.

 
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Xavier Lewis, So., DL, North Carolina (Rolesville, North Carolina)

• Turned in the best game of his collegiate career to date to lead the Tar Heels to a 15-10 win against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.
• Tallied seven tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks — each of which were a career high.
• His 4.5 tackles-for-loss are the most by a Tar Heel since 2024.
• Graded out at 88.2 to lead all defensive players in the game.
• Named the Most Valuable Player of the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
• Key part of the defensive unit that helped Carolina shut out TCU in the final 49 minutes of the season-opening win.
• The stellar defensive effort by Lewis and UNC snapped TCU's streak of scoring at least 28 points in 30 straight non-conference regular season games, which was the second-longest streak by an FBS team in the last 45 seasons.

 
LINEBACKER – Derek McDonald, 6th, LB, North Carolina (Atlanta, Georgia)

• Logged a game-high 11 tackles in the 15-10 win over TCU in Dublin, Ireland.
• Leader of the Carolina defense that held TCU scoreless for the final three quarters of the game after allowing 10 points in the opening period.
• The 10 points were the fewest scored by the Horned Frogs since October 21, 2023, against Kansas State.
• Key part of the UNC defense that snapped TCU’s streak of scoring at least 28 points in 30 straight non-conference regular season games, which was the second-longest streak by an FBS team in the last 45 seasons.

 
DEFENSIVE BACK – Brandyn Hillman, Sr., S, Virginia (Portsmouth, Virginia)

• Was a huge presence on a UVA defense that held NC State to 168 yards of total offense in his Cavalier debut.
• Had a hand in both turnovers forced by Virginia, recording an interception and a forced fumble to go along with four tackles, including two solo stops, in the win.
• His interception in the first quarter set up UVA's first touchdown of the year and put the Cavaliers up 10-0.
• In NC State's only red zone appearance of the first half, Hillman punched the ball out of CJ Bailey's hands at the seven-yard-line to give the ball back to the Cavaliers’ offense.

 
SPECIALIST – Will Bettridge, 5th, K, Virginia (Miami, Florida)

• Matched his career long with a 47-yard field goal to score the first points of the season for Virginia in the conference win over NC State.
• The 47-yarder was the longest by an ACC kicker in Week 0 and the second longest in the country.
• Was 2-for-2 in UVA's dominating victory over conference foe NC State with makes from 47 and 42 yards, while going perfect on four extra point attempts.
• Now has recorded 327 career points, five shy of matching UVA's all-time scoring record.

 
ROOKIE – Atticus Joseph, Fr., WR, Stanford (Snellville, Georgia)

• Caught four passes for 52 yards and a touchdown in his collegiate debut as Stanford defeated Hawai’i 37-27.
• Scored on a six-yard pass from Davis Warren in the second quarter.
• Was the fourth-highest graded receiver nationally after Week 0 and the second-highest graded first-year receiver by PFF.
• Was the first Stanford player to record at least 50 receiving yards and a touchdown in his collegiate debut since Christian McCaffrey in 2014.