Football

ACC Football Players of the Week for Week 1

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced its Football Players of the Week following standout performances in Week 1. Honorees were selected by a vote of a select media panel.
 
QUARTERBACK – Mason Heintschel, So., QB, Pitt (Oregon, Ohio)
  • Completed 31-of-41 passes (75.6%) for 453 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions in Pitt’s 59-14 victory over Miami (Ohio), all ACC highs.
  • Led all ACC quarterbacks during Week 1 in passing yards per game (453), passing touchdowns (seven) and total offense per game (476 yards).
  • His 453 passing yards were 23 more than the next-highest total by an ACC quarterback, while his seven touchdown passes were two more than any other ACC quarterback.
  • His 476 yards of total offense led the ACC by 70 yards and accounted for 73.7% of Pitt’s 646 total yards.
  • His seven touchdown passes tied Pitt’s single-game record and set a new ACC single-game record.
  • Became the first FBS quarterback since LSU’s Joe Burrow in 2019 to pass for at least 450 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception.
  • Was one of only three ACC quarterbacks to produce a 400-yard passing performance and the only one to surpass 450 yards.
  • Directed an offense that led the ACC with 646 total yards, 480 passing yards and 8.61 yards per play.
  • Distributed his seven touchdown passes to seven different receivers, making Pitt the first FBS team with seven different touchdown receivers in a game since Western Kentucky in 2022.
 
RUNNING BACK – Nate Sheppard, So., RB, Duke (Mandeville, Louisiana)
  • Rushed for 227 yards, the fifth-best single-game rushing performance in program history, to help lead Duke to its fifth consecutive season-opening victory.
  • Gained 139 yards in the opening half, good for the fifth-most rushing yards in a half in program history.
  • The performance was the 10th 200-yard rushing game in program history and Duke’s first since 2021.
  • His 227 rushing yards are the most in a single game by an FBS player this season.
  • He ranks second nationally in rushing yardage and trails only Memphis’ Jaylin Carter, who has totaled 280 ground yards in two games.
  • Scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground, opening with a nine-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and adding a 14-yard rush in the fourth quarter.
  • Added 19 receiving yards to finish with 246 all-purpose yards, accounting for 64.6 percent of Duke’s 381 yards of total offense.
 
OFFENSIVE RECEIVER – Malachi Toney, So., WR, Miami (Liberty City, Florida)
  • Turned in a record-setting performance in Miami’s 45-6 road win at Stanford, hauling in 12 passes for a program-record 234 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
  • His 234 yards broke Eddie Brown’s 42-year-old school record of 220 yards, set against Boston College in 1984.
  • His 47-yard touchdown in the third quarter pushed him past Brown’s longstanding mark.
  • Totaled 10 receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
  • Finished the night averaging 19.5 yards per reception.
  • He is the only FBS player to record 200 or more receiving yards in a game this season.
 
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – PJ Williams, 5th, OL, SMU (Dickinson, Texas)
  • Served as a game captain and made his 28th consecutive start in SMU’s win over Florida State on Monday night.
  • Helped anchor an SMU offensive line that did not allow a sack in the victory.
  • Paved the way for an SMU offense that totaled 585 yards, the most by the Mustangs against an ACC opponent in program history.
  • Protected quarterback Kevin Jennings as he threw for a career-high 430 yards and three touchdowns.
  • Helped SMU rush for 155 yards as part of a balanced offensive attack.
  • Helped SMU convert 8-of-14 third-down attempts and produce six explosive plays in the win.
 
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Bryce Lewis, So., DE, Duke (Greensboro, North Carolina)
  • Made his first career start, helping Duke hold Tulane without a touchdown for the first time since 2019 as the Blue Devils earned a 17-3 victory.
  • Recorded a career-high six tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks.
  • His 2.0 sacks are tied for the most by an ACC player in a game versus an FBS opponent this season.
  • His 3.0 tackles-for-loss are the second-most by an ACC player in a game this season.
  • Duke limited Tulane to 54 total rushing yards for the game, the fewest by a Duke opponent since California rush for 41 yards on October 4, 2025.
  • The Blue Devils shut out Tulane in the first half, marking Duke’s first first-half shutout since the 2024 season opener against Elon.
  • In the first half, the Blue Devils held Tulane to just three first downs.
 
LINEBACKER – Vincent Firenze, Sr., LB, Wake Forest (Syracuse, New York)
  • Made his Wake Forest debut in a 38-16 victory over Akron in the season opener.
  • Recorded six solo tackles and shared the team lead with nine total tackles.
  • Also recorded Wake Forest’s first forced fumble of the year to go along with a tackle-for-loss. 
  • Finished as the highest-rated Wake Forest player on defense (85.7) and in run defense (86.1) by Pro Football Focus (PFF).
 
DEFENSIVE BACK – Jimmy Wyrick, 6th, S, SMU (Dallas, Texas)
  • Recorded one sack, one tackle-for-loss, one pass breakup and eight tackles in SMU’s season-opening win at Florida State on Monday night.
  • The sack was the first of his career.
  • Was part of a defensive unit that held Florida State to just 324 yards of total offense, including only 125 passing yards.
  • SMU held Florida State to just 65 yards in the first quarter.
  • Helped hold Florida State to just 2-of-15 on third down attempts.
 
SPECIALIST – Rahkeem Smith, 5th, WR, Georgia Tech (Baltimore, Maryland)
  • Returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in the season opener versus Colorado.
  • His 100-yard return was the fifth 100-yard kickoff return in Georgia Tech history and the first since Juanyeh Thomas' 100-yard return versus Georgia in 2018.
  • The return was Georgia Tech's first kickoff return for a touchdown of any length since Jahmyr Gibbs' 98-yard return for a score against Boston College in 2021.
  • His touchdown came on his first career touch as a Yellow Jacket. Smith joined Georgia Tech as a transfer from Bowling Green in 2025 but appeared in just one game and did not record a statistic in his first season with the Yellow Jackets.
 
ROOKIE – Shavane Anderson Jr., Fr., RB, Syracuse (York, Pennsylvania)
  • Rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns in his collegiate debut for the Orange.
  • Averaged 10.2 yards per carry while helping Syracuse rush for 238 yards in the win over New Hampshire.
  • It marked Syracuse’s first 100-yard rushing performance since LaQuint Allen ran for 120 yards against Washington State in 2024.
  • The Orange totaled 31 first downs and converted 66.7 percent (8-of-12) of their third-down attempts.