Syracuse Places Five on Coaches' All-ACC Team

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Led by wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo, Syracuse placed five players on the All-ACC Football Team, as voted on by the league's 14 head coaches and released Wednesday, Dec. 8 by the conference. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players and ballots were worth three points for each first-team, two points for each second-team and one point for each third-team selection.

Etta-Tawo was named to the first team and received 33 points in the voting, the second-highest total among players at his position. He was joined on the all-conference squad by teammates Brisly Estime, Ervin Philips, Zaire Franklin and Sterling Hofrichter. Estime was voted to the second team as a return specialist, while Philips, Franklin and Hofrichter received honorable mention.

A Sporting News All-American and the No. 15 player in college football according to ESPN, Etta-Tawo posted the most prolific receiving season in Syracuse history in 2016. The Biletnikoff Award semifinalist set the Orange season records for most receptions (94), most receiving yards (1,482), most receiving yards per game (123.5) and most 100-yard receiving games (7). He also tied the SU season standard with 14 touchdown receptions, including a program-record five against Pittsburgh on Nov. 26.

Etta-Tawo ranks fifth in ACC single-season history in receptions, second in yards, second in yards per game and seventh in touchdown catches. He leads all Power-Five receivers in both receptions and yards heading into bowl season, and ranks fourth in the FBS in total receiving yardage and third in yards per game.

A 5-9, 183-pound wide receiver, Estime leads the nation in punt return average (17.7). He returned 16 punts for 283 yards in 2016 and added 10 kickoff returns for 183 yards. Estime tallied six punt returns of at least 20 yards, including tying his career-long with a 74-yard return against Notre Dame. His 17.7 season punt return average ranks fourth in Syracuse history and ninth on the ACC single-season record list.

Philips finished with 90 receptions, the most ever for a Syracuse junior and eighth on the ACC single-season record list. His 7.5 receptions per game rank ninth in the FBS this season and third in the ACC. The West Haven, Conn. product registered double-digit receptions in four games, including tying Art Monk's school record with 14 catches against Colgate. Philips posted two 100-yard receiving games and finished the year second on the Orange in receptions, receiving yards (822) and receiving touchdowns (6).

Franklin, SU's starting middle linebacker, ranks 10th in the conference in tackles per game (8.4) and finished second on the team in tackles with 101. Voted the ACC's Linebacker of the Week twice in 2016, Franklin tied for the team lead with 10 tackles for loss, including two sacks. He also intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and registered three pass breakups. Franklin recorded five double-digit tackle games, including a career-best 14 stops at Connecticut and at Clemson. The Philadelphia native served as the Orange's defensive game captain a team-high four times (Colgate, Virginia Tech, NC State, Pittsburgh).

In his first year as Syracuse's punter, Hofrichter leads the ACC in number of punts (77) and total punting yardage (3,289). His 23 punts of 50+ yards are tied for the most in the conference and his 24 punts inside the 20-yard line are the second-most in the league. Hofrichter averaged at least 45 yards per punt four times in 2016, including a personal-best 48.7 yards per kick in SU's win against Coastal Division champion Virginia Tech. He also was Syracuse's special teams game captain against the Hokies.

Clemson led all schools with 16 total All-ACC selections by the coaches, including linebacker Ben Boulware who shared ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors with Florida State's DeMarcus Walker. ACC Offensive Player of the Year and overall ACC Player of the Year honors went to Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson. Florida State signal caller Deondre Francois swept ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Clemson's Dexter Lawrence was named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. First-year Virginia Tech boss Justin Fuente was the coaches' choice as ACC Coach of the Year.

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Brisly Estime

Amba Etta-Tawo

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