Five Orange Named Preseason All-ACC by Athlon

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Headlined by redshirt sophomore punter Sterling Hofrichter five Syracuse football players have been named to the Athlon Sports 2017 Preseason All-ACC Team.

Hofrichter picked up first-team honors, while junior quarterback Eric Dungey, senior receiver Ervin Philips and senior linebacker Zaire Franklin made the third team. Senior receiver Steve Ishmael was a fourth-team selection.

Hofrichter captured Freshman All-America and All-ACC honors as a rookie in 2016. He tied for second nationally among freshmen with a punting average of 42.7 yards per kick. Hofrichter placed 24 punts inside the 20-yard line with just three touchbacks, and tied for the ACC lead with 23 punts of 50+ yards. His 77 total punts and 3,289 yards were both second on the SU single-season record list.

In only nine games last year, Dungey set the SU sophomore records for most passing yards (2,679) and most yards of total offense (2,972). He completed 230-of-355 passes with 15 touchdowns. Dungey ranked sixth nationally in completions per game (25.6), 12th in passing yards per game (297.7) and 13th in completion percentage (64.8). He threw for at least 300 yards six times in the eight full games he played and topped the 400-yard mark against both Connecticut and Boston College. In 17 career games, Dungey has passed for 3,977 and 26 touchdowns. The Lake Oswego, Ore. native holds the SU career records for most passing yards per game (233.9) and most yards of total offense per game (271.8).

Philips exploded with 90 catches for 822 yards and six touchdowns on his way to All-ACC Honorable Mention plaudits last season. He ranked eighth nationally in receptions per game (7.5) and tied Art Monk's single-game record with 14 grabs in the season opener against Colgate. Philips ranks second among active ACC receivers in receptions (134) and seventh in yards (1,165). His 134 catches are tied with Jarrod West for fifth on Syracuse's all-time ledger.

An All-ACC Third Team choice last season, Franklin in Syracuse's active defensive leader in games started (27), tackles (226), tackles for loss (26), sacks (7) and forced fumbles (4). He was second on the Orange with 101 tackles in 2016 and ranked eighth in the ACC in tackles per game (8.4). He also tied for the team lead with 10 tackles for loss.

Ishmael is ninth in Orange history and fifth among active ACC players with 114 career catches. His 1,544 career receiving yards rank second on the active conference list. Ishmael had 48 receptions for 559 yards a year ago and caught at least five passes in six of his 11 games played. At Boston College, Ishmael had a career-best 11 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.

Syracuse kicks off the 2017 campaign against Central Connecticut State on Friday, Sept. 1 in the Carrier Dome. Season tickets are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B). Tickets start at $125, a savings of more than 70 percent compared to single-game prices. Individual game tickets will go on sale June 7 for all home games except Clemson, which will go on sale July 11. Tickets for groups of 15 or more start at $20 per ticket.

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Syracuse University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Eric Dungey

Zaire Franklin

Sterling Hofrichter

Steve Ishmael

Ervin Philips

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