DURHAM, N.C. - Duke senior wide receiver Conner Vernon has been selected to the Preseason All-ACC Football Team in voting conducted by the media at the annual ACC Football Kickoff held July 22-23 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C.

A 6-1, 200-pound wide receiver from Miami, Fla., Vernon enters his senior season in position to break the ACC's all-time receptions and receiving yards records. With 198 career catches for 2,675 yards, Vernon ranks seventh and 16th on the conference's all-time list in those categories, respectively, and needs 35 catches for 843 yards to break those marks. He is just nine receptions and 643 receiving yards short of setting new Duke records in those categories.

Vernon is one of two wide receivers on the Preseason All-ACC list, standing alongside Clemson sophomore receiver Sammy Watkins, a 2011 All-America selection.

An All-ACC second team selection in 2010 and 2011, Vernon has caught at least 55 passes and posted at least 746 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons, including back-to-back 70-catch, 900-yards receiving seasons as a sophomore and junior. He is the first player in ACC history to catch 70 passes in back-to-back seasons and has a chance to become the league's first player to record at least 50 receptions for at least 700 yards in four straight seasons.

As a junior, Vernon hauled in a team-high 70 catches for 956 yards and six touchdowns, good for an average of 13.66 yards per reception. He has led Duke in receptions and receiving yards in two straight seasons and ranked among the ACC's top five in both categories in 2010 and 2011.

Vernon and redshirt senior quarterback Sean Renfree will lead a Duke passing attack that is annually one of the best in the ACC. The duo has hooked up for 10 touchdown passes, tied for the sixth most between a quarterback-receiver combination in school history, and last year anchored a Duke passing game that was the second best in the ACC in passing yards per game and pass completions.  

Vernon is the NCAA's active leader in receptions and receiving yards and is on a streak of 35 consecutive games with at least one reception, which also leads all FBS receivers heading into 2012. He was one of 49 players named to the preseason watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, an honor that goes to the top receiver in the country.

The Blue Devils open the 2012 season with a home contest against FIU on Saturday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. Duke season tickets are available online at www.GoDuke.com/tickets or by calling the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 919-681-BLUE.

2012 Preseason All-ACC Football Team

Pos.	Name (Votes)	Ht	Wt	Class	Hometown
WR	Conner Vernon, Duke (41)	6-2	195	Senior	Miami, Fla.
WR	Sammy Watkins, Clemson (68)	6-1	200	Sophomore	Fort Myers, Fla.
TE	Matt Furstenburg, Maryland (35)	6-4	245	Senior	Flemington, N.J.
T	James Hurst, North Carolina (48)	6-7	300	Junior	Plainfield, Ind.
T	Oday Aboushi, Virginia (29)	6-6	310	Senior	Brooklyn, N.Y.
G	Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech (57)	6-3	300	Senior	Lithonia, Ga.
G	Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina (55)	6-3	295	Senior	Wilmington, N.C.
C	Dalton Freeman, Clemson (58)	6-3	285	Senior	Pelion, S.C.
QB	Tajh Boyd, Clemson (29)	6-1	225	Junior	Hampton, Va.
RB	Giovani Bernard, North Carolina (60)	5-10	205	Sophomore	Davie, Fla.
RB	Andre Ellington, Clemson (53)	5-10	190	Senior	Moncks Corner, S.C.
Defense
Pos.	Name (Votes)	Ht	Wt	Class	Hometown
DE	Brandon Jenkins, Florida State (59)	6-3	265	Senior	Tallahassee, Fla.
DE	James Gayle, Virginia Tech (31)	6-4	250	Junior	Hampton, Va.
DT	Joe Vellano, Maryland (58)	6-1	285	Senior	Rexford, N.Y.
DT	Nikita Whitlock, Wake Forest (33)	5-11	260	Junior	Wylie, Texas
LB	Kevin Reddick, North Carolina (49)	6-3	240	Senior	New Bern, N.C.
LB	Bruce Taylor, Virginia Tech (42)	6-2	253	Senior	Riceboro, Ga.
LB	Steve Greer, Virginia (32)	6-2	225	Senior	Solon, Ohio
CB	David Amerson, NC State (63)	6-3	194	Junior	Greensboro, N.C.
CB	Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech (25)	6-0	181	Junior	Baltimore, Md.
S	Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State (45)	5-8	204	Junior	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
S	Earl Wolff, NC State (30)	6-0	207	Senior	Raeford, N.C.
Specialists
Pos.	Name (Votes)	Ht	Wt	Class	Hometown
PK	Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (54)	6-2	190	Senior	Houston, Texas
P	Dalton Botts, Miami (65)	6-3	198	Senior	Taft, Calif.
SP	Greg Reid, Florida State (35)	5-8	186	Senior	Valdosta, Ga.

 

Top Voting by Position
(Top four in voting only)

 

Quarterback
1.	Tajh Boyd, CL	29
2.	Logan Thomas, VT	16
3.	EJ Manuel, FSU	15
4.	Mike Glennon, NCS	6
Running Back (Top 2)
1.	Giovani Bernard, UNC	60
2.	Andre Ellington, CL	53
3.	Orwin Smith, GT	11
4.	Perry Jones, UVa	8
Wide Receiver (Top 2)
1.	Sammy Watkins, CL	68*
2.	Conner Vernon, DU	41
3.	DeAndre Hopkins, CL	15
4.	Erik Highsmith, UNC	5
Tight End
1.	Matt Furstenburg, MD	35
2.	Nick O'Leary, FSU	16
3.	Chris Pantale, BC	11
4.	Mike Phillips, UVa	4
Offensive Tackle (Top 2)
1.	James Hurst, UNC	48
2.	Oday Aboushi, UVa	29
3.	Morgan Moses, UVa	28
4.	Emmett Cleary, BC	18
Offensive Guard (Top 2)
1.	Omoregie Uzzi, GT	57
2.	Jonathan Cooper, UNC	55
3.	R.J. Mattes, NCS	8
4.	Brad Linder, UM	4
Center
1.	Dalton Freeman, CL	58
2.	Andrew Miller, VT	6
3.	Camden Wentz, NCS	3
4.	Jay Finch, GT	1
Defense
Defensive End (Top  3)
1.	Brandon Jenkins, FSU	59
2.	James Gayle, VT	31
3.	Malliciah Goodman, CL	20
4.	Bjoern Werner, FSU	12
Defensive Tackle (Top 3)
1.	Joe Vellano, MD	58
2.	Nikita Whitlock, WF	33
3.	Everett Dawkins, FSU	22
4.	Sylvester Williams, UNC	13
Linebacker (Top 3)
1.	Kevin Reddick, UNC	49
2.	Bruce Taylor, VT	42
3.	Steve Greer, UVa	32
4.	Jeremiah Attaochu, GT	23
5.	Kevin Pierre-Louis, BC	19
Cornerback (Top 2)
1.	David Amerson, NCS	63
2.	Kyle Fuller, VT	25
3.	Xavier Rhodes, FSU	21
4.	Greg Reid, FSU	11
Safety (Top 2)
1.	Lamarcus Joyner, FSU	45
2.	Earl Wolff, NCS	30
3.	Rashard Hall, CL	21
4.	Isaiah Johnson, GT	13
Placekicker
1.	Dustin Hopkins, FSU	54
2.	Chandler Catanzaro, CL	8
3.	Casey Barth, UNC	4
4.	Nate Freese, BC	1
	Justin Moore, GT	1
Punter
1.	Dalton Botts, UM	65
2.	Nick Ferrara, MD	2
3.	Brad Craddock, MD	1
Specialist
1.	Greg Reid, FSU	35
2.	Sammy Watkins, CL	20
3.	Michael Campanaro, WF	5
	T.J. Thorpe, UNC	5
*Denotes unanimous selection

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