Nine Yellow Jackets named all-ACC

Led by four first-team honorees – Georgia Tech’s most in 16 years – nine Yellow Jackets were named all-ACC, the league announced on Tuesday.

Tech’s nine all-conference selections include: quarterback Haynes King and right guard Keylan Rutledge on the first-team offense, defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg on the first team defense, kicker Aidan Birr as a first-team specialist, punter Marshall Nichols as a third-team specialist and running back Malachi Hosley, right tackle Malachi Carney, left tackle Ethan Mackenny and linebacker Kyle Efford as honorable mentions.

King, an ACC player of the year candidate, headlines Tech’s four first-team all-ACC performers. He leads the ACC and ranks third nationally in total offense (329 ypg) and was named ACC quarterback of the week five times in 11 games this season.

King is the only power conference player in the nation this season, and just the fifth since 1956, to average at least 240 passing yards and 80 rushing yards per game, according to sports-reference.com.

Rutledge anchors a Tech offensive front that paved the way for the Yellow Jackets to lead the ACC in fewest sacks allowed (nine in 12 games) and rank second in the conference in rushing (203 ypg) and total offense (466.3 ypg).

Van den Berg leads the ACC and all power-conference defensive tackles nationally with 11 tackles for loss this season.

Birr, one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award, leads the nation with 25 field goals made and is tied for tops in the nation in kick scoring (117 points). Among his school-record 25 field goals made are two game-winners (vs. Clemson and at Boston College) and one that sent Tech to overtime in an eventual win at Wake Forest.

Nichols is averaging 47.2 yards per punt this season, a figure that would rank fourth nationally if he had enough attempts to qualify for the NCAA’s official statistical rankings.

Hosley ranked second on the team in rushing (634), yards from scrimmage (740) and touchdowns (7) in his first season as a Yellow Jacket.

Carney and Mackenny were the bookends to a Tech offensive line that was one of 10 semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award (college football’s offensive line of the year).

With a team-best 72 tackles, Efford is on the verge of becoming the first player to lead Tech in stops for three-straight seasons since Recardo Wimbush was the Jackets’ leading tackler from 1999-2001.

Tech’s nine all-conference performers led the Jackets to only the 16th nine-win regular season in the program’s 133-year history. Tech (9-3) will learn it postseason destination when bowl selections are announced Sunday.