All-ACC teams released: Vellano makes First Team again, Diggs Honorable Mention

Ah, good ol' ACSMA. I won't miss you.

The All-ACC football teams were announced earlier today, featuring few surprises, with Tajh Boyd, Gio Bernard, DeAndre Hopkins, and Bjoern Werner, all easy first-teamers. Joining them, with a comfortable 80 points, was Joe Vellano, who earned the rare two-time first-team ACC honor, and is Maryland's lone first team representative. Joe deserved to go out with a bowl game and major trophy, but all-ACC ain't a bad consolation prize.

Demetrius Hartsfield is the only other recognized Terrapin on either the first- or second-teams, as a second-team linebacker. Which means, shockingly, Stefon Diggs is relegated to honorable mention.

Yes, the guy who was sixth in the ACC in yards/game despite playing with a quarterback who couldn't throw the back half of the year, who was second in the ACC in all-purpose yardage and (a ridiculous for someone who got so many touches) fourth in the ACC in yards per play, who took two kick returns back to the house, who put a team on his back and looked like one of the most promising young players in America, gets honorable mention. Duke Johnson and Gio Bernard beat him at specialist. Hopkins, Alex Amidon, Conner Vernon, and Michael Campanero beat him at receiver.

Maryland's never been an ACSMA favorite, as Gary Williams often crusaded, and leaving the ACC high and dry isn't likely to make them any more friends around those parts. But man, Diggs should've been a shoe-in for second team somewhere and easily could've topped Amidon or Bernard on merit as first-team receiver or specialist.

The understanding side of me wonders if maybe Diggs just barely missed on each spot, and I can kind of understand that - sure, an argument could be made that Vernon, Camp, and Duke all deserved their individual spots more than Diggs, even if, taken in totality, Diggs' performances are more impressive. I'd disagree with it, but I could understand it. There's no "overall" category, after all

Still, if that's the case - that the voters recognize Diggs' superiority in his overall record but simply not in the individual components - you'd expect him to garner ACC Rookie of the Year, which doesn't pigeonhole a player to any single position.

Somehow I doubt that.

Anyway, congrats to Joe and Demetrius, who had great seasons and deserve their spots, even if Stefon probably deserves better.