Somehow, Deshaun Watson wasn't a unanimous first-team All-ACC pick

Clemson's star quarterback had to share the votes with Brad Kaaya, Lamar Jackson and others

By Chip Patterson

Jul 27, 2016 at 10:35 am ET • 1 min read

The preseason All-ACC team was released Wednesday, featuring 10 members of the defending league champion Clemson Tigers. Quarterback Deshaun Watson leads the group, as you might expect given his status as the reigning Player of the Year, reigning Heisman Trophy finalist and 2016 preseason Player of the Year. But Watson fell a few votes short of getting that "unanimous" accolade on the first-team All-ACC preseason balloting, having to split the votes with Miami's Brad Kaaya, Louisville's Lamar Jackson and North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky.

Now to be fair, each of those only received one vote. If given the opportunity to defend their vote, each of the three Deshaun dissenters would probably have a prepared argument regarding their belief in that quarterback taking a "big step forward" in 2016. Watson was not a unanimous pick for the ACC preseason Player of the Year either, but he shared those votes with Florida State's Dalvin Cook -- a player that we at CBS Sports have as the No. 3 impact player in the country heading into the fall.

Check out the full preseason All-ACC team below:

2016 All-ACC Preseason Football Team

Offense

WR - Artavis Scott, Jr., Clemson
WR - Isaiah Ford, Jr., Virginia Tech
WR - Travis Rudolph, Jr. Florida State
TE - Jordan Leggett, Sr., Clemson
OT - Roderick Johnson, Jr., Florida State
OT - Mitch Hyatt, So., Clemson
OG - Dorian Johnson, Sr., Pitt
OG - Tyrone Crowder, Jr., Clemson
C - Jay Guillermo, r-Sr., Clemson
QB - Deshaun Watson, Jr., Clemson
RB - Dalvin Cook, Jr., Florida State
RB - Elijah Hood, Jr., North Carolina

Defense

DE - DeMarcus Walker, Sr., Florida State
DE - Ejuan Price, r-Sr., Pitt
DT - Carlos Watkins, r-Sr., Clemson
DT - DeAngelo Brown, Sr., Louisville
LB - Ben Boulware, Sr., Clemson
LB - Keith Kelsey, Sr., Louisville
LB - Devonte Fields, Sr., Louisville
CB - Cordrea Tankersley, Sr., Clemson
CB - Des Lawrence, Sr., North Carolina
S - Derwin James, So., Florida State
S - Quin Blanding, Jr., Virginia