Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics
Cunningham, Chandler and Abdullah to Represent Cards at ACC Kickoff
July 13, 2022 | Football
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Quarterback Malik Cunningham, offensive guard Caleb Chandler and linebacker Yasir Abdullah will represent the University of Louisville at the 2022 ACC Football Kickoff, July 20-21, at The Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina.
For the second consecutive year, each of the league's 14 teams will bring three players to the annual media event.
ACC Network will broadcast live from the ACC Football Kickoff July 20-21 for two days of expansive coverage, beginning at 9 a.m. each day. The 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports will provide the event's most robust television coverage to date.
Cunningham led the lead the ACC in rushing touchdowns with 20 and became only the second quarterback in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards. The native of Montgomery, Ala., accounted for 39 total touchdowns in 13 games as a starter.
A starter at 13 games last season, Chandler, who was recently named a second team Preseason All-American by Athlon's, was a first team All-American and a first team All-ACC performer.
Abdullah, a second team all-conference performer last season, finished second in the league with 10.5 sacks, the most by a UofL player since 2015.
Among the offensive players in attendance at ACC Kickoff will be nine quarterbacks, seven offensive linemen, three wide receivers, two tight ends, two running backs and one all-purpose back. Eight linebackers are scheduled to attend, along with seven defensive linemen and three defensive backs.
Four of the quarterbacks at this year's event ranked among the ACC's top five in passing yards per game last season – Virginia's Brennan Armstrong (first, 404.5 yards per game), Wake Forest's Sam Hartman (third, 302 ypg), Miami's Tyler Van Dyke (fourth, 293.1 ypg) and NC State's Devin Leary (fifth, 286.1 ypg).
Wake Forest's Hartman threw 39 touchdown passes in 2021 to rank second in the conference and leads returning ACC quarterbacks this season. NC State's Leary threw for 35 touchdowns last fall and Virginia's Armstrong for 31.
The ACC continued to establish itself as the Conference of Quarterbacks in 2021, and many of the leading players return this season. Armstrong ranked fourth nationally in total passing yards (4,449) while Hartman (4,228) ranked seventh. Hartman's 39 touchdown passes tied for fifth nationally, and Leary's 35 TD passes ranked 10th. Armstrong stood second nationally in total yards per game (427.3), and Hartman (327.9) placed seventh.
The ACC Kickoff student-athletes hail from 18 states with eight from Florida, seven from North Carolina and six from Georgia. Three call the state of Virginia home, with two each from Ohio, Connecticut and New Jersey. Eleven states are each represented by one player, along with Quebec, Canada (Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron).
The attendees to the 2022 ACC Football Kickoff are:
Boston College
Head Coach Jeff Hafley
Josh DeBerry, DB, Grosse Point Park, Michigan
Zay Flowers, WR, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Phil Jurkovec, QB, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Clemson
Head Coach Dabo Swinney
K.J. Henry, DE, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Jordan McFadden, OT, Spartanburg, South Carolina
DJ Uiagalelei, QB, Inland Empire, California
Duke
Head Coach Mike Elko
DeWayne Carter, DT, Pickerington, Ohio
Shaka Heyward, LB, Dacula, Georgia
Jacob Monk, OL, Clayton, North Carolina
Florida State
Head Coach Mike Norvell
Fabien Lovett, DT, Vicksburg, Mississippi
Jammie Robinson, DB, Cordele, Georgia
Jordan Travis, QB, West Palm Beach, Florida
Georgia Tech
Head Coach Geoff Collins
Dylan Leonard, TE, Milton, Georgia
Dontae Smith, RB, Spring Hill, Tennessee
Zamari Walton, DB, Melbourne, Florida
Louisville
Head Coach Scott Satterfield
Yasir Abdullah, LB, Miramar, Florida
Caleb Chandler, OG, Jefferson, Georgia
Malik Cunningham, QB, Montgomery, Alabama
Miami
Head Coach Mario Cristobal
Jahfari Harvey, DE, Port St. Lucie, Florida
Will Mallory, TE, Jacksonville, Florida
Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Glastonbury, Connecticut
North Carolina
Head Coach Mack Brown
British Brooks, RB, Gastonia, North Carolina
Josh Downs, WR, Suwanee, Georgia
Ray Vohasek, DT, McHenry, Illinois
NC State
Head Coach Dave Doeren
Devin Leary, QB, Sicklerville, New Jersey
Isaiah Moore, LB, Chester, Virginia
Drake Thomas, LB, Wake Forest, North Carolina
Pitt
Head Coach Pat Narduzzi
Deslin Alexandre, DL, Pompano Beach, Florida
SirVocea Dennis, LB, Syracuse, New York
Carter Warren, OT, Paterson, New Jersey
Syracuse
Head Coach Dino Babers
Matthew Bergeron, OL, Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada
Mikel Jones, LB, Miami, Florida
Garrett Shrader, QB, Charlotte, North Carolina
Virginia
Head Coach Tony Elliott
Brennan Armstrong, QB, Shelby, Ohio
Nick Jackson, LB, Atlanta, Georgia
Keytaon Thompson, FBP, New Orleans, Louisiana
Virginia Tech
Head Coach Brent Pry
Silas Dzansi, OL, Woodbridge, Virginia
Dax Hollifield, LB, Shelby, North Carolina
Kaleb Smith, WR, Bumpass, Virginia
Wake Forest
Head Coach Dave Clawson
Rondell Bothroyd, DL, Manchester, Connecticut
Sam Hartman, QB, Charlotte, North Carolina
Michael Jurgens, OL, Damascus, Maryland
For the second consecutive year, each of the league's 14 teams will bring three players to the annual media event.
ACC Network will broadcast live from the ACC Football Kickoff July 20-21 for two days of expansive coverage, beginning at 9 a.m. each day. The 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports will provide the event's most robust television coverage to date.
Cunningham led the lead the ACC in rushing touchdowns with 20 and became only the second quarterback in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards. The native of Montgomery, Ala., accounted for 39 total touchdowns in 13 games as a starter.
A starter at 13 games last season, Chandler, who was recently named a second team Preseason All-American by Athlon's, was a first team All-American and a first team All-ACC performer.
Abdullah, a second team all-conference performer last season, finished second in the league with 10.5 sacks, the most by a UofL player since 2015.
Among the offensive players in attendance at ACC Kickoff will be nine quarterbacks, seven offensive linemen, three wide receivers, two tight ends, two running backs and one all-purpose back. Eight linebackers are scheduled to attend, along with seven defensive linemen and three defensive backs.
Four of the quarterbacks at this year's event ranked among the ACC's top five in passing yards per game last season – Virginia's Brennan Armstrong (first, 404.5 yards per game), Wake Forest's Sam Hartman (third, 302 ypg), Miami's Tyler Van Dyke (fourth, 293.1 ypg) and NC State's Devin Leary (fifth, 286.1 ypg).
Wake Forest's Hartman threw 39 touchdown passes in 2021 to rank second in the conference and leads returning ACC quarterbacks this season. NC State's Leary threw for 35 touchdowns last fall and Virginia's Armstrong for 31.
The ACC continued to establish itself as the Conference of Quarterbacks in 2021, and many of the leading players return this season. Armstrong ranked fourth nationally in total passing yards (4,449) while Hartman (4,228) ranked seventh. Hartman's 39 touchdown passes tied for fifth nationally, and Leary's 35 TD passes ranked 10th. Armstrong stood second nationally in total yards per game (427.3), and Hartman (327.9) placed seventh.
The ACC Kickoff student-athletes hail from 18 states with eight from Florida, seven from North Carolina and six from Georgia. Three call the state of Virginia home, with two each from Ohio, Connecticut and New Jersey. Eleven states are each represented by one player, along with Quebec, Canada (Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron).
The attendees to the 2022 ACC Football Kickoff are:
Boston College
Head Coach Jeff Hafley
Josh DeBerry, DB, Grosse Point Park, Michigan
Zay Flowers, WR, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Phil Jurkovec, QB, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Clemson
Head Coach Dabo Swinney
K.J. Henry, DE, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Jordan McFadden, OT, Spartanburg, South Carolina
DJ Uiagalelei, QB, Inland Empire, California
Duke
Head Coach Mike Elko
DeWayne Carter, DT, Pickerington, Ohio
Shaka Heyward, LB, Dacula, Georgia
Jacob Monk, OL, Clayton, North Carolina
Florida State
Head Coach Mike Norvell
Fabien Lovett, DT, Vicksburg, Mississippi
Jammie Robinson, DB, Cordele, Georgia
Jordan Travis, QB, West Palm Beach, Florida
Georgia Tech
Head Coach Geoff Collins
Dylan Leonard, TE, Milton, Georgia
Dontae Smith, RB, Spring Hill, Tennessee
Zamari Walton, DB, Melbourne, Florida
Louisville
Head Coach Scott Satterfield
Yasir Abdullah, LB, Miramar, Florida
Caleb Chandler, OG, Jefferson, Georgia
Malik Cunningham, QB, Montgomery, Alabama
Miami
Head Coach Mario Cristobal
Jahfari Harvey, DE, Port St. Lucie, Florida
Will Mallory, TE, Jacksonville, Florida
Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Glastonbury, Connecticut
North Carolina
Head Coach Mack Brown
British Brooks, RB, Gastonia, North Carolina
Josh Downs, WR, Suwanee, Georgia
Ray Vohasek, DT, McHenry, Illinois
NC State
Head Coach Dave Doeren
Devin Leary, QB, Sicklerville, New Jersey
Isaiah Moore, LB, Chester, Virginia
Drake Thomas, LB, Wake Forest, North Carolina
Pitt
Head Coach Pat Narduzzi
Deslin Alexandre, DL, Pompano Beach, Florida
SirVocea Dennis, LB, Syracuse, New York
Carter Warren, OT, Paterson, New Jersey
Syracuse
Head Coach Dino Babers
Matthew Bergeron, OL, Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada
Mikel Jones, LB, Miami, Florida
Garrett Shrader, QB, Charlotte, North Carolina
Virginia
Head Coach Tony Elliott
Brennan Armstrong, QB, Shelby, Ohio
Nick Jackson, LB, Atlanta, Georgia
Keytaon Thompson, FBP, New Orleans, Louisiana
Virginia Tech
Head Coach Brent Pry
Silas Dzansi, OL, Woodbridge, Virginia
Dax Hollifield, LB, Shelby, North Carolina
Kaleb Smith, WR, Bumpass, Virginia
Wake Forest
Head Coach Dave Clawson
Rondell Bothroyd, DL, Manchester, Connecticut
Sam Hartman, QB, Charlotte, North Carolina
Michael Jurgens, OL, Damascus, Maryland
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