10 NC State Wolfpack football players earn All-ACC honors

NC State Wolfpack football finished the 2020 regular season with an 8-3 record and earned a spot in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl where it will play Kentucky on Saturday, Jan. 2.

The Atlantic Coast Conference released its official All-ACC teams Tuesday, and 10 Pack players earned honors on the various teams.

Here is who was honored from the 2020 NC State Wolfpack:

DT- Junior nose tackle Alim McNeill

To no surprise, McNeill earned first-team All-ACC honors after making Pro Football Focus's (PFF) first-team All-American squad. The 6-2, 320-pounder finished the season with the highest PFF season grade (90.7) among Power Five defenders with at least 250 snaps.

McNeill finished the regular season with 26 tackles, 4.5 for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception which he returned for a 19-yard touchdown in the Virginia win.

LB- Redshirt sophomore linebacker Payton Wilson

Wilson finished the season as the ACC's leading tackler with 108 total over 10 contests. He also led the league with 10.8 tackles per game. Wilson became the first NC State player to lead the conference in tackles since Levar Fisher in 2000.

The 6-4, 240-pounder also had 11.5 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions.

OT- Sophomore left tackle Ikem "Ickey" Ekwonu

After earning freshman All-American honors in 2019, Ekwonu followed up his stellar rookie season with a highlight reel full of pancake blocks in 2020.

The 6-4, 325-pounder was the Wolfpack's highest-graded offensive lineman according to PFF. He started in all 11 contests.

RB- Sophomore running back Zonovan "Bam" Knight

For the second straight season, Knight led the Wolfpack with 736 rushing yards. He was also the Pack's highest-graded offensive player this fall according to PFF.

The 5-11, 206-pounder averaged 5.6 yards per carry and had nine rushing touchdowns, both good for team-highs. Knight also reeled in 20 receptions for 136 yards to give him a total of 872 yards from scrimmage in the 2020 campaign.

OG- Fifth-year senior right guard Joe Sculthorpe

Sculthorpe provided a veteran presence on the Wolfpack offensive line and started in all 11 contests. He split time between right guard and left guard and only forfeited five sacks throughout the entire season.

SP- Redshirt junior slot receiver Thayer Thomas

Thomas had some spectacular receiving games down the stretch for the Pack this season, but he earned a spot on the third-team All-ACC squad as a specialist for his punt returning.

Thomas returned nine punts for an average of 11.0 yards per return, which would have led the ACC and been 11th nationally if he met the minimum of 10 returns.

On offense, the 6-0, 195-pounder reeled in 39 receptions for 483 yards and six touchdowns (tied for a team-high). He also completed a 31-yard touchdown pass in the Miami game.

WR- Senior wide receiver Emeka Emezie

Emezie led the Wolfpack in receptions (42) and receiving yards (694). He also reeled in five touchdowns, including a game-winner in the final seconds of the 30-29 win over then-ranked Pittsburgh in the third contest of the season.

TE- Fifth-year senior tight end Cary Angeline

Angeline reeled in 27 receptions for 412 yards and six touchdowns, which tied Thomas for a team-high. All six of the 6-7, 250-pounder's touchdown catches came in the Pack's first seven contests.

LB- Redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah Moore

Moore, who wore the prized No. 1 jersey and was a team captain this season, finished second on the Wolfpack with 85 tackles in 2020. He also had 10 tackles for loss, three sacks and one fumble recovery.

PK- Junior placekicker Christopher Dunn

Dunn broke the all-time program record for field goal makes in his last kick of the season in the Georgia Tech win. He went 12-of-15 on field goal attempts, including two 53-yard makes, which gave him 56 career field goals, which passed the previous record of 55 held by Niklas Sade.

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