Etta-Tawo Leads Six Orange All-ACC Selections

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Orange had six players earn 2016 All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors from the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA) on Monday, Nov. 28.

Wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo was named to the first team, the second straight year a Syracuse player earned first-team recognition (Riley Dixon, 2015). Etta-Tawo received 125 points in the voting, tied for the third-highest total among offensive players and the second-best total among receivers behind Clemson's Mike Williams (131 points).

In addition to Etta-Tawo, receivers Brisly Estime, Ervin Philips, linebackers Zaire Franklin, Parris Bennett and punter Sterling Hofrichter were also honored by the media who cover the league. Estime was named to the third team as a return specialist for the second year in a row. Franklin and Hofrichter were also third-team selections, while Philips and Bennett garnered honorable mention nods.

A graduate transfer, Etta-Tawo posted the most prolific receiving season in Syracuse history in 2016. The Biletnikoff Award semifinalist set the Orange season records for most receptions (94), most receiving yards (1,482), most receiving yards per game (123.5) and most 100-yard receiving games (7). He also tied the SU season standard with 14 touchdown receptions, including a school-record five Saturday at Pittsburgh.

Etta-Tawo ranks fifth in ACC single-season history in receptions, second in yards, second in yards per game and seventh in touchdown catches. He currently leads all Power-Five receivers in both receptions and yards, and ranks second in the FBS in total receiving yardage and yards per game.

Second among active FBS players in career punt return average, Estime leads the nation in yards per punt return (17.7). He returned 16 punts for 283 yards and added 10 kickoff returns for 183 yards. Estime tallied six punt returns of at least 20 yards in 2016, including tying his career-long with a 74-yard return against Notre Dame. Estime's 17.7 season punt return average ranks fourth in Syracuse history and ninth on the ACC single-season record list.

Franklin, SU's starting middle linebacker, ranks 11th in the conference in tackles per game (8.4) and finished second on the team in tackles with 101. Voted the ACC's Linebacker of the Week twice in 2016, Franklin tied for the team lead with 10 tackles for loss, including two sacks. He also intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and registered three pass breakups. Franklin recorded five double-digit tackle games, including a career-best 14 stops at Connecticut and at Clemson. The Philadelphia native served as the Orange's defensive game captain a team-high four times (Colgate, Virginia Tech, NC State, Pittsburgh).

A candidate for the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter, Hofrichter leads the ACC in number of punts (77) and total punting yardage (3,289). His 23 punts of 50+ yards are tied for the most in the conference and his 24 punts inside the 20-yard line are the second-most in the league. Hofrichter averaged 45 yards per punt four times in 2016, including a personal-best 48.7 yards per kick in SU's win against Virginia Tech. He also was Syracuse's special teams game captain against the Hokies.

Philips finished with 90 receptions, the most ever for a Syracuse junior and eighth on the ACC single-season record list. His 7.5 receptions per game rank seventh in the FBS this season and third in the ACC. The West Haven, Conn. product registered double-digit receptions in four games, including tying Art Monk's school record with 14 catches against Colgate. Philips posted two 100-yard receiving games and finished the year second on the Orange in receptions, receiving yards (822) and receiving touchdowns (6).

The Orange's leading tackler with a career-best 110 stops, Bennett ranks third in the ACC in tackles per game (9.2). He recorded six double-digit tackle games, including making a career-high 17 tackles against Notre Dame. Bennett logged 6.5 tackles for loss, one interception, three pass breakups and he's currently tied for fifth in the conference with three forced fumbles. Bennett served as SU's defensive captain twice (USF, Clemson).

Clemson, this year's Atlantic Division champion, led the way 18 all-conference selections, including nine first-team choices. Coastal Division winner Virginia Tech had 13 players honored.

The coaches' All-ACC teams are expected to be announced next week.

For complete coverage of Syracuse and Syracuse football, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Orange& Syracuse Football), Twitter (@Cuse & @CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and watch exclusive video content on Cuse TV.

Syracuse University Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Parris Bennett

Riley Dixon

Brisly Estime

Amba Etta-Tawo

Zaire Franklin

Sterling Hofrichter

Ervin Philips

Related Videos