STANFORD, Calif. — Five Stanford football players landed on this year’s Phil Steele Preseason All-ACC team, announced on Wednesday.
Notably, inside linebacker Matt Rose earned Preseason First Team All-ACC honors from Steele’s list, the first Cardinal to do so since Stanford joined the ACC. In his first season as one of the Cardinal’s starting inside linebackers, Rose bloomed into one of the best in the conference in 2025. He ranked second in the ACC and led Stanford by a wide margin with 106 total tackles, the most by a Stanford player since Blake Martinez in 2015. Rose added eight tackles-for-loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery this year, and had four games of 10 or more tackles. He finished 2025 inside the top 25 overall in tackles.
Four players earned Preseason Fourth Team All-ACC honors: offensive lineman Niki Prongos, tight end Benji Blackburn, safety Jay Green, and wide receiver Caden High (as a kick returner). The five total members of Steele’s annual preseason All-ACC teams are the most Stanford has had since it joined the ACC before the 2024 season.
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