ACC Announced Week Three Football Player Honors
The Atlantic Coast Conference selected ten standout student-athletes following the third week of the season.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Football
The Atlantic Coast Conference has officially named its football players of the week for the third week of the 2026 college football season. Ten different athletes were recognized by the conference office for their individual performances on the field.
Why it matters
Weekly awards serve as the primary mechanism for highlighting individual talent within the conference structure. These honors provide a formal evaluation of player impact on the game results across the league.
The conference recognized honorees across nine specific positional categories following week three of the schedule. Darian Mensah, KeyJuan Brown, Keenan Jackson, Eryx Daugherty, Will Heldt, Kevin O'Connor, Alex Sanford Jr., Kaleb Beasley, Nolan Hauser, and Damon Ferguson Jr. were all selected.
The players
Darian Mensah
Darian Mensah was named the ACC Quarterback of the Week for his play during week three.
KeyJuan Brown
KeyJuan Brown earned the title of ACC Running Back of the Week for his contributions on the field.
Keenan Jackson
Keenan Jackson received recognition as the ACC Receiver of the Week for his performance.
Alex Sanford Jr.
Alex Sanford Jr. was selected as the ACC Linebacker of the Week following the third week of play.
Nolan Hauser
Nolan Hauser was honored by the conference as the ACC Specialist of the Week.
The details
The ACC office evaluated performances from the third week of the college football season to determine the recipients. The selections span a range of roles, including quarterback, running back, receiver, and various defensive positions.
Timeline
September 2026 marked the timeframe for the third week of the college football season.
Season Trajectory
Weekly honors help establish the competitive hierarchy of the conference as teams move further into the season schedule. Recognizing these individual efforts provides clarity on which athletes are trending toward post-season award contention.
These selections identify the players currently driving the statistical output for their respective programs. Identifying these athletes helps in tracking which personnel groups have shifted their team's standing in the conference rankings.
The takeaway
These weekly honors provide a consistent metric for fans to track the development of individual talent across the conference. Players earning these spots early in the season often build momentum that defines their team's conference championship aspirations.
Further reading
For more on the current season, visit Football.
Source note: This article includes information reported by On3.
