After breakout season, Amba Etta-Tawo earns first-team All-ACC honors

After a year in which he hauled in 94 passes, accumulated 1,482 receiving yards, caught 14 touchdowns and set multiple program records, Syracuse wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo was voted to the All-ACC First Team by the conference's coaches on Thursday afternoon. Etta-Tawo was also named a second-team All-American by Sporting News earlier in the week.

The senior wide out had the best season of his college career by far. After transferring from Maryland, Etta-Tawo racked up more total catches, yards, and touchdowns this season than he did in his three combined seasons as a Terrapin.

In one season, Etta-Tawo vaulted himself all the way to 16th place on Syracuse’s all-time receiving yards list with his 1,482 yards, and to ninth place on the school’s all-time receiving touchdowns list.

Etta-Tawo set multiple program records, including receiving yards in a game (249), receiving touchdowns in a game (5), receptions in a season (94), receiving yards in a season (1,482), most touchdowns in a season (14), and 100-yard receiving games in a season (7).

Although Etta-Tawo’s breakout season can be attributed to his abilities, the gaudy numbers may have something to do with Syracuse’s first-year head coach, Dino Babers.

Babers was known for his up-tempo offense at Bowling Green and he brought that identity to the Orange. Under Babers, the Orange broke the record for most plays run in a game (105), and tied the school record for most consecutive 300-yard passing performances (three, by sophomore quarterback Eric Dungey). 

Along with Etta-Tawo, Syracuse football had one player, wide receiver Brisly Estime, named to the All-ACC second team by the coaches, and three who received honorable mentions: linebacker Zaire Franklin, punter Sterling Hofrichter and wide receiver Ervin Philips.

Estime didn’t boast the flashiest numbers, but he was a solid special teams player (466 return yards) and a reliable receiving option (48 catches for 518 yards). Meanwhile, Franklin (101 tackles) anchored the defense and Hofrichter (42.7 avg. yards per punt) punted the ball well this season. Philips temporarily held the program record for most receptions in a season (90) before Etta-Tawo swooped in.