Clemson's Etienne, UNC's Howell earn ACC's individual awards

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) Clemson running back Travis Etienne is once again the Atlantic Coast Conference's player of the year and North Carolina's Sam Howell is the league's top rookie.

The ACC on Wednesday announced its individual awards as determined by a panel of 46 media members and 14 head coaches.

Etienne was also picked as the offensive player of the year while teammate Isaiah Simmons is the defensive player of the year. Etienne rushed for 1,386 yards and 18 touchdowns while becoming the second player in four years to repeat as player of the year, joining Louisville's Lamar Jackson in 2016-17.

Howell is also the top offensive rookie while Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau was selected as the defensive rookie of the year. Howell threw for an ACC-best 3,347 yards with 35 touchdowns while leading UNC to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016.