Four UK players, one Lexington native named to preseason All-SEC teams
A chip will firmly be on Kentucky’s shoulder once again this football season.
UK’s football program was picked by media members to finish sixth — ahead of only Vanderbilt — in the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division. Polling was conducted this week during SEC Media Days.
Kentucky finished six points behind Tennessee in the final results. Georgia led the way in the East with 233 first-place votes, followed by Florida (21) and Missouri (3). South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky all received one first-place vote.
Alabama was picked to win the SEC over Georgia. Mississippi State, UK’s every-year opponent from the west, was picked to finish fifth in that division while Arkansas, its rotational opponent from the division, was picked last and received the fewest total points in voting among all league teams.
Kentucky linebacker Kash Daniel was picked to the preseason Second Team defense. Center Drake Jackson and lineman Logan Stenberg were selected to the Third Team offense and Lynn Bowden was a Third Team specialist selection as an all-purpose player.
Jedrick Wills, an offensive lineman at Alabama who starred at Lafayette High School, was selected to the First Team offense. The Crimson Tide set a record with 12 selections to the preseason First Team, breaking its own mark of 10 set in 2017.
All-SEC
Voting by media who cover the Southeastern Conference predicting how teams will finish and naming All-SEC preseason teams:
SEC CHAMPION
Teams listed with votes received:
Alabama 203
Georgia 49
LSU 3
Mississippi State 1
Tennessee 1
Florida 1
South Carolina 1
Auburn 1
EASTERN DIVISION FINISH
Teams listed with total points received and first-place votes in parentheses:
Georgia 1,789 (233)
Florida 1,499 (21)
Missouri 1,149 (3)
South Carolina 883 (1)
Tennessee 804 (1)
Kentucky 798 (1)
Vanderbilt 358
WESTERN DIVISION FINISH
Alabama 1,813 (253)
LSU 1,493 (5)
Texas A&M 1,268
Auburn 1,090 (1)
Mississippi State 769 (1)
Ole Miss 504
Arkansas 343
FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
RB D’Andre Swift, Georgia
RB Najee Harris, Alabama
WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri
OL Andrew Thomas, Georgia
OL Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
OL Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn
OL Jedrick Wills Jr., Alabama
C Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU
Defense
DL Raekwon Davis, Alabama
DL Derrick Brown, Auburn
DL Rashard Lawrence, LSU
DL Jabari Zuniga, Florida
LB Dylan Moses, Alabama
LB Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
LB Erroll Thompson, Mississippi State
DB Grant Delpit, LSU
DB J.R. Reed, Georgia
DB Trevon Diggs, Alabama
DB C.J. Henderson, Florida
Specialists
P Braden Mann, Texas A&M
PK Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia
RS Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
AP Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB Jake Fromm, Georgia
RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt
RB Lamical Perine, Florida
WR Kalija Lipscomb, Vanderbilt
WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
TE Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt
OL Solomon Kindley, Georgia
OL Damien Lewis, LSU
OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms, Missouri
OL Isaiah Wilson, Georgia
C Darryl Williams, Mississippi State
Defense
DL Nick Coe, Auburn
DL Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
DL Marlon Davidson, Auburn
DL Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
LB Cale Garrett, Missouri
LB De’Jon Harris, Arkansas
LB David Reese II, Florida
DB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
DB Xavier McKinney, Alabama
DB Kristian Fulton, LSU
DB Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State
Specialists
P Tommy Townsend, Florida
PK Anders Carlson, Auburn
RS Marquez Callaway, Tennessee
AP Kadarius Toney, Florida
THIRD TEAM
Offense
QB Joe Burrow, LSU
RB Larry Rountree, Missouri
RB JaTarvious Whitlow, Auburn
WR Justin Jefferson, LSU
WR Bryan Edwards, South Carolina
TE Miller Forristall, Alabama-x
TE Charlie Woerner, Georgia-x
OL Deonte Brown, Alabama
OL Ben Cleveland, Georgia
OL Logan Stenberg, Kentucky
OL Matt Womack, Alabama
C Drake Jackson, Kentucky
Defense
DL LaBryan Ray, Alabama
DL McTelvin Agim, Arkansas
DL Chauncey Rivers, Mississippi State
DL Tyler Clark, Georgia
LB Terrell Lewis, Alabama
LB Jacob Phillips, LSU
LB Kash Daniel, Kentucky
DB DeMarkus Acy, Missouri
DB Shyheim Carter, Alabama
DB Richard LeCounte, Georgia
DB Daniel Thomas, Auburn
Specialists
P Arryn Siposs, Auburn
PK Evan McPherson, Florida
RS Jashaun Corbin, Texas A&M
AP Lynn Bowden, Kentucky
x-Indicates a tie
This story was originally published July 19, 2019 at 12:44 PM.
