Georgia, Alabama, LSU dominate 77th annual preseason all-SEC team

Two-time defending national champion Georgia put the most players on the 77th annual AL.com/Birmingham News preseason All-SEC team, though Alabama and LSU weren’t far behind. The Bulldogs placed nine players on the preseason All-SEC first and second teams, in voting by the league’s 14 football information directors. Georgia put seven players on the first team, with two on the second team. Alabama also had nine players selected (five on the first team, four on the second team), while LSU had a total of seven (five on the first team and two on the second team). No other team had more than five players chosen. Leading the way for the Bulldogs is tight end Brock Bowers, a two-time All-SEC selection and a first-team All-American in 2022. He is joined on the first-team offense by two linemen: center Sedrick Van Pran and guard Tate Ratledge. Defensively, Georgia placed lineman Mykel Williams, linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson and safeties Malaki Starks and Javon Bullard on the first team. Second-team picks for the Bulldogs were offensive tackle Amarius Mims and cornerback Kamari Lassiter. Alabama’s first-team contingent was led by Kool-Aid McKinstry, who was chosen at both cornerback and return specialist. McKinstry, a first-team All-SEC pick after last season, was the only unanimous pick on this year’s preseason team. Also earning first-team honors for Alabama were offensive tackle JC Latham, offensive guard Tyler Booker and defensive lineman Jaheim Oatis. Other second-teamers were running back Jase McClellan, linebacker Dallas Turner, safety Malachi Moore and kicker Will Reichard. For LSU, wide receiver Malik Nabers, offensive tackle Will Campbell, linebacker Harold Perkins and defensive linemen Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo all made the first team. Players who made the second-team from the Tigers roster were quarterback Jayden Daniels and tight end Mason Taylor. Arkansas also had three first-team picks: quarterback KJ Jefferson, running back Raheim Sanders and cornerback Dwight McGlothern. South Carolina was the other team with multiple first-team selections: wide receiver Antwane Wells and punter Kai Kroger. Also earning spots on the first team were Mississippi State linebacker Nathaniel Watson, Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins and Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis. The Tigers had four second-team picks: offensive tackle Javon Foster, defensive lineman Darius Robinson, linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper and cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine. Texas A&M also had four second-team selections: wide receiver Evan Stewart, defensive lineman McKinnley Jackson, safety Demani Richardson and punter Nik Constantinou. Kentucky had three players on the second team: running back Ray Davis, guard Kenneth Horsey and defensive lineman Deone Walker. Other second-team selections were Tennessee wide receiver Bru McCoy, Arkansas guard Brady Latham, Arkansas center Beaux Limmer, Ole Miss defensive lineman Cedric Johnson, Mississippi State linebacker Jett Johnson and Mississippi State return specialist Lideatrick Griffin. Limmer also received votes at guard. Three teams were shut out of first- or second-team consideration entirely: Auburn, Florida and Vanderbilt. The only Tigers players who received votes were cornerback D.J. James and punter Oscar Chapman.