AP All-SEC: #1 Alabama leads the way for top awards

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones (10) works against Florida during the first half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

By PETE IACOBELLI

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — No. 1 Alabama is on top of the Southeastern Conference again.

The SEC champions dominated all-SEC honors as voted on by a panel of members of The Associated Press.

Nick Saban was voted the league’s coach of the year, receiver DeVonta Smith nabbed SEC offensive player of the year honors and cornerback Patrick Surtain II is the defensive player of the year.

The only individual award the experienced Crimson Tide didn’t snag was newcomer of the year, which went to Auburn freshman runner Tank Bigsby.

Alabama led the SEC in scoring at almost 50 points a game, so it’s no surprise five Crimson Tide players were named to the first-team offense. Quarterback Mac Jones, his top target in Smith and SEC leading rusher Najee Harris were voted to the team, along with center Landon Dickerson and tackle Alex Leatherwood.

Surtain, the talented junior, and defensive lineman Christian Barmore were on the defensive first team.

Florida’s Kyle Pitts was the team’s tight end and his teammate, receiver Kardius Toney, was named as the all-purpose player.

South Carolina 1,000-yard rusher Kevin Harris joined Najee Harris in the backfield.

Kentucky’s Darian Kinnard, Tennessee’s Trey Smith and Georgia’s Ben Cleveland filled out the first-team offensive line.

Anders Carlson of Auburn was voted the first-team kicker.

On defense, the line featured Dayo Odeyingbo of Vanderbilt, Bobby Brown III of Texas A&M and Trajan Jeffcoat of Missouri.

The linebackers were Nick Bolton of Missouri, Grant Morgan of Arkansas and Monty Rice of Georgia.

The Bulldogs had Erik Stokes as cornerback and Richard LeCounte as safety. Jalen Catalon of Arkansas was the final member of the secondary.

Georgia’s Jake Camarda was named the first-team punter.

Gators quarterback Kyle Trask, who led the country with 4,125 yards and 43 touchdowns, headed up the second-team offense.

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The 2020 AP All-SEC team, as selected by a panel of 18 sports writers and sportscasters who regularly cover the league, with name, school, height, weight, class and hometown. (“u-” denotes unanimous selection):


FIRST TEAM

Offense

QB — Mac Jones, Alabama, 6-3, 214, RJr., Jacksonville, Florida.

RB — u-Najee Harris, Alabama, 6-2, 230, Sr., Antioch, California.

RB — Kevin Harris, South Carolina, 5-10, 225, So., Hinesville, Georgia.

T — u-Alex Leatherwood, Alabama, 6-6, 312, Sr., Pensacola, Florida.

T — Darian Kinnard, Kentucky, 6-5, 345, Jr., Knoxville, Tennessee.

C — Landon Dickerson, Alabama, 6-6, 325, RSr., Hickory, North Carolina.

G — Trey Smith, Tennessee, 6-6, 330, Sr., Jackson, Tennessee.

G — Ben Cleveland, Georgia, 6-6, 335, Sr., Taccoa, Georgia.

TE — u-Kyle Pitts, Florida, 6-4, 225, Jr., Philadelphia.

WR — u-DeVonta Smith, Alabama, 6-1, 175, Sr, Amite, Louisiana.

WR — Elijah Moore, Mississippi, 5-9, 184, Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

All-Purpose — Kadarius Toney, 5-11, 194, Sr., Mobile, Alabama.

K — Anders Carlsen, Auburn, 6-5, 215, Jr., Colorado Springs, Colorado.


Defense

DE — Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt, 6-6, 276, Sr., Irving, Texas.

DE — Trajan Jeffcoat, Missouri, 6-3, 265, RSo., Irmo, South Carolina.

DT — Christian Barmore, Alabama, 6-5, 310, RSo., Philadelphia.

DT — Bobby Brown III, Texas A&M, 6-4, 325, Jr., Arlington, Texas.

LB — Nick Bolton, Missouri, 6-2, 232, Jr., Frisco, Texas.

LB — Grant Morgan, Arkansas, 5-11, 222, RSr., Greenwood, Arkansas.

LB — Monty Rice, Georgia, 6-1, 235, Sr., Huntsville, Alabama.

CB — Patrick Surtain II, Alabama, 6-2, 202, Jr., Plantation, Florida.

CB — Erik Stokes, Georgia, 6-1, 185, Jr., Covington, Georgia.

S — Richard LeCounte, Georgia, 5-11, 190, Sr., Riceboro, Georgia.

S — Jalen Catalon, Arkansas, 5-10, 189, RFr., Mansfield, Texas.

P — Jake Camarda, Georgia, 6-2, 180, Jr., Norcross, Georgia.


SECOND TEAM

Offense

QB — Kyle Trask, Florida, 6-5, 240, Sr., Manvel, Texas.

RB — Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M, 6-1, 225, So., Spring, Texas.

RB — Tank Bigsby, Auburn, 6-0, 204, Fr., LaGrange, Georgia.

T — Landon Young, Kentucky, 6-7, 321, Sr., Lexington, Kentucky.

T — Carson Green, Texas A&M, 6-6, 320, Sr., Southlake, Texas.

G — Kenyon Green, Texas A&M, 6-4, 325, So., Humble, Texas.

G — Deonte Brown, Alabama, 6-4, 350, RSr., Decatur, Alabama.

C — Drake Jackson, Kentucky, 6-2, 292, Sr., Versailles, Kentucky.

TE — Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M, 6-5, 265, So., Dickinson, Texas.

WR — Treylon Burks, Arkansas, 6-3, 232, So., Warren, Arkansas.

WR — Kadarius Toney, Florida, 5-11, 194, Sr., Mobile, Alabama.

All-Purpose — Jerrion Ealy, Mississippi, 5-8, 190, So., Walnut Grove, Mississippi.

K — Cade York, LSU, 6-1, 198, So., McKinney, Texas.


Defense

DE — Ali Gaye, LSU, 6-6, 262, Jr., Lynnwood, Washington.

DE — Brenton Cox Jr., Florida, 6-4, 249, Jr., Lithonia, Georgia.

DT — Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina, 6-4, 270, Jr., Atlanta.

DT — Jonathan Marshall, Arkansas, 6-3, 317, RSr., Shepherd, Texas.

LB — Azeez Ojulari, Georgia, 6-3, 240, RSo., Marietta, Georgia.

LB — Willie Anderson Jr., Alabama, 6-4, 235, Fr., Hampton, Georgia.

LB — Henry To’o To’o, Tennessee, 6-2, 225, So., Sacramento, California.

CB — Kaiir Elam, Florida, 6-2, 194, So., Riviera Beach, Florida.

CB — Eli Ricks, LSU, 6-2, 196, Fr., Rancho Cucamonga, California.

S — Smoke Munday, Auburn, 6-2, 196, Jr., Atlanta.

S — Malachi Moore, Alabama, 6-0, 182, Fr., Trussville, Alabama.

P — Max Duffy, Kentucky, 6-1, 190, Sr., Perth, Australia.


Coach of the year — Nick Saban, Alabama.

Offensive player of the year — DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama.

Defensive player of the year — Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama.

Newcomer of the year — Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn.

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AP All-SEC Voting Panel: Parrish Alford, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal; Madison Blevins, WBIR-TV, Knoxville, Tenn.; Eric Blum, Columbia Daily Tribune; Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station Eagle; John Clay, Lexington Herald Leader; David Cloninger, The Charleston Post and Courier; David Foster, WZTV-TV, Nashville, Tennessee; Tyler Horka, The Clarion Ledger; Cecil Hurt, The Tuscaloosa News; Brooks Kubena, The Advocate; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; David Matter, St. Louis Post Dispatch; Tom Murphy, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Alyssa Orange, KNWA-TV, Northwest Arkansas; Nick Suss, The Clarion Ledger; Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel; Blake Toppmeyer, Knoxville News Sentinel; Mike Uva, WACH-TV, Columbia, South Carolina; Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald.

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