1st Team All-SEC
QB: Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M: 3,732 passing yards, 41 total touchdowns, 13 interceptions
Just as he was last season during his Heisman campaign, Manziel is an electric playmaker that forces teams to refrain from bringing heavy blitzes due to his ability to escape pressure. He’s scored 41 total touchdowns this season and is in the running for a second straight Heisman award.
RB: Todd Gurley, Georgia: 144 carries, 904 yards, 10 touchdowns
Despite on and off injuries, Gurley is a dominant force. He is the catalyst of Georgia’s offense and is the best running back in the nation, not just the SEC.
RB: Jeremy Hill, LSU: 175 carries, 1,185 yards, 14 touchdowns
After having issues with legal trouble, Hill was allowed back onto the team and earned the starting job. At nearly seven yards per carry, Hill is the SEC’s leading starting running back in terms of yards per carry.
WR: Mike Evans, Texas A&M: 65 receptions, 1,322 yards, 12 touchdowns
Evans has been Manziel’s safety blanket all season long. At 6’5”, he is able to simply leap above his opponents and snag the ball right out of the air. Most cornerbacks have issues dealing with his physicality.
WR: Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt: 107 receptions, 1,334 yards, five touchdowns
With 107 receptions, Matthews is the only SEC player to catch 100+ passes this season. The low amount of touchdowns is partly due to Vanderbilt’s run heavy red zone offense.
TE: Hunter Henry, Arkansas: 28 receptions, 409 yards, four touchdowns
Arkansas’s passing offense had been abysmal all year long, but Henry was largely apart of the minimal success that Arkansas had through the air. The scariest aspect about Henry is that he is only a freshman and can get much better than he already is.
OT: Jake Matthews, Texas A&M
Matthews made the transition to the blind side after Luke Joeckel was drafted and has thrived there. His footwork and technique is elite and he had given Manziel gracious pockets.
OT: Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M
Acting as Matthews’ counterpart, Ogbuehi seals off the right side of the defense with his top tier athleticism. He and Matthews made for great edges to a brick wall offensive line.
OG: Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State
As the leader of Mississippi State’s offensive line, Jackson leads by example. He is a mauling run blocker and a reliable pass blocker that owns the interior of the trenches.
OG: Jon Halapio, Florida
Injuries lingered, but when healthy, Halapio was simply rude. He was the most violent and assertive run blocking guard in the conference.
C: James Stone, Tennessee
Stone is the heart of an incredibly talented Tennessee offensive line and strongly upholds the middle of the line.
DE: Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina: 35 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, three sacks
The lack in production is due to offenses double and triple teaming him on passing downs and completely avoiding him when running the ball. Even then, Clowney still wreaked havoc. The narrative about him being overrated is false.
DE: Michael Sam, Missouri: 45 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks
Missouri’s entire defensive front was destructive throughout the season and Sam was the most productive of the bunch. His athleticism and speed allowed him to chase down opposing quarterbacks.
DT: Kelcy Quarless, South Carolina: 36 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks
With offense focused on Clowney, Quarless took advantage of the situation and made it difficult for teams to utilize the interior.
DT: Anthony Johnson, LSU: 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three sacks
Johnson has all the athleticism in the world and has learned to make better use of it. He is a terrorizing force in the middle that forces teams to avoid him.
LB: CJ Mosley, Alabama: 102 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five passes defended
During his senior campaign, Mosley was the heart of the Alabama defense. He is the most well-rounded and versatile linebacker in the country and is bound to become one of the premier linebackers at the next level.
LB: Ramik Wilson, Georgia: 128 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks
Wilson led the SEC in tackles by over 20 total tackles. He was a workhorse and a cyclone that made coordinators afraid to attempt to use his side of the field.
LB: Dante Fowler Jr., Florida: 50 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks
As more of a pass rushing specialist linebacker, Fowler terrorized even the best of offensive lineman, including Tennessee's Antonio Richardson. Fowler is an explosive playmaker that seems to be everywhere at all times.
CB: Andre Hal, Vanderbilt: 40 tackles, two interceptions, 12 passes defended
Tied for first in the conference in passes defended, Hal was an annoyance for opposing receivers. Hal’s man coverage skills are superb, but also has the ability to play well in zone. His knowledge of the position and ball tracking skills make him a troublesome target to pass against.
CB: Vernon Hargreaves, Florida: 38 tackles, 11 passes defended, three interceptions
Hargreaves came into the year as the third rated high school prospect in the nation and he has certainly lived up to the hype. He is a lockdown cornerback that held his own against even the best of the best that the SEC had to offer.
S: Cody Prewitt, Ole Miss: 70 tackles, six interceptions, seven passes defended
Prewitt’s six interceptions led the conference in interceptions. As Ole Miss’ centerfielder, Prewitt was a poaching hunter just waiting for opposing quarterbacks to test him.
S: Kenny Ladler, Vanderbilt: 87 tackles, five forced fumbles, five interceptions
With 87 tackles and five interceptions, Ladler was the most well-rounded safety in the conference. He was helpful as a run defender, but still held his ground as a pass defender.
Freshmen Team All-SEC
QB: Maty Mauk, Missouri: 1,039 passing yards, 11 total touchdowns, two interceptions
There were not any full time freshman starters at quarterback, but when James Franklin went down with injury, Mauk stepped up and continued to allow Missouri to win games and get to the SEC Championship.
RB: Alex Collins, Arkansas: 190 carries, 1,026 yards, four touchdowns
As is the usual in Fayetteville, the rushing attack was dominant and Collins was the biggest contributor to that attack. The lack of scoring can be credited to the poor quarterback play and failure to keep drives alive.
RB: Kelvin Taylor, Florida: 111 carries, 508 yards, four touchdowns
Earlier in the season, Brent Pease refused to play Taylor. As the season dragged on, he began seeing more and more carries and shined when given the opportunity. He is already the best running back on the roster.
WR: Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss: 67 receptions, 557 yards, five touchdowns
The tall, dominant receiver was a nightmare for defenses. Treadwell was a short-yardage chain mover for Ole Miss due to his physicality and excelled in that role.
WR: Marquez North, Tennessee: 38 receptions, 496 yards, one touchdown
When Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson now in the NFL, Vols fans assumed that they did not have a lethal receiver. North stepped up and proved them wrong. He flashed incredible athleticism for such a young athlete with much room to improve, despite how talented he already is.
TE: Hunter Henry, Arkansas: 28 receptions, 409 yards, four touchdowns
Not only was he the best freshman tight end, he was the best tight end in the conference. If his quarterback play were more competent, his numbers would be through the roof.
DE: Carl Lawson, Auburn: 20 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks
Opposite of Dee Ford, Lawson was a menace for opposing offensive lines. He flashed impressive athleticism and tenacity when on the field. Come his senior year, if he does not declare for the NFL Draft before then, he may be the best defensive end in the country.
DE: Chris Jones, Mississippi State: 31 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three sacks
Jones constantly berated opposing quarterbacks and made them feel as if their pocket was never safe. Truly, it never was when Jones was on the field.
DT: A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama: 36 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks
Robinson's 5.5 sacks led all freshman defensive lineman. He was one-man wrecking crew for Nick Saban and allowed Alabama to utilize fewer rushers because they were not necessary.
DT: Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss: 29 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks
Partly due to injury, Nkemdiche did not have quite the year expected from a former No.1 overall recruit, but he still played well. When healthy, he was a wrecking ball that battered opposing interiors.
LB: Darian Claiborne, Texas A&M: 89 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks
Claiborne is tied for first on his team in total tackles and has been a stronghold up front. The young linebacker will blossom into an even better player than he already has proven he is.
LB: Leonard Floyd, Georgia: 47 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks
As a whole, Georgia’s defense is young and Floyd is one of the growing stars. He was stout in the heart of Georgia’s defense and will be a strong star for years to come.
LB: Brooks Ellis, Arkansas: 33 tackles, two tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks
When rotated in, Ellis flashed the potential to be a solid linebacker. He popped into the backfield at times and gave reason to believe he can be something special.
CB: Vernon Hargreaves, Florida: 38 tackles, 11 passes defended, three interceptions
Not only was he the best freshman cornerback, he was one of the best in the conference all together. Hargreaves has already shown that he is a top tier coverage cornerback.
CB: Cameron Sutton, Tennessee: 39 tackles, eight passes defended, two interceptions
Sutton came onto campus and exceeded expectations. Sutton is second only to Hargreaves in total passes defended among freshman defensive backs in the SEC.
S: Tony Conner, Ole Miss: 59 tackles, five passes defended, one interception
Normally a safety, Conner was often rotated in as the nickel corner and succeeded in both roles. He gave Ole Miss serviceable and versatile depth at defensive back.
S: Tray Matthews, Georgia: 36 tackles, four passes defended, one interception
Matthews is another young, growing stud in Georgia's defense. Despite missing multiple games, Matthews was a solid contributor when healthy.