Media Selects Alabama as Preseason Favorite to Capture SEC Title; Four Wildcats Named All-SEC
The news media attending SEC Football Media Days, which concluded on Thursday, July 19, has predicted Alabama will win the 2018 SEC championship.
Coach Nick Saban and his Alabama squad received 193 votes to be crowned SEC champion on December 1 in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, while Georgia was second with 69 votes.
Georgia was selected to win the SEC Eastern Division with 1,977 points, including 271 first-place votes, while South Carolina was second with 1,535 points and 8 votes to win the division. Florida was third with 1,441 total points. Points were awarded on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale.
Alabama was picked to win the SEC Western Division with 1,971 total points, while Auburn was second with 1,664. Alabama received 263 first-place votes in the SEC West. Mississippi State was third with 1,239 points.
Only six times since 1992 has the predicted champion at SEC Media Days proceeded to win the SEC Championship.
Four UK players, meanwhile, have been chosen to preseason All-SEC squads as voted by the media folks at SEC Media Days. They are Benny Snell Jr. (pictured), C.J. Conrad, Josh Allen and Mike Edwards. See the complete list of preseason All-SEC honorees below.
EASTERN DIVISION (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
Georgia (271) 1977
South Carolina (8) 1535
Florida (4) 1441
Missouri 1057
Kentucky (1) 874
Tennessee (1) 704
Vanderbilt 392
WESTERN DIVISION (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
Alabama (263) 1971
Auburn (19) 1664
Mississippi State (2) 1239
Texas A&M 1091
LSU 1025
Ole Miss 578
Arkansas 412
2018 PRESEASON MEDIA DAYS ALL-SEC TEAM
OFFENSE
First-Team
QB Drew Lock, Missouri
RB Damien Harris, Alabama
RB Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky
WR A.J. Brown, Ole Miss
WR Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri
OL Jonah Williams, Alabama
OL Greg Little, Ole Miss
OL Martez Ivey, Florida
OL Trey Smith, Tennessee
C Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama
Second-Team
QB Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
RB D’Andre Swift, Georgia
RB Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M
WR Terry Godwin, Georgia
WR Ryan Davis, Auburn
TE Isaac Nauta, Georgia
OL Andrew Thomas, Georgia
OL Lester Cotton, Alabama
OL Hjalte Froholdt, Arkansas
OL Garrett Brumfield, LSU
C Lamont Gaillard, Georgia
Third-Team
*QB Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State
*QB Jake Fromm, Georgia
RB Aeris Williams, Mississippi State
RB Jordan Scarlett, Florida
WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
WR Emanuel Hall, Missouri
TE C.J. Conrad, Kentucky
OL Matt Womack, Alabama
OL Zack Bailey, South Carolina
OL Javon Patterson, Ole Miss
OL Marquel Harrell, Auburn
C Erik McCoy, Texas A&M
DEFENSE
First-Team
DL Raekwon Davis, Alabama
DL Cece Jefferson, Florida
DL Montez Sweat, Mississippi State
DL Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State
LB Devin White, LSU
LB Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
LB Mack Wilson, Alabama
DB Deandre Baker, Georgia
DB Greedy Williams, LSU
DB J.R. Reed, Georgia
DB Deionte Thompson, Alabama
Second-Team
DL Jonathan Ledbetter, Georgia
DL Terry Beckner, Missouri
DL Derrick Brown, Auburn
DL Isaiah Buggs, Alabama
LB Josh Allen, Kentucky
LB Deshaun Davis, Auburn
LB D’Andre Walker, Georgia
DB Mike Edwards, Kentucky
DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Florida
DB Jamel Dean, Auburn
DB CJ Henderson, Florida
Third-Team
DL Dontavius Russell, Auburn
DL Rashard Lawrence, LSU
DL Marlon Davidson, Auburn
*DL Kingsley Keke, Texas A&M
*DL Landis Durham, Texas A&M
LB Dylan Moses, Alabama
LB David Reese, Florida
LB De'Jon Harris, Arkansas
DB Mark McLaurin, Mississippi State
DB Marco Wilson, Florida
DB Javaris Davis, Auburn
DB Santos Ramirez, Arkansas
SPECIALISTS
First-Team
P Corey Fatony, Missouri
PK Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia
RS Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
AP Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
Second-Team
P Joseph Charlton, South Carolina
PK Daniel LaCamera, Texas A&M
RS Mecole Hardman, Georgia
AP Trevon Diggs, Alabama
Third-Team
P Zach Von Rosenberg, LSU
PK ucker McCann, Missouri
RS Trevon Diggs, Alabama
AP Kadarius Toney, Florida
* - Indicates a tie
NOTES:
-- Since 2000, Arkansas’ Darren McFadden (Arkansas) is the only unanimous selection to the SEC Media Days First Team at his position, collecting all possible votes that year.
-- Since 1992, the most players on a first-team was 10 by Alabama in 2017.
