LEXINGTON, Ky. – UK senior safety A.J. Stamps (pictured, left) and sophomore placekicker Austin MacGinnis (pictured, below) have been named to the 2015 Preseason Media Days All-SEC football team, the league office announced Friday, July 17.
Stamps was named to the third-team defense as a defensive back, while MacGinnis was a third-team placekicker. The Preseason All-SEC Teams were voted on by media attending 2015 SEC Media Days this week in Birmingham, Ala.
Stamps had a solid first season for the Wildcats after transferring to the Bluegrass State from East Mississippi Community College. The native of Vicksburg, Miss., moved from cornerback to safety his first season in Lexington and had immediate results, starting all 12 games with 56 tackles, four interceptions returned 103 yards, five pass breakups and one tackle for loss.
Stamps’ 103 interception return yards were the most by a Kentucky player in one season since 1981. The senior made his mark in UK’s season opener last year, grabbing a one-handed interception vs. UT Martin that was one of ESPN’s Top 10 plays of the day. He also had an interception against Vanderbilt that helped Kentucky grab its first SEC win and had an interception and two pass breakups in Kentucky’s come-from-behind victory over South Carolina.
A native of Wedowee, Ala., MacGinnis set six school records in his collegiate debut season, totaling 21 field goals, the most in Kentucky history. He had the most field goals in the SEC last fall, also leading all NCAA freshmen. MacGinnis finished with a school-record 104 points -- equaling the SEC lead -- and was one of only five kickers in the nation with three field goals of 50+ yards.
MacGinnis, who made a UK record 41 extra-point tries without a miss in 2014, set another school mark with the longest field goal in school history, a 54-yard boot at Tennessee. MacGinnis, who earned national placekicker of the week from the College Football Performance Awards after making four field goals at No. 22 Louisville, extending his school-record streak of nine consecutive field goals made. He also set a school record with 25 touchbacks on kickoffs in 2014.
Earlier this summer, MacGinnis was named first-team Preseason All-SEC by Phil Steele College Football. MacGinnis is also on the Lou Groza Award Preseason Watch List, which annually honors the nation’s best kicker.
2015 PRE-SEASON MEDIA DAYS ALL-SEC TEAM
(Total points earned in parenthesis)
OFFENSE
First-Team
QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (170)
RB Nick Chubb, Georgia (189)
RB Leonard Fournette, LSU (180)
WR Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss (169)
WR D'haquille Williams, Auburn (154)
TE Evan Engram, Ole Miss (128)
OL Cam Robinson, Alabama (167)
OL Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss (159)
OL Vadal Alexander, LSU (131)
OL John Theus, Georgia (129)
C Ryan Kelly, Alabama (144)
Second-Team
QB Jeremy Johnson, Auburn (89)
RB Derrick Henry, Alabama (151)
RB Jonathan Williams, Arkansas (82)
WR Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina (147)
WR De'Runnya Wilson, Mississippi State (59)
TE Hunter Henry, Arkansas (97)
OL Germain Ifedi, Texas A&M (124)
OL Dan Skipper, Arkansas (95)
OL Denver Kirkland, Arkansas (85)
OL Greg Pyke, Georgia (83)
C Mike Matthews, Texas A&M (108)
Third-Team
QB Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee (62)
RB Alex Collins, Arkansas (80)
RB Kenyan Drake, Alabama (34)
WR Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia (50)
WR Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M (39)
TE O.J. Howard, Alabama (87)
OL Sebastian Tretola, Arkansas (72)
OL Alex Kozan, Auburn (69)
OL Avery Young, Auburn (57)
OL Brandon Shell, South Carolina (50)
C Evan Boehm, Missouri (81)
DEFENSE
First-Team
DL Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss (173)
DL A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama (160)
DL Myles Garrett, Texas A&M (155)
DL Carl Lawson, Auburn (131)
LB Reggie Ragland, Alabama (181)
LB Jordan Jenkins, Georgia (121)
LB Curt Maggitt, Tennessee (102)
DB Vernon Hargreaves, Florida (186)
DB Cyrus Jones, Alabama (126)
DB Jonathan Jones, Auburn (122)
DB Jalen Mills, LSU (118)
Second-Team
DL Jonathan Bullard, Florida (115)
DL Derek Barnett, Tennessee (105)
DL Jonathan Allen, Alabama (99)
DL Chris Jones, Mississippi State (93)
LB Kendell Beckwith, LSU (93)
LB Leonard Floyd, Georgia (92)
LB Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn (80)
DB Tony Conner, Ole Miss (117)
DB Cameron Sutton, Tennessee (115)
DB Will Redmond, Mississippi State (79)
DB Tre'Davious White, LSU (61)
Third-Team
DL Montravius Adams, Auburn (90)
DL Jarran Reed, Alabama (60)
DL Davon Godchaux, LSU (40)
DL Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss (34)
LB Kris Frost, Auburn (77)
LB Antonio Morrison, Florida (66)
LB Kentrell Brothers, Missouri (61)
DB A.J. Stamps, Kentucky (59)
DB Eddie Jackson, Alabama (58)
DB Jamal Adams, LSU (56)
DB Johnathan Ford, Auburn (52)
SPECIALISTS
First-Team
P JK Scott, Alabama (161)
PK Marshall Morgan, Georgia (100)
RS Speedy Noil, Texas A&M (117)
AP Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina (112)
Second-Team
P Drew Kaser, Texas A&M (92)
PK Elliott Fry, South Carolina (87)
RS Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina (75)
AP Leonard Fournette, LSU (85)
Third-Team
P Jamie Keehn, LSU (52)
PK Austin MacGinnis, Kentucky (59)
RS Leonard Fournette, LSU (66)
AP Speedy Noil, Texas A&M (84)
