ATHENS – For a team expected to run away with the Eastern Division championship, Georgia players didn’t get much love from the press covering SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala.
As expected, the Bulldogs were overwhelming favorites to win the East this season. Defending national champion Alabama was picked to win the West and repeat as overall conference champion. But Georgia placed only two players on the All-SEC first team in senior defensive tackle Jordan Davis and senior punter Jake Camarda. Ten players overall made all three teams combined.
Earning second-team All-SEC mention were quarterback JT Daniels, running back Zamir White, wide receiver George Pickens and guard Jamaree Salyer. That’s right, Pickens was represented despite an ACL-surgery rehab expected to extend well into the regular season.
The only other defensive players represented besides Davis all were on the third team in linebacker Nakobe Dean, safety Lewis Cine and defensive lineman Travon Walker. Senior wideout Kearis Jackson made third team as a return specialist. Alabama led the league with 15 all-conference choices.
As a team, Georgia pulled 124 of 134 votes to win the East. The Bulldogs did get 45 votes to win the SEC championship, or a little more than half of Alabama’s 84. Here are five other things we learned from SEC Football Media Days this week:
1. Expansion is on its way yet again – Nobody in Hoover would unequivocally confirm Oklahoma and Texas are joining the league, but there was enough non-denial to know it’s likely so. And then, hilariously, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz asked Commissioner Greg Sankey if the “horns down” gesture was going to be penalty. “No comment,” Sankey said.
2. Drinkwitz wins – Speaking of the Missouri coach, Drinkwitz won the week in his Media Days debut. Among his pearls was a dig at Florida coach Dan Mullen, who made a spectacle of himself in the Gators’ brawl-marred win over Tigers last year in Gainesville. “I’m praying for snow,” Drinkwitz said of Florida coming to Columbia this season. “Dan is going to complain about everything anyway.”
3. Pittman still loves UGA – Second-year Arkansas coach Sam Pittman was profuse in his praise of Georgia, and expressed “indebtedness” to coach Kirby Smart for helping him get where he is. “The relentless pursuit of athletes is what Kirby Smart does. It’s fourth and a half-inch every day at the University of Georgia. Therefore, that’s why he’s done such a nice job of coaching and such a nice job of recruiting.” The Razorbacks play at Sanford Stadium on Oct. 2.
4. Kiffin staying on Twitter – Making his first appearance at SEC Media Days since he was Tennessee’s coach, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin indicated he plans to stay active on Twitter. That’s despite last year’s $25,000 fine from the SEC, which he joked depleted his son Knox’s college fund. “I enjoy the fan part,” he said. “I think it’s comical when I jump on there and read things and how people react to things or the rumors that people write. It just gives people a platform to say and do whatever they want. I guess sometimes I do that, too.
5. Leach holds court – Mississippi State coach Mike Leach wasn’t as entertaining as expected in his delayed debut. But he did acknowledge that he was in serious talks with Tennessee a few years ago before things went sideways. “Then pretty soon they had a coup d’etat there,” Leach said. “You guys can sort that among yourselves, but that’s pretty well-documented. So, yeah, I didn’t end up in the middle of the coup, so lucky for me.”
ALL-SEC TEAMS
OFFENSE
First team
QB – Matt Corral, Ole Miss
RB - Tank Bigsby, Auburn
RB – Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M
WR - John Metchie, Alabama
WR - Treylon Burks, Arkansas
TE - Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M
OL - Evan Neal, Alabama
OL - Darian Kinnard, Kentucky
OL - Kenyon Green, Texas A&M
OL - Cade Mays, Tennessee
C - Nick Brahms, Auburn
Second team
QB – JT Daniels, Georgia
RB - Kevin Harris, South Carolina
RB - Zamir White, Georgia
WR - Kayshon Boutte, LSU
WR - George Pickens, Georgia
TE - Jahleel Billingsley, Alabama
OL - Jamaree Salyer, Georgia
OL - Emil Ekiyor, Alabama
OL - Ed Ingram, LSU
OL - Austin Deculus, LSU
C - Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas
Third team
QB – Bo Nix, Auburn
RB - Brian Robinson, Alabama
RB - Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky
WR - Ainias Smith, Texas A&M
WR - Jacob Copeland, Florida
TE - Nick Muse, South Carolina
OL - Charles Cross, Mississippi State
OL - Nick Broeker, Ole Miss
OL - Myron Cunningham, Arkansas
OL - Luke Fortner, Kentucky
*C - Michael Maietti, Missouri
*C - Ben Brown, Ole Miss
DEFENSE
First-Team
DL - Jordan Davis, Georgia
DL - Phidarian Mathis, Alabama
DL - Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina
*DL - Zachary Carter, Florida
*DL - DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M
LB - Henry To’o To’o, Alabama
LB - Christian Harris, Alabama
LB - Will Anderson, Alabama
DB - Derek Stingley, LSU
DB - Josh Jobe, Alabama
DB - Malachi Moore, Alabama
DB - Kaiir Elam, Florida
Second-Team
DL - Josh Paschal, Kentucky
DL - LaBryan Ray, Alabama
DL - Ali Gaye, LSU
DL - Trajan Jeffcoat, Missouri
LB - Grant Morgan, Arkansas
LB - Ventrell Miller, Florida
LB - Zakoby McClain, Auburn
DB - Smoke Monday, Auburn
DB - Jordan Battle, Alabama
DB - Jalen Catalon, Arkansas
DB - Elias Ricks, LSU
Third-Team
DL - DJ Dale, Alabama
DL - Jayden Peevy, Texas A&M
DL - Travon Walker, Georgia
DL - Derick Hall, Auburn
LB - Owen Pappoe, Auburn
LB - Nakobe Dean, Georgia
LB - Christopher Allen, Alabama
DB - Roger McCreary, Auburn
DB - Lewis Cine, Georgia
DB - Alontae Taylor, Tennessee
DB - Yusuf Corker, Kentucky
SPECIALISTS
First-Team
P - Jake Camarda, Georgia
PK - Cade York, LSU
RS - Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss
AP - Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss
Second-Team
P - Paxton Brooks, Tennessee
PK - Will Reichard, Alabama
RS - Ainias Smith, Texas A&M
AP - Tank Bigsby, Auburn
Third-Team
P - Mac Brown, Ole Miss
PK - Anders Carlson, Auburn
RS - Kearis Jackson, Georgia
AP - Ainias Smith, Texas A&M
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
Points = 7 for first place descending to 1
Eastern Division
Georgia (124) – 923 points
Florida (7) – 784
Kentucky (2) – 624
Missouri – 555
Tennessee – 362
S. Carolina (1) – 355
Vanderbilt – 149
Western Division
Alabama (130) – 932
Texas A&M (1) – 760
LSU (1) – 633
Ole Miss (1) – 529
Auburn – 440
Arkansas (1) – 241
Miss. State -- 217
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