SEC announces Players of the Week following Week 9 of college football
After an action-packed Week 9 of college football across the SEC, the league announced on Monday its Players of the Week.
The list includes honors for the best offensive, defensive and special teams players — as well as standouts among freshmen and on the offensive and defensive lines. You can check out this week’s recipients right here:
Offensive Player of the Week: Ladd McConkey (WR) | Georgia
Co-Defensive Player of the Week: Edgerrin Cooper (LB) | Texas A&M
Co-Defensive Player of the Week: Trey Washington (S) | Ole Miss
Special Teams Player of the Week: Charles Campbell (K) | Tennessee
Co-Offensive lineman of the Week: Gunner Britton (OT) | Auburn
Co-Offensive lineman of the Week: John Campbell (OT) | Tennessee
Defensive Linemen of the Week: Cedric Johnson (DE) | Ole Miss
Freshman of the Week: Connor Lew (C) | Auburn
Recap
With Brock Bowers down and out for the foreseeable future, Georgia is getting Ladd McConkey back to his best self at the perfect time. McConkey missed much of the first half of the season due to injury but is coming on strong here in the back half of the schedule. He certainly over-served Florida’s defense in The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party with six catches for 135 yards and one impressive touchdown run. After a season-high 58 yards last time out vs. Vanderbilt, McConkey finally looked 100% as the Dawgs boat-raced the Gators in Jacksonville.
On defense, Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper was a menace from the first kick to the final whistle vs. South Carolina in a game the Aggies desperately needed to win. He was huge factor in A&M holding a potent Gamecock offense to just 209 total yards while recording a -12 yard sack and forcing a fumble.
The other DPOW is Ole Miss’ Trey Washington, one of two Rebel defenders honored this week, along with Cedric Johnson, who is now a back-to-back recipient of the Defensive Lineman of the Week award. Washington nabbed a pair of interceptions in the blowout win over Vanderbilt while Johnson had a career-high seven tackles that included a sack and two additional tackles-for-loss.
The Auburn offensive line had a tremendous day against Mississippi State as the Tigers snapped a four-game skid and won their first SEC game of the season whilst putting up their most yards in a conference game since a year ago yesterday. Birtton and Lew were both big parts of that effort.
Lastly, Tennessee gets a pair of players on the board after their win at Kentucky. Kicker Charles Campbell is particularly worth noting, because he converted a few field goals, including one that doinked off the right upright and in to give the Volunteers a late two-possession lead. Without that kick, we may be talking about a different end of that ball game.