Georgia picked by media to win SEC East, nine Bulldogs on All-SEC teams

The SEC announces its preseason selections for the all-conference team as voted on by the media on Friday with Georgia getting nine players on the three teams. In addition, the Bulldogs were picked to win the SEC East, something it’s done four times in the last five seasons.

Georgia received 172 of the possible 181 votes for first place. Behind the Bulldogs were, in order, Kentucky (4 first-place votes), Tennessee (1), Florida, South Carolina (3), Missouri and Vanderbilt (1). Meanwhile, on the opposite side of things, Alabama took 177 votes to win the SEC West with Texas A&M (3), Arkansas (1), Ole Miss, LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn rounding things out.

So, on the majority of ballots, that put Georgia and Alabama clashing again in the SEC Championship Game, which would be a third matchup between the two teams in a span of just over 12 months. Alabama took 158 of the votes to win the league while Georgia was second behind them with 18. South Carolina (3), Vanderbilt (1) and Texas A&M (1) also received at least one vote.

As for the All-SEC selections, tight end Brock Bowers, offensive tackle Warren McClendon, defensive lineman Jalen Carter, linebacker Nolan Smith and defensive back Kelee Ringo were voted as first teamers. Wide receiver Kearis Jackson made the first-team as a return specialist.

On the second-team was center Sedrick Van Pran and defensive back Christopher Smith while running back Kenny McIntosh was Georgia’s only third-team selection.

Last season as a freshman, Bowers caught 56 passes for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown on his first collegiate carry, yet another way that Todd Monken and company are working to get Bowers the ball. Meanwhile, McClendon has started the last 24 games at right tackles, playing 86 percent of Georgia’s total offensive plays including all against Clemson, Kentucky, Florida, Michigan and both Alabama games last season.

As for the other offensive players included, Sedrick Van Pran played more snaps than any Bulldog last season at 90 percent. That included every offensive snap in eight games (Clemson, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Michigan and Alabama). McIntosh is expected to step into a bigger role in the Georgia offense this season after the departure of the Bulldogs’ top two running backs. He totaled 588 yards of offense last season including at least one touchdown passing, rushing and receiving.

Carter, Nolan Smith and Ringo find themselves on the first team, and that’s become commonplace this offseason with the core defensive trio landing on several All-American lists as well. Carter finished the 2021 season with 37 tackles and 33 quarterback pressures, good for second best on the team. He also had 3.0 quarterback sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss – third among all Bulldogs – and blocked two kicks, one of 20 players in the entire country to do so.

Just behind Carter at the second level of the defense is Nolan Smith, who finished in the top five on the team in tackles last season. Smith also finished second on the team in tackles for loss with 9.0 as he started all 14 games in which he played. One of his best games came in the College Football Playoffs as Smith posted a career-high-tying eight tackles against Michigan to go along with 7.0 quarterback pressures, four more than he had in any other game during the season, and a forced fumble. He also had a strong showing against Florida with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception.

Ringo and Christopher Smith, who was on the second-team, both return in the secondary giving Georgia a returning starter at cornerback and safety. Both players came up with clutch interceptions during the course of the 2021 season, Smith’s against Clemson in the season-opener, returned 74 yards for the game’s only touchdown, and Ringo’s in the National Championship Game to seal the deal on the Bulldogs’ win with his 79-yard pick six. Ringo played in every outing and started the final 12 games of the season while Smith played in 12, starting 11, as he battled through injuries late in the season, still playing every defensive snap against Clemson, Tennessee and Alabama.

All-SEC Selections

OFFENSE

First-Team

QB – Bryce Young, Alabama

RB –  Tank Bigsby, Auburn

RB – Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama 

WR – Kayshon Boutte, LSU 

WR – Jermaine Burton, Alabama 

TE – Brock Bowers, Georgia 

OL – Emil Ekiyor Jr., Alabama 

OL –  Warren McClendon, Georgia

OL –  O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida

OL –  Nick Broeker, Ole Miss

C –  Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas

Second-Team

QB – Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

RB –    Chris Rodriguez Jr., Kentucky

RB –   Devon Achane, Texas A&M

WR – Cedric Tillman, Tennessee

WR – Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss

TE – Cameron Latu, Alabama  

OL –  Layden Robinson, Texas A&M

OL –  Kenneth Horsey, Kentucky 

OL –  Darnell Wright, Tennessee

OL –  Javion Cohen, Alabama

C –  Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

Third-Team

QB – Will Levis, Kentucky

RB – Zach Evans, Ole Miss

RB – Kenny McIntosh, Georgia

WR – Ainias Smith, Texas A&M

WR – Josh Vann, South Carolina  

TE –  Jaheim Bell, South Carolina

OL –  Brady Latham, Arkansas

OL –  Tyler Steen, Alabama

OL –  Javon Foster, Missouri  

*OL – Jeremy James, Ole Miss

*OL – Kendall Randolph, Alabama

C – Cooper Mays, Tennessee

DEFENSE

First-Team

DL – Jalen Carter, Georgia

DL – BJ Ojulari, LSU 

DL – Derick Hall, Auburn 

DL – Byron Young, Tennessee

LB –  Will Anderson Jr., Alabama

LB –  Nolan Smith, Georgia

LB – Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama 

DB – Jordan Battle, Alabama 

DB –  Kelee Ringo, Georgia

DB –  Eli Ricks, Alabama

DB –  Jalen Catalon, Arkansas

Second-Team

DL – Zacch Pickens, South Carolina

DL – D.J. Dale, Alabama

DL – Ali Gaye, LSU

DL – Colby Wooden, Auburn 

LB – Bumper Pool, Arkansas 

LB – Dallas Turner, Alabama 

LB – Brenton Cox Jr., Florida

DB – Cam Smith, South Carolina 

DB – Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M 

DB – Christopher Smith, Georgia 

DB – Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State 

Third-Team

DL  – Gervon Dexter, Florida

DL –  Justin Eboigbe, Alabama

DL – Maason Smith, LSU 

DL – McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M

LB – Owen Pappoe, Auburn 

LB – Ventrell Miller, Florida   

LB – Jeremy Banks, Tennessee

DB – Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

DB – Trey Dean III, Florida

DB – Trevon Flowers, Tennessee 

DB – Malachi Moore, Alabama 

SPECIALISTS

First-Team

P –  Nik Constantinou, Texas A&M

PK –  Will Reichard, Alabama

RS  –  Kearis Jackson, Georgia

AP – Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama 

Second-Team

P –  Oscar Chapman, Auburn

PK – Anders Carlson, Auburn  

RS – Ainias Smith, Texas A&M 

AP – Devon Achane, Texas A&M

Third-Team

P – Paxton Brooks, Tennessee 

PK – Harrison Mevis, Missouri 

RS – JoJo Earle, Alabama  

AP – Ainias Smith, Texas A&M

* – Indicates a tie