Tennessee Volunteers named to Coaches All-SEC team
Tennessee is headed to the College Football Playoff later this month, and several of their top players are now earning honors for their performance during the regular season.
On Tuesday afternoon, the SEC announced the Coaches All-SEC team and multiple Vols made the list.
Tennessee Center Cooper Mays, Tennessee Running Back Dylan Sampson, and Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr. were selected first team All-SEC by the league’s coaches.
Mays was named a finalist for the Rimington Award, which recognizes the nation’s top center, on Monday. He became the first player in school history to be named as a finalist for the award.
Sampson was a no-doubter for this team, as he leads the conference in rushing yards (1,485) and rushing touchdowns (22). In total, he leads the SEC in 11 different categories, and he is third nationally in rushing touchdowns. Sampson’s touchdown total is also tied for the most in the Power Four. He broke multiple single-season records this fall.
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Sampson was also named a first-team all-purpose player.
James Pearce Jr. was quiet early in the season as teams were quickly getting the ball out of their hands, but as the year played out, Pearce turned up the pressure, recording sacks and tackles for loss at some of the most critical moments for the Vols. He pressured the passer a league-leading 52 times this fall. He recorded 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks for the Vols.
Standout Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy was selected to the second team after his breakout season on Rocky Top. McCoy made some crucial plays during Tennessee’s run to the College Football Playoff. McCoy defended 13 passes this fall, with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. He is tied for the SEC lead in interceptions. Two of his interceptions came at critical times for the Vols as he made plays on the ball in the end zone to kill the opposing team’s drive.
Senior offensive lineman JaVontez Spraggins and kickoff specialists Josh Turbyville rounded out the all-sec Vols with third-team honors.
