Two Florida Gators on FanNation's 2022 Preseason All-SEC Team
Photos: O'Cyrus Torrence (left) and Trey Dean III; Credit: Alex Shepherd and Zach Goodall
For the third year in a row, FanNation-Sports Illustrated's team of SEC publishers has grouped together to compile our version of the Preseason All-SEC team, as well as share our projections for the conference's 2022 players of the year, the order of finish in each division and the eventual SEC champion.
A couple of notable items about this year's selections:
- Instead of two running backs, three wide receivers were selected.
- Defensively, a 3-3-4 formation was used, but the 11th player was the one who received the most votes among the remaining players. The idea was to reward the player most deserving and reflect that the majority of teams will be in the nickel package more than their base defense this season.
- Ties were not broken. When one occurred on the first team an additional player was not added to the second team.
- Only one return specialist was named for first and second-team status.
- Every school in the SEC had at least one player receive votes.
We'll note that AllGators' ballot included a few more Gators than the two that made the final cut.
We included wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (second-team), offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence (first-team), defensive lineman Gervon Dexter (second-team), cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. (second-team) and safety Rashad Torrence II (second-team) in our vote, but only the former Torrence (first-team) and safety Trey Dean III (second-team) were named to the Preseason All-SEC team.
Players from Florida on the All-SEC list are in bold.
All-SEC Offense
Position, First-team player, school; Second-team player, School
QB: Bryce Young, Alabama; Will Rogers, Mississippi State
RB: Tank Bigsby, Auburn; Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky
WR: Cedric Tillman, Tennessee; Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss
WR: Jermaine Burton, Alabama; Josh Vann, South Carolina
WR: Kayshon Boutte, LSU; Tyler Harrell, Alabama
TE: Brock Bowers, Georgia; Jaheim Bell, South Carolina
OL: Layden Robinson, Texas A&M; Nick Broeker, Ole Miss
OL: Broderick Jones, Georgia; Warren Ericson, Georgia
OL: Emil Ekiyor Jr., Alabama; Kenneth Horsey, Kentucky/Dylan Wonnum, South Carolina (tie for second-team)
OL: Javon Foster, Missouri/O’Cryus Torrence, Florida (tie for first-team)
C: Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas; Bryce Foster, Texas A&M/Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia (tie for second-team)
All-SEC Defense
DL: Derick Hall, Auburn; Justin Eboigbe, Alabama
DL: Byron Young, Alabama; Maason Smith, LSU
DL: Jalen Carter, Georgia/Colby Wooden, Auburn (tie for first-team)
LB: Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama; Tryus Wheat, Mississippi State
LB: Will Anderson Jr., Alabama; Drew Sanders, Arkansas
LB: Bumper Pool, Arkansas; Nolan Smith, Georgia
DB: Cam Smith South Carolina; Trey Dean, Florida
DB: Eli Ricks, Alabama; Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
DB: Jordan Battle, Alabama; Christopher Smith, Georgia
DB: Kelee Ringo, Georgia; Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
Nickel/LB/DL: Jalen Catalon, Arkansas; BJ Ojulari/Ali Gaye LSU (tie second-team)
All-SEC Special teams
K: Harrison Mevis, Missouri; Will Reichard, Alabama/Cam Little, Arkansas (tie second-team)
P: Nik Constantinou, Texas A&M; Oscar Chapman, Auburn
PR/KR: Ainias Smith, Texas A&M; Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
Predicted Players of the Year
Offensive: Bryce Young, Alabama
Defensive: Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
Special teams: Ainias Smith, Texas A&M
Predicted Order of Finish
East
- Georgia
- Tennessee
- Florida/
- Kentucky (tied for third)
- South Carolina
- Missouri
- Vanderbilt
West
- Alabama
- Texas A&M
- Ole Miss/
- Arkansas (tied for third)
- LSU
- Mississippi State
- Auburn
Predicted SEC Champion
Alabama Crimson Tide
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