Five Vols Selected to Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC Teams

A look at the five Tennessee Vols Football players selected to the Athlon Sports Pre-Season All-SEC teams.

The off-season is entirely upon us, which means lists, preseason accolades, etc., are entirely upon us. Athlon Sports recently released their preseason All-SEC teams, and five Tennessee Volunteers were selected across the four teams.

Velus Jones Jr., Cade Mays, Paxton Brooks, Jalin Hyatt, and Matthew Butler were selected as preseason All-SEC selections by the media outlet.

Velus Jones Jr.

Jones Jr. was the lone first-team selection for the Vols as a kick returner. Entering his sixth season in college, Jones Jr. is the FBS active career leader in kickoff return yards. He will only climb the all-time career list this season, as he has averaged over 23 yards per return during his career. 400 return yards this fall would push him into the top 30 all-time.

Paxton Brooks

Brooks continued the special teams trend for Tennessee, as he was selected as a second-team punter on the list. Brooks has averaged an impressive 42.9 yards per punt over his career, and he will be considered one of the top punters in the nation heading into the 2021 season. Brooks was a Phil Steel All-SEC selection in 2020.

Cade Mays

Mays joins Brooks on the second-team list. Mays is expected to be the leader of Tennessee's offensive line in the fall. He has started in 25 games in his career. He is the most versatile lineman on Tennessee's roster and one of the most versatile linemen in the country based on his position versatility. 2021 will be Mays's first opportunity to be the face of an offensive line, as he will look to prove why many believe he will be a top-50 selection in next year's draft.

Matthew Bulter

Butler, a third-team selection on the defensive line, will be a fixture on Tennessee's defensive line this fall. He led Tennessee's front unit in tackles in 2020 with 45, and he chose to return for a fifth season instead of pursuing the NFL Draft. Butler will look to improve his stock as he learns from defensive line guru Rodney Garner.

Jalin Hyatt

Hyatt is the lone underclassman on the list. The speedster was selected as a fourth-team wide receiver. He comes off a freshman season where he flashed his ability to work all levels of the field as a receiver. Hyatt caught 20 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns in 2020, and he should only see his production increase with Josh Heupel's offense.

Here is a team-by-team breakdown of selections.

Alabama 15

Arkansas 7

Auburn 8

Florida 6

Georgia 15

Kentucky 8

LSU 9

Mississippi State 8

Missouri 5

Ole Miss 8

South Carolina 5

Tennessee 5

Texas A&M 9

Vanderbilt 3