Gators picked 2nd in SEC East; top honors for Henderson, Zuniga
GAINESVILLE – SEC media members picked the Florida Gators to finish second to Georgia in the East this coming season.
But a season after being picked third behind the Bulldogs and South Carolina, coach Dan Mullen’s team is closing the gap on the rival Bulldogs. UF received 21 first-place votes, up from four a season ago. Georgia received 233 first-place votes.
The Gators return five starters on offense and seven on defense from a 10-3 team that ended 2018 with four straight wins.
One media member even picked the Gators to win the SEC title, but Tennessee, Mississippi State, Auburn and South Carolina also received a vote. Defending champion Alabama, once again, was the runaway pick, earning 203 votes while Georgia received 49.
The Crimson Tide is picked to win the SEC West over LSU.
Gators cornerback C.J. Henderson and defensive end Jabari Zuniga were named to the firstteam preseason All-SEC team. Linebacker David Reese, tailback Lamical Perine and punter Tommy Townsend were named second-team while kicker Evan McPherson was a third-team selection.
Here are the predicted standings (first-place votes in parentheses, total votes next):
SEC East
1. Georgia (233) 1789 2. Florida (21) 1499 3. Missouri (3) 1149 4. South Carolina (1) 883 5. Tennessee (1) 804 6. Kentucky (1) 798 7. Vanderbilt 358
SEC West
1. Alabama (253) 1813 2. LSU (5) 1493
3. Texas A&M 1268 4. Auburn (1) 1090 5. Mississippi State (1) 769 6. Ole Miss 504
7. Arkansas 343
2019 Preseason Media Days All-SEC Team
OFFENSE
First Team
QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama RB D’Andre Swift, Georgia
RB Najee Harris, Alabama
WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri OL Andrew Thomas, Georgia
OL Alex Leatherwood, Alabama OL Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn OL Jedrick Wills Jr., Alabama
C Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU Second-Team
QB Jake Fromm, Georgia RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt RB Lamical Perine, Florida
WR Kalija Lipscomb, Vanderbilt WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
TE Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt OL Solomon Kindley, Georgia OL Damien Lewis, LSU
OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms, Missouri OL Isaiah Wilson, Georgia
C Darryl Williams, Mississippi State Third Team
QB Joe Burrow, LSU
RB Larry Rountree, Missouri RB JaTarvious Whitlow, Auburn WR Justin Jefferson, LSU
WR Bryan Edwards, South Carolina
TE Miller Forristall, Alabama (tie) TE Charlie Woerner, Georgia (tie) OL Deonte Brown, Alabama OL Ben Cleveland, Georgia OL Logan Stenberg, Kentucky OL Matt Womack, Alabama C Drake Jackson, Kentucky
DEFENSE
First Team
DL Raekwon Davis, Alabama
DL Derrick Brown, Auburn
DL Rashard Lawrence, LSU
DL Jabari Zuniga, Florida
LB Dylan Moses, Alabama
LB Anfernee Jennings, Alabama LB Erroll Thompson, Mississippi State DB Grant Delpit, LSU
DB J.R. Reed, Georgia
DB Trevon Diggs, Alabama
DB C.J. Henderson, Florida
Second Team
DL Nick Coe, Auburn
DL Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M DL Marlon Davidson, Auburn
DL Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
LB Cale Garrett, Missouri
LB De’Jon Harris, Arkansas
LB David Reese II, Florida
DB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
DB Xavier McKinney, Alabama DB Kristian Fulton, LSU
DB Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State Third Team
DL LaBryan Ray, Alabama
DL McTelvin Agim, Arkansas DL Chauncey Rivers, Mississippi State DL Tyler Clark, Georgia
LB Terrell Lewis, Alabama
LB Jacob Phillips, LSU
LB Kash Daniel, Kentucky
DB DeMarkus Acy, Missouri
DB Shyheim Carter, Alabama DB Richard LeCounte, Georgia
DB Daniel Thomas, Auburn
SPECIALISTS
First Team
P Braden Mann, Texas A&M PK Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia RS Jaylen Waddle, Alabama AP Jaylen Waddle, Alabama Second Team
P Tommy Townsend, Florida PK Anders Carlson, Auburn RS Marquez Callaway, Tennessee AP Kadarius Toney, Florida Third Team
P Arryn Siposs, Auburn
PK Evan McPherson, Florida RS Jashaun Corbin, Texas A&M AP Lynn Bowden, Kentucky