Will Anderson earns SEC Defensive POTY honors from AP, 9 Alabama players recognized

Alabama star pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. has earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press after a successful 2022 season. This is now the second-consecutive season in which the 6-foot-4, 243-pound outside linebacker has been given the award.

Through 12 regular season games, Anderson has 51 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and a pick-six. Those numbers don’t exactly replicate the same level of success as Anderson had last season (101 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks), but both the tackles for loss and sacks both rank first in the SEC.

Anderson was also selected to the AP All-SEC Team, joining nine other Alabama standouts.

The four first-team selections include Anderson, defensive lineman Byron Young, cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and offenmsive lineman Emil Ekiyor Jr. The other five were second-team guys and includes quarterback Bryce Young, running back Jahymr Gibbs, kicker Will Reichard and defensive backs Jordan Battle and Brian Branch. Gibbs also made the second-team as an all-purpose player.

Here’s the entire AP All-SEC team:

FIRST TEAM

Offense

WR — u-Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee, 6-0, 185, Jr., Irmo, South Carolina

WR — Dominic Lovett, Missouri, 5-10, 185, So., East St. Louis, Illinois

T — Broderick Jones, Georgia, 6-4, 310, So., Lithonia, Georgia

T — Darnell Wright, Tennessee, 6-6, 335, Sr., Huntington, West Virginia

G — O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida, 6-5, 347, Jr., Greensburg, Louisiana

G — Emil Ekiyor Jr., Alabama, 6-3, 307, Sr., Indianapolis

C — Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas, 6-4, 313, Sr., Tulsa, Oklahoma

TE — u-Brock Bowers, Georgia, 6-4, 230, So., Napa, California

QB — Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, 6-4, 218, Sr., Greensboro, North Carolina

RB — u-Quinshon Judkins, Mississippi, 5-11, 210, Fr., Pike Road, Alabama

RB — u-Raheim Sanders, Arkansas, 6-2, 227, So., Rockledge, Florida

PK — Jack Podlesny, Georgia, 6-1, 180, Jr., St. Simons Island, Georgia

AP — Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State, 5-10, 185, Jr., Philadelphia, Mississippi

Defense

DE — BJ Ojulari, LSU, 6-3, 250, Jr., Marietta, Georgia

DE — Isaiah McGuire, Missouri, 6-4, 274, Jr., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DT — Jalen Carter, Georgia, 6-3, 300, Jr., Apopka, Florida

DT — Byron Young, Alabama, 6-3, 292, Sr., Laurel, Mississippi

LB — u-Will Anderson, Jr. Alabama, 6-4, 243, Jr., Hampton, Georgia

LB — Drew Sanders, Arkansas, 6-5, 233, Jr., Denton, Texas

LB — Harold Perkins Jr., LSU, 6-2, 220, Fr., New Orleans

CB — Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State, 6-0, 180, Jr., Grenada, Mississippi

CB — Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama, 6-1, 188, So., Birmingham, Alabama

S — Christopher Smith, Georgia, 5-11, 195, Sr., Atlanta

S — Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M, 6-3, 195, Jr., East St. Louis, Illinois

P — Kai Kroeger, South Carolina, 6-4, 207, Jr., Lake Forest, Illinois

SECOND TEAM

Offense

WR — Antwane Wells Jr., South Carolina, 6-1, 207, Jr., Richmond, Virginia

WR — Will Sheppard, Vanderbilt, 6-3, 200, Jr., Mandeville, Louisiana

T — Dalton Wagner, Arkansas, 6-9, 331, Sr., Spring Grove, Illinois

T — Javon Foster, Missouri, 6-5, 319, Sr., Detroit, Michigan

G — Beaux Limmer, Arkansas, 6-5, 302, Jr., Tyler, Texas

G — Ethan White, Florida, 6-4, 331, Jr., Clearwater, Florida

C — Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia, 6-4, 310, So., New Orleans

TE — Darnell Washington, Georgia, 6-7, 270, Jr., Las Vegas, Nevada

QB — Bryce Young, Alabama, 6-0, 194, Jr., Pasadena, California

RB — Devon Achane, Texas A&M, 5-9, 185, Jr., Missouri City, Texas

RB — Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama, 5-11, 200, Jr., Dalton, Georgia

PK — Will Reichard, Alabama, 6-1, 190, Sr., Hoover, Alabama

AP — Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama, 5-11, 200, Jr., Dalton, Georgia

Defense

DE — Derick Hall, Auburn, 6-3, 256, Sr., Gulfport, Mississippi

DE — Byron Young, Tennessee, 6-3, 245, Sr., Georgetown, South Carolina

DT — Mekhi Wingo, LSU, 6-0, 295, So., St. Louis, Missouri

DT — Deone Walker, Kentucky, 6-6, 330, Kentucky, Fr., Detroit, Michigan

LB — Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia, 6-1, 245, So., Hyattsville, Maryland

LB — Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State, 6-2, 240, Sr., Maplesville, Alabama

LB — Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri, 6-2, 221, Jr., Shelby, North Carolina

CB — Kelee Ringo, Georgia, 6-2, 210, So., Tacoma, Washington

CB — D.J. James, Auburn, 6-1, 174, Jr., Mobile, Alabama

S — Jordan Battle, Alabama, 6-1, 206, Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida

S — Brian Branch, Alabama, 6-0, 193, Jr., Fayetteville, Georgia

P — Nik Constantinou, Texas A&M, 6-3, 225, Jr., Melbourne, Australia