4 Kentucky Wildcats Earn All-SEC honors from the AP

This week postseason awards are being doled out across the college football landscape. Ahead of Saturday’s Heisman Trophy ceremony, the Associated Press has released its All-SEC teams and selections for offensive and defensive players of the year.

Four Kentucky Wildcats earned first or second team honors. On the first team you will find running back Ray Davis and defensive lineman Deone Walker. Maxwell Hairston was a second team selection at cornerback and Barion Brown makes an appearance as an all-purpose player.

In his only year at Kentucky, Vanderbilt transfer Ray Davis became the latest 1,000-yard rusher for the Wildcats, tallying 1,066 yards on the ground. He set single-season school records for touchdowns (20 total, 13 rushing and 7 receiving) and points scored (120). Missouri’s Cody Schrader, a unanimous first team All-SEC selection, was the only SEC running back with more all-purpose yards than Ray Davis.

Deone Walker has now earned All-SEC honors from the AP following each of his two seasons in Lexington. The dominant defensive lineman recorded 55 tackles and led Kentucky in tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (5.5).

In his first year as a starting cornerback for the Cats, Maxwell Hairston led the SEC with five interceptions. He also ranked fourth in the league with 11 passes defended. Barion Brown was one of only five players in all of college football with multiple kickoff return touchdowns. His second sparked Kentucky to a 38-31 comeback victory over No. 9 Louisville in the season finale. Brown also caught 40 passes for 439 yards and three touchdowns.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, now the Heisman frontrunner according to oddsmakers, was the unanimous SEC Offensive Player of the Year. Mississippi State linebacker Nathaniel Watson was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Alabama S Caleb Downs is Newcomer of the Year and Eli Drinkwitz earned SEC Coach of the Year Honors.

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First Team AP All-SEC

Offense

WR — u-Malik Nabers, LSU, 6-0, 200, Jr., Youngsville, Louisiana
WR — Luther Burden III, Missouri, 5-11, 208, So., St. Louis, Missouri
T — Javon Foster, Missouri, 6-5, 319, grad, Detroit
T — JC Latham, Alabama, 6-6, 360, Jr., Oak Creek, Wisconsin
G — Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6, 310, Jr., Rome, Georgia
G — Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-5, 352, So., New Haven, Connecticut
C — u-Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia, Jr., 6-4, 310, New Orleans
TE — u-Brock Bowers, Georgia, 6-4, 240, Jr., Napa, California
QB — u-Jayden Daniels, LSU, 6-4, 210, Sr., San Bernardino, California
RB — u-Cody Schrader, Missouri, 5-9, 214, graduate, St. Louis, Missouri
RB — Ray Davis, Kentucky, 5-10, 216, Sr., San Francisco
PK — Will Reichard, Alabama, 6-1, 194, grad, Hoover, Alabama
All-Purpose — Ainias Smith, Texas A&M, 5-10, 200, grad, Missouri City, Texas

Defense

DE — James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, 6-5, 242, So., Charlotte, North Carolina
DE — Darius Robinson, Missouri, 6-5, 296, grad, Southfield, Michigan
DT — Marcus Harris, Auburn, 6-3, 295, Sr., Montgomery, Alabama
DT — Deone Walker, Kentucky, 6-6, 348, So., Detroit
LB — Dallas Turner, Alabama, 6-4, 252, Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida
LB — Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M, 6-3, 230, Jr., Covington, Louisiana
LB — Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State, grad, 6-2, 245, Maplesville, Alabama
CB — Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri, 5-11, 178, Jr., Mobile, Alabama
CB — Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama, 6-1, 195, Jr., Birmingham, Ala.
S — Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-1, 205, So., Jefferson, Georgia
S — Jaylin Simpson, Auburn, 6-1, 178, Sr., Brunswick, Georgia
P — Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt, 6-1, 187, grad, West Adelaide, Australia

Second Team AP All-SEC

Offense

WR — Xavier Legette, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Sr., Mullins, South Carolina
WR — Brian Thomas, LSU, 6-4, 205, Jr., Walker, Louisiana
T — Will Campbell, LSU, 6-6, 325, So., Monroe, Louisiana
T — Gunner Britton, Auburn, 6-6, 312, Sr., Conway, South Carolina
G — Joshua Braun, Arkansas, 6-6, 348, Jr., Live Oak, Florida
G — Cam’Ron Johnson, Missouri, 6-4, 305, Jr., Houston
C — Cooper Mays, Tennessee, 6-3, 305, Sr., Knoxville, Tennessee
TE — Rivaldo Fairweather, 6-4, 251, Jr., Lauderhill, Florida
QB — Jalen Milroe, Alabama, 6-2, 220, So., Katy, Texas
RB — Quinshon Judkins, Mississippi, 5-11, 210, So., Pike Road, Alabama
RB — Jaylen Wright, Tennessee, 5-11, 210, Jr., Durham, North Carolina
PK — Harrison Mevis, Missouri, 5-11, 243, Sr., Warsaw, Indiana
All-Purpose — t-Barion Brown, Kentucky, 6-1, 166, So., Nashville; Xavier Legette, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Sr., Mullins, South Carolina

Defense

DE — Princely Umanmielen, 6-5, 255, Jr., Manor, Texas
DE — Landon Jackson, Arkansas, 6-7, 281, Texarkana, Texas
DT — Justin Eboigbe, Alabama, 6-5, 292, Sr., Forest Park, Georgia
DT — Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia, 6-3, 320, Sr., Stone Mountain, Georgia
LB — Jett Johnson, Mississippi State, 6-2, 230, grad, Tupelo, Mississippi
LB — Chris Braswell, Alabama, 6-3, 255, Sr., Baltimore, Maryland
LB — Debo Williams, South Carolina, 6-1, 232, Jr., Smyrna, Delaware
CB — Terrion Arnold, Alabama, 6-0, 196, So., Tallahassee, Florida
CB — Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky, 6-0, 196, So., West Bloomfield, Michigan
S — Javon Bullard, Georgia, 5-11, 195, Jr., Milledgeville, Georgia
S — Caleb Downs, Alabama, 6-0, 203, Fr., Hoschton, Georgia
P — Jeremy Chrawshaw, Florida, 6-4, 200, Jr., New South Wales, Australia