Hits and Misses from SEC Media's All-Conference Teams

The SEC wrapped up media days this week by unveiling the media's preseason All-Conference teams, and they make a lot more sense than their championship picks.

Georgia running back Nick Chubb, Florida defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III and Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland led the way in voting for the three All-SEC teams.

Defending SEC champion Alabama had six first-team selections, which were the most among any of the conference's 14 schools. The lone school left off the three teams for the second straight year was struggling Vanderbilt.

While the media voting seemed to have a great grasp on the top talent in the SEC, there were a few surprising omissions and slides down to the second and third teams, judging from the players' 2014 output and potential for the upcoming season.

Here are the three preseason All-SEC teams and the biggest hits and misses on this year's squads.

The Teams

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Florida DB Vernon Hargreaves III

Before we break down the hits and misses, take a look at all three of the media's preseason All-SEC teams. Number of votes—the highest possible was 194—are shown in parentheses.

First Team

Offense

• QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (170)
• RB Nick Chubb, Georgia (189)
• RB Leonard Fournette, LSU (180)
• WR Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss (159)
• WR D'haquille Williams, Auburn (154)
• TE Evan Engram, Ole Miss (128)
• OL Cam Robinson, Alabama (167)
• OL Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss (159)
• OL Vadal Alexander, LSU (131)
• OL John Theus, Georgia (129)
• C Ryan Kelly, Alabama (144)

Defense

• DL Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss (173)
• DL A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama (160)
• DL Myles Garrett, Texas A&M (155)
• DL Carl Lawson, Auburn (131)
• LB Reggie Ragland, Alabama (181)
• LB Jordan Jenkins, Georgia (121)
• LB Curt Maggitt, Tennessee (102)
• DB Vernon Hargreaves, Florida (186)
• DB Cyrus Jones, Alabama (126)
• DB Jonathan Jones, Auburn (122)
• DB Jalen Mills, LSU (118)

Specialists

• P JK Scott, Alabama (161)
• K Marshall Morgan, Georgia (100)
• RET Speedy Noil, Texas A&M (117)
• AP Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina (112)

Second Team

Offense

• QB Jeremy Johnson, Auburn (89)
• RB Derrick Henry, Alabama (151)
• RB Jonathan Williams, Arkansas (82)
• WR Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina (147)
• WR De'Runnya Wilson, Mississippi State (59)
• TE Hunter Henry, Arkansas (97)
• OL Germain Ifedi, Texas A&M (124)
• OL Dan Skipper, Arkansas (95)
• OL Denver Kirkland, Arkansas (85)
• OL Greg Pyke, Georgia (83)
• C Mike Matthews, Texas A&M (108)

Defense

• DL Jonathan Bullard, Florida (115)
• DL Derek Barnett, Tennessee (105)
• DL Jonathan Allen, Alabama (99)
• DL Chris Jones, Mississippi State (93)
• LB Kendell Beckwith, LSU (93)
• LB Leonard Floyd, Georgia (92)
• LB Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn (80)
• DB Tony Conner, Ole Miss (117)
• DB Cameron Sutton, Tennessee (115)
• DB Will Redmond, Mississippi State (79)
• DB Tre'Davious White, LSU (61)

Specialists

• P Drew Kaser, Texas A&M (92)
• K Elliott Fry, South Carolina (87)
• RET Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina (75)
• AP Leonard Fournette, LSU (85)

Third Team

Offense

• QB Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee (62)
• RB Alex Collins, Arkansas (80)
• RB Kenyan Drake, Alabama (34)
• WR Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia (50)
• WR Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M (39)
• TE O.J. Howard, Alabama (87)
• OL Sebastian Tretola, Arkansas (72)
• OL Alex Kozan, Auburn (69)
• OL Avery Young, Auburn (57)
• OL Brandon Shell, South Carolina (50)
• C Evan Boehm, Missouri (81)

Defense

• DL Montravius Adams, Auburn (90)
• DL Jarran Reed, Alabama (60)
• DL Davon Godchaux, LSU (40)
• DL Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss (34)
• LB Kris Frost, Auburn (77)
• LB Antonio Morrison, Florida (66)
• LB Kentrell Brothers, Missouri (61)
• DB A.J. Stamps, Kentucky (59)
• DB Eddie Jackson, Alabama (58)
• DB Jamal Adams, LSU (56)
• DB Johnathan Ford, Auburn (52)

Specialists

• P Jamie Keehn, LSU (52)
• K Austin MacGinnis, Kentucky (59)
• RET Leonard Fournette, LSU (66)
• AP Speedy Noil, Texas A&M (84)

Hit: Order of the Backfield

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott

The SEC first-team backfield consists of the conference's top three candidates for the Heisman Trophy, according to the latest odds from Odds Shark, in Dak Prescott, Nick Chubb and Leonard Fournette. Perhaps the only issue one could have with these votes is how five people thought Chubb wasn't one of the two best running backs in the conference.

Jeremy Johnson, a rare non-returning starter at SEC media days, is tied with Fournette in Heisman odds, so it's no surprise to see the junior Auburn quarterback make the second-team list. Derrick Henry's stats were close to Fournette's, and Jonathan Williams had the fourth-most yards per game in the SEC last season.

A welcome nod on the third team belongs to Alabama's versatile back Kenyan Drake, whom Bleacher Report's Christopher Walsh said is possibly faster than he was before he broke his leg last season. Alex Collins rounds out the running back list, and Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs' promising end to 2014 makes him a great choice here for the third team.

Miss: No Demarcus Robinson at WR

John Raoux/Associated Press

Florida WR Demarcus Robinson

To put it bluntly, one of the SEC's best receivers from last season simply didn't get on any of the three teams. Demarcus Robinson, who ranked third among returning receivers in yards per game in 2014, was voted behind De'Runnya Wilson, Malcolm Mitchell and Josh Reynolds.

Through a bad quarterback situation, Robinson stood out as one of the league's best wideouts a season ago. He even had more receiving touchdowns than first-teamer Williams, and Florida struggled with putting the ball in the end zone in any form or fashion throughout 2014.

Robinson's talent showed last year on an abysmal offense. He should have grabbed at least a third-team nod over Mitchell, who had only 248 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season in nine games of action.

Miss: Laquon Treadwell and D'haquille Williams over Pharoh Cooper at WR

Associated Press

South Carolina WR Pharoh Cooper

No disrespect to Laquon Treadwell or D'haquille Williams, who each have intriguing claims as the SEC's top receiver, but Pharoh Cooper's omission from the first team is puzzling.

Cooper was second in the SEC only to Heisman finalist Amari Cooper in receiving yards last season, and his 16.5 yards-per-catch mark was the best of any league receiver with more than 40 receptions. Statistically, he's the top returning receiver in the conference.

The debate on which receiver doesn't belong in the first team should be between Treadwell and Williams. With his 2014 output, Cooper deserves a spot as one of the top two wideouts in the league.

Hit: First-Team Offensive Line

Associated Press

Ole Miss OL Laremy Tunsil

As the vote breakdown shows, there seemed to be a general consensus of who the five best offensive linemen in the SEC are heading into the fall.

Cam Robinson and Laremy Tunsil were no-brainer picks on this line, especially considering the All-American buzz they received last season and this current preseason. Ryan Kelly's experience at center for the defending SEC champions made him an easy selection, and Vadal Alexander continues to be one of highest-rated offensive linemen in the league.

The only debate here was among Georgia's veteran offensive line and Texas A&M's Germain Ifedi. Both John Theus and Greg Pyke had solid claims to be first-team choices from the Bulldogs, and Ifedi came the closest to challenging for Theus' spot. With the success of Georgia's offensive line last season, picking Theus over the talented Ifedi is a reasonable call by the SEC media.

Miss: Marshall Morgan and Elliott Fry over Austin MacGinnis at K

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky K Austin MacGinnis

By almost every measurable statistic for kickers, Austin MacGinnis was the best in the conference last season. Yet the Kentucky kicker is behind a pair of specialists at better programs on these preseason teams.

MacGinnis led the SEC in made field goals per game last season and had the best percentage of makes among kickers who attempted at least 20 kicks. He drilled a school-record 54-yarder in a loss to Tennessee, showing range that few in the conference have.

The young Wildcat was consistent for a rebuilding Kentucky program in 2014 and will continue to improve in 2015. MacGinnis should be the top choice here, and putting him on the third team is quite a shock after his consensus first-team place at the end of last year.

Hit: First-Team Defense

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama LB Reggie Ragland

It's hard to find a quarrel anywhere on the SEC's first-team defense. Florida's Vernon Hargreaves III and Alabama's Reggie Ragland were the locks on this team, along with defensive linemen Robert Nkemdiche, A'Shawn Robinson and Myles Garrett.

Tennessee's Derek Barnett and Florida's Jonathan Bullard had a shot to crack the fourth spot on the defensive line, but a healthy Carl Lawson in Will Muschamp's system has the potential to be one of the most feared pass-rushers in the entire conference. Georgia's Jordan Jenkins and Tennessee's Curt Maggitt deserve their linebacker spots for the work they did in opposing backfields last season.

The secondary could have been controversial with the amount of talent in the conference this season. Cyrus Jones, Jonathan Jones and Jalen Mills are the most experienced defensive backs on their respective teams and all had great all-around stat lines last season. Ole Miss' Tony Conner finished just one vote shy of Mills, but it's not a complete outrage to see the LSU defensive back get the slight nod.

Miss: No Isaiah McKenzie at Returner

John Raoux/Associated Press

Georgia WR Isaiah McKenzie

The three return specialists on these preseason teams combined for one special teams touchdown last season—Fournette's kick return score against Notre Dame.

Georgia's Isaiah McKenzie, on the other hand, returned a total of three kicks or punts for touchdowns in 2014 and is the top returning player in the conference in punt-return average. The numbers put him as one of the SEC's best special teams weapon, if not the best weapon, yet he doesn't show up on these three teams.

Pharoh Cooper's spot as the second-team return specialist is a bit of a head-scratcher. He had only 15 punt returns last season for 75 total yards. Cooper has potential as a better return man this season, but he should have been left off in favor of McKenzie.

All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.

Justin Ferguson is an on-call college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.