2014 SEC Football All-Conference Team
For a few weeks, three SEC teams were in the College Football Playoff rankings. As the dust settled, though, only one—Alabama—remained standing at season's end.
The Crimson Tide was led this year by wide receiver who, not surprisingly, will be in New York City as a Heisman finalist.
He wasn't the only SEC player to put together a fantastic season in 2014.
Who were the best of the best? Our 2014 All-SEC team is in this slideshow.
Quarterback
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Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
While Alabama's Blake Sims, Ole Miss' Bo Wallace and others had fantastic seasons, nobody burst onto the scene more in 2014 than Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott.
The junior dual-threat stud for the Bulldogs combined for 38 touchdowns (24 passing, 13 rushing, one receiving), leading his team to the No. 1 ranking for the first time in program history. Prescott found himself in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race in the middle of the season, before losses to Alabama and Ole Miss relegated him to the back of the Heisman field.
That shouldn't take anything away from what he did this season, though. After playing well last season in place of injured starter Tyler Russell, Prescott's emergence allowed head coach Dan Mullen to run the offense he was hired to run this season. You know, the one he was successful with at Florida with Tim Tebow?
Whether it was through the air or on the ground, Prescott made the Bulldogs offense tick in 2014, and is the biggest reason they're playing in the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1941.
Running Back
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Auburn RB Cameron Artis-Payne
No Tre Mason? No problem for Auburn running back Cameron Artis-Payne.
All the senior did for Auburn this season was lead the SEC with 1,482 yards and score 11 touchdowns for the potent Tigers offense, sharing the running duties with quarterback Nick Marshall and several other specialists. He slimmed down a little bit last offseason and, as a result, was a more complete back in 2014.
Whether it was between the tackles or in space, Artis-Payne was a true all-purpose back that made head coach Gus Malzahn's multidimensional offense tick.
Georgia RB Nick Chubb
Much like Artis-Payne, Georgia running back Nick Chubb filled in for a legend too—only his situation was a much more unexpected than Auburn's.
When star running back Todd Gurley was suspended for four games for taking money for autographs and then tore his ACL late in the season, Georgia's running game didn't miss a beat thanks to Chubb. All he did was rush for 1,281 yards and 12 touchdowns, and keep the Bulldogs in the SEC East mix late in the season.
He's already a superstar in Athens, and he will be in the Heisman mix for at least the next two seasons.
Wide Receiver
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Alabama WR Amari Cooper
The Heisman Trophy is a quarterback-driven award, but if you're looking for the most valuable player in college football in 2014, it's Amari Cooper.
And it's not even close.
Cooper set the SEC single-season record with 115 receptions for 1,656 yards and 14 touchdowns, and he was the safety net new quarterback Blake Sims needed early in the season as he settled into the role. He allowed new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin to bring Sims along slowly, and it has paid off, as the Crimson Tide won its 24th SEC title and will play Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl semifinal.
Missouri WR Bud Sasser
With L'Damian Washington and Marcus Lucas gone and Dorial Green-Beckham dismissed, Missouri needed a true No. 1 wide receiver to step up for quarterback Maty Mauk, who entered his first full season as the Missouri starting quarterback.
Bud Sasser was that guy.
Sasser finished the season with 70 catches for 935 yards and 10 touchdowns, as Missouri won its second straight SEC East title and earned a Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl berth.
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Tight End
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Ole Miss TE Evan Engram
If you're looking for the most prolific pass-catching tight end in the SEC, look no further than Ole Miss' Evan Engram.
The sophomore caught 37 passes for 651 yards and two touchdowns this season. More importantly for Engram, when wide receiver Laquon Treadwell was lost for the season in the Auburn game, he stepped up. Engram had five catches for 176 yards in the Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State—which was his third 100-yard game of the season, all of which came against SEC opponents.
At 6'3", 227 pounds with sneaky speed, Engram presents matchup problems for linebackers and safeties who line up against him.
Offensive Linemen
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LSU OT La'el Collins
La'el Collins was one of the biggest bright spots for LSU's offense this year.
Part of the success of the Tigers running backs—specifically freshman Leonard Fournette—can be credited to Collins' ability to be a punishing run-blocker who gets downfield and opens gaping holes for backs to run through. He provided fantastic protection for quarterback Anthony Jennings against some of the most fearsome pass rushers in the country, and will likely be a high draft pick in next season's NFL draft.
Alabama OT Cam Robinson
There are a lot of monikers that can be given to Alabama, and "Offensive Tackle U" is rapidly becoming one of the most appropriate.
No Cyrus Kouandjio? No problem. Here's 5-star true freshman Cam Robinson for the job.
While quarterback Blake Sims, running back T.J. Yeldon, wide receiver Amari Cooper and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin got all of the offensive glory, it was Robinson who did the dirty work that allowed all of those skill players to shine.
Mississippi State OG Ben Beckwith
Beckwith, a former walk-on, was an integral part of Mississippi State's success in 2014.
The duo of quarterback Dak Prescott and Josh Robinson evolved into a dangerous tandem this season, and it was Beckwith doing the work inside to open those holes between the tackles. According to Michael Bonner of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, he became third Mississippi State player in history to win the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week award three times in the same season.
It's safe to say he earned that scholarship.
Alabama OG Arie Kouandjio
The older brother of former Crimson Tide tackle Cyrus Kouandjio capped off his career with a fantastic season at the Capstone.
After looking like more of a liability late last season, the elder Kouandjio stepped up his game as a senior, opening gaping holes for running backs T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry and preventing pressure up the middle from getting to first-year starting quarterback Blake Sims.
Auburn C Reese Dismukes
In his senior season on the Plains, Dismukes has been a big reason the multidimensional Auburn rushing attack has been so successful in head coach Gus Malzahn's first two seasons.
Whether it's changing the pass protection at the line or opening holes for Auburn's small village of capable rushers, Dismukes is the biggest reason the offense clicks. Without him, Malzahn's power rushing spread attack would struggle between the tackles.
That's the first step of the process.
Defensive Linemen
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Missouri DE Shane Ray
The names may change, but the product remains the same for Missouri's defense.
After spending last season as a rotational defensive end behind Michael Sam and Kony Ealy, Shane Ray exploded in 2014 to lead the SEC with 14 sacks and become one of the most feared pass-rushers in the entire country.
Combined with fellow defensive end Markus Golden, the Missouri pass rush again got pressure with four, rattled opposing quarterbacks and was the biggest reason the Tigers repeated as SEC East champs.
Tennessee DE Derek Barnett
There's a massive youth movement on Rocky Top, and one of the biggest stars of it is Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett.
All Barnett did is notch 10 sacks, making him one of two freshman—the other being Texas A&M's Myles Garrett—to surpass former South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney's SEC freshman record, which was eight.
What sets Barnett apart from Garrett is that he's a more complete defensive end. He finished second in the SEC with 20.5 tackles for loss, made a living in the opposing backfield and will be a bit part of head coach Butch Jones' rebuilding effort for years to come.
Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche
The former No. 1 overall prospect became a force at defensive tackle in his first full season inside for the Ole Miss Rebels.
The sophomore finished the season with 33 tackles, three of which for a loss. But while his presence wasn't always felt on the stat sheet, it was routinely felt in the backfield.
A quarterback's worst nightmare is pressure up the middle, and Nkemdiche's speed and athleticism routinely helped him move the opposing quarterback out of the pocket and forced mistakes that his secondary capitalized on.
Alabama DT A'Shawn Robinson
Alabama finished with the best run defense in the SEC (88.69 yards per game), and A'Shawn Robinson's work in the middle of the defensive line is a big reason why.
Statistically, he isn't going to jump off the page—although he did have 47 tackles this season.
His work was best proven by Missouri's offensive game plan in the SEC Championship Game. You don't win going East/West against Alabama, but the Tigers felt like they had to because Robinson had the middle of the line on lockdown. Despite being run away from for the the entire game, Robinson still managed nine tackles against the Tigers.
That will work nicely.
Linebackers
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Florida LB Antonio Morrison
The starter at "Will" linebacker, Morrison finished the season with a team-high 98 tackles and was a big part of a Gators defense that kept them in a lot of games that, considering the offense woes, they had no business being in.
The 6'1", 225-pounder had six tackles for loss and also picked off a pass.
He may check out his NFL draft options after the Birmingham Bowl, but if he comes back, new head coach Jim McElwain will have a nice piece to rely on in his first season in Gainesville.
Arkansas LB Martrell Spaight
Quick, who was the SEC's leading tackler during the 2014 season?
It would probably take you a while to land on Arkansas linebacker Martrell Spaight, but he is the correct answer. Spaight finished the season with an SEC-best 123 tackles in 2014, 8.5 of which were for a loss.
The Hogs defense came on strong late and the broke an SEC losing streak that lasted two calendar years, shutting out LSU and Ole Miss in back-to-back contests.
Spaight was the biggest reason why.
Missouri LB Kentrell Brothers
Brothers can play middle or outside linebacker and played well outside this year for the SEC champion Missouri Tigers.
He finished the season with 117 tackles—second only behind Spaight in the SEC. He had five tackles for loss, four pass breakups and three forced fumbles, as the Tigers rode their defense to Atlanta for the second time in as many years.
Defensive Backs
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Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III
Vernon Hargreaves III had only two picks this season, but that's because most quarterbacks wouldn't dare test him outside.
The sophomore finished the season with 13 pass breakups and 45 tackles, proving that he's not only a good cover corner, but also not afraid to stick his nose in and help out against the run from time to time.
New coach Jim McElwain likely only has one more year of Hargreaves' services before he heads on to the NFL, but that's a nice way to bridge the gap to the new regime.
Ole Miss CB Senquez Golson
In a secondary that's loaded with stars, Ole Miss cornerback Senquez Golson shined the brightest. The senior led the conference with nine interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
He benefited tremendously from the emergence of Robert Nkemdiche up front, who routinely generated pressure up the middle and forced mistakes from opposing quarterbacks.
In that "landshark" defense, Golson was Jaws in the midst of a feeding frenzy.
Alabama S Landon Collins
When it comes to all-around safeties, there's nobody better than Alabama's Landon Collins.
The junior for the Crimson Tide had three picks, 90 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and six pass breakups, helping lead the Alabama defense to its 24th SEC title.
Whether it was in coverage or stepping up to stop the run, Collins proved to be the best all-around safety in the conference—which is something that has become a trend for safeties at the Capstone.
Ole Miss S Cody Prewitt
Ole Miss safety Cody Prewitt is one of the hardest hitters in all of college football.
He's the kind of player who you don't want to turn your back on, because he will knock your teeth in.
The senior passed on the NFL last season to come back and lead Ole Miss to a 9-3 record, an Egg Bowl win and a berth in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against TCU—capping off one of the best seasons in recent Ole Miss history.
Prewitt finished with 41 tackles and two picks, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
Specialists
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Missouri KR Marcus Murphy
Marcus Murphy doubles as the change-up running back for the Missouri Tigers. When it comes to special teams, though, he's No. 1 on the returner depth chart.
Murphy returned 24 punts for 273 yards and a touchdown, while also returning 16 kickoffs for 478 yards and two touchdowns for the two-time SEC East winners.
Florida PK Francisco Velez
When you have an offense that's as lethargic as Florida's was, you need a reliable kicker.
Francisco Velez is just that.
Velez connected on 12 of his 14 field-goal attempts and 30 of his 31 extra-point attempts, helping the Gators reach a bowl game. That may not seem like a lot for the Florida program, but with the offense it had, that's quite a feat.
Alabama P JK Scott
When it comes to punting, there's nobody better in the SEC than Alabama's JK Scott.
The freshman averaged 46.98 yards per punt and, according to Alabama's stats, 26 of his punts came to rest inside the 20-yard-line.
Football is still a field-position game, and Scott helps Alabama win the field-position battle nearly every game.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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