Hits and Misses from 2015 Preseason Coaches All-SEC Team
While the barrage of watch lists and all-conference squads ended last month, the coaches of the SEC play by their own rules.
On Tuesday, the conference unveiled its three coaches' All-SEC teams, which were voted on by the league's 14 head men.
Alabama and LSU led the way with 10 selections each, while every team in the SEC boasted at least a pair of players on the trio of squads.
The coaches' teams, as usual, differed in a few ways from the ones those who cover the conference put out at SEC media days. Most of the conference's stars made the first team, but a few who were higher up in the eyes of the media slid down a few spots—or out of the three teams altogether.
Here are some notable hits and misses from the coaches All-SEC teams. Sound off on how the ones in the headsets voted in the comments below.
The Teams
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Before we break down the hits and misses, here are all three of the preseason teams that were voted on by the coaches of the SEC.
First Team
Offense
- QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi State
- RB Nick Chubb, Georgia
- RB Leonard Fournette, LSU
- WR Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina
- WR Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss
- TE Evan Engram, Ole Miss
- OL Cam Robinson, Alabama
- OL Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss
- OL Vadal Alexander, LSU
- OL John Theus, Georgia
- C Mike Matthews, Texas A&M
Defense
- DL Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss
- DL A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama
- DL Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
- DL Chris Jones, Mississippi State
- LB Reggie Ragland, Alabama
- LB Jordan Jenkins, Georgia
- LB Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
- DB Vernon Hargreaves, Florida
- DB Cyrus Jones, Alabama
- DB Jonathan Jones, Auburn
- DB Jalen Mills, LSU
Specialists
- P JK Scott, Alabama
- K Marshall Morgan, Georgia
- RET Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina
- AP Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina
Second Team
Offense
- QB Maty Mauk, Missouri
- RB Derrick Henry, Alabama
- RB Alex Collins, Arkansas
- WR D'haquille Williams, Auburn
- WR Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia
- TE Hunter Henry, Arkansas
- OL Germain Ifedi, Texas A&M
- OL Dan Skipper, Arkansas
- OL Denver Kirkland, Arkansas
- OL Greg Pyke, Georgia
- C Ryan Kelly, Alabama
Defense
- DL Jonathan Bullard, Florida
- DL Derek Barnett, Tennessee
- DL Jonathan Allen, Alabama
- DL Montravius Adams, Auburn
- LB Kendell Beckwith, LSU
- LB Antonio Morrison, Florida
- LB Kentrell Brothers, Missouri
- DB Tony Conner, Ole Miss
- DB Cameron Sutton, Tennessee
- DB Will Redmond, Mississippi State
- DB Tre'Davious White, LSU
Specialists
- P Jamie Keehn, LSU
- K Austin MacGinnis, Kentucky
- RET Leonard Fournette, LSU and Isaiah McKenzie, Georgia (tie)
- AP Leonard Fournette, LSU
Third Team
Offense
- QB Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee and Jeremy Johnson, Auburn (tie)
- RB Jonathan Williams, Arkansas
- RB Russell Hansbrough, Missouri
- RB Kelvin Taylor, Florida
- WR Demarcus Robinson, Florida; Travin Dural, LSU; and Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M (tie)
- TE O.J. Howard, Alabama
- OL Sebastian Tretola, Arkansas
- OL Alex Kozan, Auburn
- OL Devonte Danzey, Auburn
- OL Brandon Shell, South Carolina and Jordan Swindle, Kentucky (tie)
- C Evan Boehm, Missouri
Defense
- DL Carl Lawson, Auburn
- DL Ryan Brown, Mississippi State
- DL Davon Godchaux, LSU
- DL Caleb Azubike, Vanderbilt
- LB Leonard Floyd, Georgia
- LB Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn
- LB Lorenzo Carter, Georgia
- DB A.J. Stamps, Kentucky
- DB Eddie Jackson, Alabama
- DB Rohan Gaines, Arkansas
- DB Trae Elston, Ole Miss
- DB Johnathan Ford, Auburn
Specialists
- P Drew Kaser, Texas A&M
- K Elliott Fry, South Carolina
- RET Darrius Sims, Vanderbilt and Speedy Noil, Texas A&M (tie)
- AP Speedy Noil, Texas A&M
Hit: First-Team Backfield
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Just like the SEC media did earlier this offseason, the league's coaches nailed the first-team backfield without any problem.
With so many teams changing quarterbacks this season, a veteran starter such as Dak Prescott should be the clear-cut choice for the top signal-caller in the SEC. He could single-handedly keep Mississippi State in the SEC West discussion this season—few other players in college football mean as much to their teams as this senior.
(Maty Mauk over Jeremy Johnson and Joshua Dobbs, on the other hand, is up for great debate.)
Nick Chubb and Leonard Fournette were also easy calls at running back, especially with the unbelievable numbers Chubb put up last season as a true freshman. There may be some debate with putting Fournette over Alex Collins, but the star sophomore has better Heisman odds than even Prescott, according to Odds Shark. That's especially impressive for what's basically a quarterback award.
Hit: Pharoh Cooper as First-Team WR
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The SEC media somehow failed to put Pharoh Cooper on the first team this year, despite the South Carolina wide receiver finishing second to Amari Cooper in receiving last season.
The league's coaches, though, got it right with putting the star Gamecock as a first-team wide receiver. He and Ole Miss' Laquon Treadwell had more receptions last season than D'haquille Williams, who was relegated to the second team. The do-it-all Cooper will be an even bigger part of South Carolina's offense this fall.
"He can play receiver, shotgun, quarterback, throw, run," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said at SEC media days, per Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee. "He's really an All-American type player."
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Miss: Pharoh Cooper as First-Team Returner
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While the first-team nod for Cooper at wide receiver was great, the same spot for him at returner was downright confusing.
Cooper had 15 punt returns for 75 yards and zero touchdowns last season. That's it. Every other return man on the teams—Isaiah McKenzie, Leonard Fournette, Speedy Noil and Darrius Sims—have had way more success on special teams than Cooper did.
Now, he could definitely be a huge weapon on returns this season, especially if he takes over kick return duties again. The potential is there for two-way success in Columbia. But, right now, several other SEC stars were more deserving for their special teams prowess.
Miss: Mike Matthews over Ryan Kelly at C
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The lone surprise on the first-team offensive line came at center, where Texas A&M's Mike Matthews grabbed a spot over Alabama's Ryan Kelly. While the Aggies center is definitely one of the best linemen in the conference, Kelly has seen more success up front.
According to his bio on Alabama's official website, Kelly "missed just seven assignments in 806 snaps on the year for a 99.1 percent success rate" and did not allow a single sack all season. Also, Kelly is a multiyear starter on an Alabama offense that put up more yards and points per game last season than the high-powered attack in College Station.
Kelly's leadership and experience on the Alabama offensive line are going to be crucial for the Tide's playoff hopes, and he'll most likely be in the running for All-American honors this season. His resume is better than the one from Matthews, so it's a surprise he didn't get the nod here.
Miss: No Avery Young at OL
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While fans can debate on whether a player was snubbed by being placed on the third team compared to the second team, Auburn supporters have a genuine gripe about the absence of one star altogether—offensive tackle Avery Young.
The junior is a big-time pro prospect on the offensive line with 25 career starts in three different positions for the Tigers. According to Brandon Marcello of AL.com, 30-year coaching veteran J.B. Grimes says Young is one of the best game players he's ever coached.
Young was left off all three teams in favor of two of his fellow teammates on the offensive line—Alex Kozan, who missed all of 2014 after back surgery, and Devonte Danzey, who has made seven career starts.
Miss: Chris Jones on First-Team Defense
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The first-team defense that the SEC coaches came up with looks almost perfect—the linebacker choices and the secondary don't have a surprise inclusion or exclusion. But one of the defensive linemen, Mississippi State's Chris Jones, was a head-scratcher.
Jones is a versatile and talented lineman for the Bulldogs, but he had zero starts last season and recorded just 3.5 tackles for loss. His sophomore campaign wasn't as strong as the one that made him a freshman All-American, to say the least, as he recorded twice as many tackles for loss two years ago while starting three different games.
Jones' body of work just doesn't quite stack up to that of other second- and third-team defensive linemen, including Alabama's Jonathan Allen, Tennessee's Derek Barnett and Florida's Jonathan Bullard. Jones could bounce back to have a bigger season in 2015, but his play doesn't scream "first-team All-SEC."
Miss: Marshall Morgan over Austin MacGinnis at K
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As I wrote in the hits and misses from the media's All-SEC teams, Kentucky kicker Austin MacGinnis deserves more credit for what he did last season with the Wildcats. He wasn't on the third team this time, but he should've jumped one more spot to No. 1.
The Alabama native led the SEC in field goals made last season with 27 and drilled an impressive 54-yarder against Tennessee. His percentage was the best of any conference kicker with at least 20 field-goal attempts, and he was also one of five players to nail every one of his extra-point attempts.
MacGinnis was better than Georgia's Marshall Morgan in every kicking category last season, and he will continue to play a big role for the Wildcats in their push to become bowl-eligible.
Hit: Putting Vanderbilt Players on the Teams
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This list has had a lot of negativity with five straight misses, so let's close it with some positive thoughts toward a program that needs them—Vanderbilt. The Commodores missed out on getting a player to the media's All-SEC teams, but the coaches were higher on the last-place squad.
"All 14 members of the SEC manage to be represented, because that would have really stunk for Vanderbilt if they couldn’t make the cut," Kevin McGuire of CollegeFootballTalk wrote. "It is the college football preseason equivalent to participation trophies."
Darrius Sims had two kick returns for touchdowns last season and a better average in yardage than fellow third-teamer Speedy Noil of Texas A&M. Teammate Caleb Azubike had less reason to be on these teams, but he was a versatile leader for the Vanderbilt defense at defensive end and outside linebacker.
Even though Vanderbilt will most likely finish at the bottom of the league again, it's good to see the Commodores represented on here—unless you really hate participation trophies.
All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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