July 18, 2013
HOOVER, Ala. – A record number of media voters predicted four Commodores to earn All-Southeastern Conference honors this season during SEC Media Days at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham.
Wide receiver Jordan Matthews and place kicker Carey Spear were chosen as first-team honorees, while cornerback Andre Hal was named to the second team and offensive lineman Wesley Johnson was a third-team selection. Nearly 250 votes were cast by the media assembled in Birmingham, who will greet Matthews, Hal, Johnson and Head Coach James Franklin when the Commodores attend SEC Media Days this morning.
Matthews ranks as the SEC’s active leader with 150 career catches and 2,282 receiving yards. The senior from Madison, Ala.–located less than 100 miles north of Birmingham–was one of two Commodores announced to the Biletnikoff Award watch list earlier this week, along with redshirt-junior Chris Boyd.
Spear posted Vanderbilt’s best-ever season by a kicker in 2012, hitting 20-of-24 field goal attempts (83.3 percent) to lead all SEC kickers (minimum 12 attempts). The Mayfield Village, Ohio, native’s 20 made field goals set a new single-season team record. One of 30 kickers on the 2013 Lou Groza watch list, Spear was a perfect 15-of-15 from inside 44 yards last season.
Hal has landed on three prestigious watch lists in the past week, becoming a candidate for the Thorpe Award (best defensive back), the Nagurski Trophy and the Bednarik Award (both for national defensive player of the year). A native of Port Allen, La., Hal finished last year second among all SEC defensive backs with 16 passes defended.
Johnson–considered one of the nation’s most versatile linemen–has been named to watch lists for the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy. The senior has made 38 consecutive starts, tied for the most by any offensive lineman in the country.
Voting at SEC Media Days also included a predicted order of finish, with the Commodores chosen to place fourth in the SEC Eastern Division. Georgia and Alabama were predicted to win their respective divisions, with the Crimson Tide selected to repeat as SEC champions.
2013 PRE-SEASON MEDIA DAYS ALL-SEC TEAM
(243 voters – most voters in SEC Media Days history / * indicates tie)
OFFENSE
First-Team
QB-Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (119)
RB-T.J. Yeldon, Alabama (221)
RB-Todd Gurley, Georgia (206)
WR-Amari Cooper, Alabama (194)
WR-Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt (106)
TE-Arthur Lynch, Georgia (148)
OL-Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama (193)
OL-Jake Matthews, Texas A&M (176)
OL-Anthony Steen, Alabama (109)
OL-Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State (88)
C-Travis Swanson, Arkansas (92)
Second-Team
QB-AJ McCarron, Alabama (67)
RB-Tre Mason, Auburn (15)
RB -*LaDarius Perkins, Mississippi State (12)
RB-*Keith Marshall, Georgia (12)
WR-Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss ( 46)
WR-Mike Evans, Texas A&M (33)
TE-Rory Anderson, South Carolina (33)
OL-Antonio Richardson, Tennessee (76)
OL- Jon Halapio, Florida (51)
OL-Chris Burnette, Georgia (50)
OL-Ja’Wuan James, Tennessee (50)
C -Reese Dismukes, Auburn (33)
Third-Team
QB-Aaron Murray, Georgia (52)
RB-*Matt Jones, Florida (5)
RB-*Jeff Scott, Ole Miss (5)
RB-*Alfred Blue, LSU (5)
WR-Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia (28)
WR-Jarvis Landry, LSU (19)
TE-Brian Vogler, Alabama (18)
OL-La’el Collins, LSU (37)
OL-Josh Williford, LSU (30)
OL-Wesley Johnson, Vanderbilt (18)
OL-*A.J. Cann, South Carollina (14)
OL-*Zach Fulton, Tennessee (14)
C-*James Stone, Tennessee (30)
C-*Jonotthan Harrison, Florida (30)
DEFENSE
First-Team
DL-Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (223)
DL-Dominique Easley, Florida (162)
DL-Anthony Johnson, LSU (127)
DL-Chris Smith, Arkansas (56)
LB-C.J. Mosley, Alabama (231)
LB-A.J. Johnson, Tennessee (107)
LB-Denzel Nkemdiche, Ole Miss (94)
DB-Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama (203)
DB-Craig Loston, LSU (135)
DB-Loucheiz Purifoy, Florida (117)
DB-Deion Belue, Alabama (77)
Second-Team
DL-Xzavier Dickson, Alabama (49)
DL-Ed Stinson, Alabama (39)
DL-Dee Ford, Auburn (38)
DL- Jeoffrey Pagan, Alabama (31)
LB-Adrian Hubbard, Alabama (66)
LB-Jordan Jenkins, Georgia (64)
LB-Lamin Barrow, LSU (29)
DB-Damian Swann, Georgia (70)
DB-Andre Hal, Vanderbilt (69)
DB-Marcus Roberson, Florida (50)
DB-Vinnie Sunseri, Alabama (36)
Third-Team
DL-Garrison Smith, Georgia (26)
DL-Daniel McCullers, Tennessee (23)
DL-Alvin Dupree, Kentucky (23)
DL-C.J. Johnson, Ole Miss (22)
LB-Ronald Powell, Florida (24)
LB-Tahj Jones, LSU (20)
LB-*Trey DePriest, Alabama (16)
LB-*Avery Williamson, Kentucky (16)
DB-E.J. Gaines, Missouri (34)
DB-Charles Sawyer, Ole Miss (25)
DB-Jalen Mills, LSU (22)
DB-Chris Davis , Auburn (20)
SPECIALISTS
First-Team
P-Kyle Christy, Florida (108)
PK-Carey Spear, Vanderbilt (100)
RS-Odell Beckhman Jr., LSU (74)
AP-Bruce Ellington, South Carolina (69)
Second-Team
P-Cody Mandell, Alabama (54)
PK-Cody Parkey, Auburn (71)
RS-Bruce Ellington, South Carolina (62)
AP-Odell Beckhman Jr., LSU (44)
Third-Team
P-Steven Clark, Auburn (33)
PK-Zach Hocker, Arkansas (39)
RS-Andre Debose, Florida (53)
AP-Loucheiz Purifoy, Florida (36)
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
SEC CHAMPION
Alabama (182)
Georgia (38)
South Carolina (18)
Texas A&M (4)
LSU (1)
EASTERN DIVISION
Georgia (149) 1570
South Carolina (75) 1474
Florida (19) 1300
Vanderbilt 858
Tennessee 694
Missouri 577
Kentucky 331
WESTERN DIVISION
Alabama (225)1681
Texas A&M (11)1333
LSU (7) 1324
Ole Miss 883
Auburn 579
Mississippi State 516
Arkansas 488