ATLANTA – Four Vanderbilt players have been named to the Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference team, the most since the Commodores had as many in 2013, the media organization announced on Monday.
Wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb, tight end Jared Pinkney, running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn and cornerback Joejuan Williams were named second-team honorees. Vaughn also was selected as SEC Newcomer of the Year by a panel of AP sportswriters from across the Southeast.
Vaughn, who finished the regular season with 1,001 rushing yards and 10 touchdown, topped all SEC backs with a 7.0 yards/rush (min. 50 attempts). The redshirt junior also ranked among league’s most explosive players – topping all SEC backs with seven rushes of 40 or more yards and three rushes of 60 or more yards.
Pinkney authored one of the best seasons among SEC tight ends as a redshirt junior. He started all 12 games for Vanderbilt and finished second on the Dores’ roster in catches (45), receiving yards (698) and receiving touchdowns (seven).
Lipscomb topped all Commodore receivers with 81 receptions, good for 886 yards and nine touchdowns. The junior ranks among SEC top five in all three receiving categories. His receptions total is the fifth-highest season total in VU history.
Williams started every game and finished the regular season with several single-season career highs, including four interceptions, 15 passes defended, 44 solo tackles and 56 total tackles. Williams topped the SEC in passes defended and ranked second in interceptions.
Vanderbilt officially accepted an invitation Sunday to the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl in Houston, to be played Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium on ESPN. Vanderbilt will face Baylor of the Big 12 Conference.
