Preseason College Football 2024 All-SEC Team & Awards: Georgia and Texas Lead Most Talented Conference
The Bulldogs and Longhorns have the top talent in the SEC
The SEC profited from the recent conference re-alignment by adding Oklahoma and Texas. The Sooners still have some program building to do, but the Longhorns are poised to compete with the conference’s traditional powerhouses. The SEC is the most talent-heavy conference in the country.
Georgia is still the team to beat in the long-term. However, Kalen DeBoer added some nice transfers in the post-Nick Saban era, and Ole Miss’ dominated the transfer portal. The SEC will produce multiple College Football Playoff teams in 2024.
All-ACC Team l All-Big Ten Team
Please note that these teams don’t reflect how I view players as NFL prospects. Talent plays a role in these evaluations, but projected on-field performance and production are more meaningful.
*Indicates 2024 transfer
^Indicates true freshman
SEC Offensive Player of the Year: Carson Beck, QB Georgia
SEC Defensive Player of the Year: James Pearce Jr., Edge Tennessee
SEC Newcomer of the Year: Princely Umanmielen, Edge Ole Miss*
SEC Coach of the Year: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Several athletes will be in play for the Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY) and Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) awards because of the absence of established transcendent athletes like Will Anderson Jr. Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe will butt heads over OPOY while Walter Nolen, James Pearce Jr., Malaki Starks, Princely Umanmielen, Deone Walker, and Mykel Williams fill out a crowded DPOY race.
Umanmielen had some dominant flashes at Florida last year. His former teammate Trevor Etienne will also be in the Newcomer of the Year discussion, but players like Etienne and Isaiah Bond might lack the volume to win the award. Nolen and Raheim Sanders should also contend.
New SEC coaches Kalen DeBoer and Steve Sarkisian have paths to Coach of the Year if they can experience immediate success, but this is Smart’s award to lose for the foreseeable future.
First Team Offense
Quarterback: Carson Beck, QB Georgia
Running Back: Jarquez Hunter, RB Auburn
Running Back: Trevor Etienne, RB Georgia*
Wide Receiver: Luther Burden III, WR Missouri
Wide Receiver: Tre Harris, WR Ole Miss
Wide Receiver: Isaiah Bond, WR Texas*
Tight End: Oscar Delp, TE Georgia
All-Purpose: Barion Brown, WR Kentucky
Left Tackle: Will Campbell, LT LSU
Right Tackle: Armand Membou, RT Missouri
Left Guard: Tyler Booker, LG Alabama
Right Guard: Tate Ratledge, RG Georgia
Center: Jared Wilson, C Georgia
First Team Defense
Defensive End/Edge: James Pearce Jr., Edge Tennessee
Defensive End/Edge: Princely Umanmielen, Edge Ole Miss*
Defensive Tackle: Deone Walker, IDL Kentucky
Defensive Tackle: Walter Nolen, IDL Ole Miss*
Linebacker: Harold Perkins, LB LSU
Linebacker: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB Kentucky*
Linebacker: Anthony Hill Jr., LB Texas
Cornerback: Maxwell Hairston, CB Kentucky
Cornerback: Malik Muhammad, CB Texas
Safety: Malaki Starks, S Georgia
Safety: Billy Bowman Jr., S Oklahoma
Georgia leads the First Team with six total selections, including five on offense. The only programs in the same zip code are Kentucky (four), Ole Miss (three), and Texas (three). The other teams with multiple selections include LSU and Missouri (two).
Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, and Tennessee were all represented by one athlete, while Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt didn’t make appearances.
This distribution follows a similar trend to last year’s Preseason All-SEC Team. Georgia also led the way in 2023, followed by three programs with three or four selections. Four teams were shut out compared to six this year, but that development isn’t shocking considering the conference added Oklahoma and Texas.
The backbone of the Preseason All-SEC Teams is a handful of projected All-Americans and potential 2025 first round picks, including Carson Beck, Tyler Booker, Luther Burden III, Will Campbell, James Pearce Jr., Harold Perkins, Malaki Starks, and Deone Walker. Freshman All-American Anthony Hill Jr. and Walter Nolen also have the physical potential to be All-American candidates with the right mix of coaching and snaps.
Oddly enough, the SEC isn’t returning a single running back who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2023. There are transfers like Georgia State’s Marcus Carroll (added to Missouri) who accomplished the feat outside the conference, but Jarquez Hunter’s 909 rushing yards are the most by returning SEC players.
The SEC also only has one returning 1,000-yard receiver from 2023. The other three receivers who joined Luther Burden III in that club last year were top 32 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Beside Burden (1,212), Ole Miss’ Tre Harris (985) is the only returning SEC receiver who posted more than 900 yards in 2023.
The SEC has some talented pass rushers but not nearly as many proven products as the ACC. The only returning SEC defenders who ranked in the top 50 nationally (FBS only) for pressures in 2023 are Pearce (tied at 19th with 52), Walker (alone at 21st with 51), and Princely Umanmielen (tied at 33rd with 45). Nic Scourton (tied for 45th with 42 pressures) has joined the conference.
Starks (First Team), Burden (Second Team), and Tate Ratledge (Second Team) earned All-American honors from the Associated Press at the conclusion of last season. Additionally, Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman (who we’ll cover in a minute) was a Third Team All-American.
Second Team Offense
Quarterback: Jalen Milroe, QB Alabama
Running Back: Raheim Sanders, RB South Carolina*
Running Back: Montrell Johnson Jr., RB Florida
Wide Receiver: Antwane Wells Jr., WR Ole Miss*
Wide Receiver: Chris Brazzell II, WR Tennessee*
Wide Receiver: Kyren Lacy, WR LSU
Tight End: Caden Prieskorn, TE Ole Miss
All-Purpose: Jaydon Blue, RB Texas
Left Tackle: Kelvin Banks Jr., LT Texas
Right Tackle: Emery Jones Jr., RT LSU
Left Guard: Garrett Dellinger, LG LSU
Right Guard: Jaeden Roberts, RG Alabama
Center: Parker Brailsford, C Alabama*
Second Team Defense
Defensive End/Edge: Mykel Williams, Edge Georgia
Defensive End/Edge: Nic Scourton, Edge Texas A&M*
Defensive Tackle: T.J. Sanders, IDL South Carolina
Defensive Tackle: Shemar Turner, Edge/IDL Texas A&M
Linebacker: Smael Mondon Jr., LB Georgia
Linebacker: Danny Stutsman, LB Oklahoma
Linebacker: Deontae Lawson, LB Alabama
Cornerback: Trey Amos, CB Ole Miss*
Cornerback: Jason Marshall Jr., CB Florida
Safety: Keon Sabb, S Alabama*
Safety: Malachi Moore, S Alabama
Alabama surged on the Second Team with six total selections. LSU (three), Ole Miss (three), Florida (two), Georgia (two), South Carolina (two), Texas (two), and Texas A&M (two) also had multiple players earn selections. Oklahoma and Tennessee both had one selection, while Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri, and Vanderbilt didn’t make appearances.
The Second Team is an interesting collective of talent. Jalen Milroe is a potential Heisman Trophy candidate who carries the weight of the post-Nick Saban era on his shoulders. Raheim Sanders and Antwane Wells Jr. are former projected top 100 picks coming off seasons ruined by injuries, and Trey Amos, Chris Brazzell II, and Keon Sabb are talented transfers looking to see more volume and take their games to the next level.
The trenches are by far the strength of this squad. Kelvin Banks Jr. and Emery Jones Jr. are well-regarded future NFL players, and Parker Brailsford is fresh off a season winning the Joe Moore Award with Washington. Garrett Dellinger and Jaeden Roberts aren’t superstars, but they’re above-average college players. Also, Roberts is an athletic freak who squats 825 pounds, benches 525, and power cleans 405 according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.
Several underutilized members of the Second Team are eyeing big performances in 2024. Amos, who played under 350 defensive snaps at Alabama last year, rising true junior Jaydon Blue, and fifth-year senior Kyren Lacy are stepping into nationally coveted positions at premier programs. All three sat behind top NFL prospects last year. Now, it’s their time to shine.
Third Team Offense
Quarterback: Quinn Ewers, QB Texas
Running Back: Ulysses Bentley IV, RB Ole Miss
Running Back: Marcus Carroll, RB Missouri*
Wide Receiver: Eugene Wilson III, WR Florida
Wide Receiver: Nic Anderson, WR Oklahoma
Wide Receiver: Deion Burks, WR Oklahoma*
Tight End: Amari Niblack, TE Texas*
All-Purpose: Dillon Bell, WR Georgia
Left Tackle: Trey Zuhn III, LT Texas A&M
Right Tackle: Micah Pettus, RT Ole Miss
Left Guard: Dylan Fairchild, LG Georgia
Right Guard: Joshua Braun, RG Arkansas
Center: Cooper Mays, C Tennessee
Third Team Defense
Defensive End/Edge: Landon Jackson, Edge Arkansas
Defensive End/Edge: Trey Moore, Edge Texas*
Defensive Tackle: Tim Keenan III, IDL Alabama
Defensive Tackle: Nazir Stackhouse, IDL Georgia
Linebacker: Debo Williams, LB South Carolina
Linebacker: Eugene Asante, LB Auburn
Linebacker: Jalon Walker, LB/Edge Georgia
Cornerback: Daylen Everette, CB Georgia
Cornerback: Jahdae Barron, NB Texas
Safety: Andrew Mukuba, S Texas*
Safety: Nick Emmanwori, S South Carolina
The Longhorns made a big enough push to come within striking distance of Georgia, but both programs ultimately had five players make the Third Team. Arkansas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and South Carolina all had two players make the squad.
The Third Team was the most inclusive. Only Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt didn’t make appearances. Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas A&M got on the board with one player.
The Third Team is loaded with notable names, including a pair of former Freshmen All-Americans at safety, three returning 2023 All-SEC defenders, the reigning AAC Defensive Player of the Year, an All-Big Ten wide receiver, an All-Sun Belt running back, and a Heisman hopeful at quarterback.
Quinn Ewers is the big draw on the Third Team, but don’t count out Garrett Nussmeier or Conner Weigman overtaking him before the end of the year.
The battle among Oklahoma wide receivers will be interesting to watch. Nic Anderson led the team in receiving last year and has top 100 potential as a draft prospect. Unfortunately, the Freshman All-American and dynamic teammate Jalil Farooq battled injuries this offseason. Andrel Anthony missed spring practices while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in 2023.
The injuries might open the door for Deion Burks and underrated junior Jayden Gibson to see more targets. Although, Burks may be in the dog house after being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in June.
Jalon Walker, an edge rusher turned linebacker, is one of the most athletic players on the Third Team. Unfortunately, he only has 362 career defensive snaps through two seasons at Georgia. Hopefully the Bulldogs finally unleash him this season because he has top-50 talent (in draft terms).
Walker applied pressure on 20.97% of his pass rush snaps in 2023. For reference, Landon Jackson (9.95%) and Trey Moore (15.45%) didn’t even approach that level of efficiency. Pearce (21.14%) is the only edge rusher on the Preseason All-SEC Teams that surpasses Walker’s mark. Nic Scourton (15.97%), Princely Umanmielen (18.52%), and Mykel Williams (11.02%) fall short.
It's important to note that being a productive and efficient edge rusher doesn’t guarantee long-term success in the role, especially for undersized players like Walker. For example, Harold Perkins applied pressure on 25.15% of his pass rush attempts as a true freshman in 2022. LSU converted him to linebacker last season.
Final Outcome and Recap
To no one’s surprise, Georgia comes out on top of the Preseason All-SEC rankings with 13 players split across the teams. Texas is close behind with 10 selections, followed by Alabama and Ole Miss (eight each).
The Bulldogs deserve to be National Championship favorites heading into the season. Their program is masterfully constructed with a mix of former highly rated recruits, transfers, and multi-year development projects.
Kalen DeBoer and Steve Sarkisian, who coached against each other in the College Football Playoff last year, now head two of the SEC’s top powerhouses. The DeBoer era in Alabama surely won’t come close to replicating the team’s Nick Saban-led dynasty, but the program’s remaining pillars and DeBoer’s talent should keep Bama in playoff contention.
Any conference that counts both Lane Kiffin and Sarkisian among its head coaches will produce some shootouts. It’s going to be a fun year in the SEC.
No team came close to matching the four that were previously mentioned. LSU (five), Kentucky (four), Oklahoma (four), and South Carolina (four) had decent showings. Florida, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas A&M all had three selections while Arkansas and Auburn got on the board with two.
This ranking marks a steep drop for Missouri, but the Tigers sent six players to the NFL this past spring. It’s hard to replace that much talent with a single recruiting and transfer portal class.
Mississippi State and Vanderbilt were not represented on the Preseason All-SEC Teams.
No true freshmen made the teams. Seventeen players across the three teams were transfers who joined their current programs this offseason. In comparison, only seven transfers made the Preseason All-ACC Teams, and 13 made the All-Big Ten Teams.
Quite a few talented players came close to making the teams. There are four quarterbacks (Brady Cook, Jaxson Dart, Garrett Nussmeier, and Conner Weigman) who would’ve earned spots in the other conferences but missed out in the uber-talented SEC. The same goes for wide receiver, both tackle positions, and edge rusher. Cornerback and safety were fairly weak compared to other conferences.
Ten Additional Breakout Candidates
1. Garrett Nussmeier, QB LSU
2. Fernando Carmona, LT Arkansas*
3. Germie Bernard, WR Alabama
4. Chris Hilton Jr., WR LSU
5. Warren Brinson, IDL Georgia
6. Austin Barber, LT Florida
7. Brett Norfleet, TE Missouri
8. Domani Jackson, CB Alabama*
9. Bradyn Swinson, Edge LSU
10. Nico Iamaleava, QB Tennessee
Honorable Mentions: Offense
Brady Cook, QB Missouri
Jaxson Dart, QB Ole Miss
Nico Iamaleava, QB Tennessee
Graham Mertz, QB Florida
Garrett Nussmeier, QB LSU
Diego Pavia, QB Vanderbilt*
Blake Shapen, QB Mississippi State*
Brock Vandagriff, QB Kentucky*
Conner Weigman, QB Texas A&M
CJ Baxter, RB Texas (Injury)
Davon Booth, RB Mississippi State*
Justice Haynes, RB Alabama
Ja'Quinden Jackson, RB Arkansas*
Le'Veon Moss, RB Texas A&M
Nate Noel, RB Missouri*
Henry Parrish Jr., RB Ole Miss*
Dylan Sampson, RB Tennessee
Gavin Sawchuk, RB Oklahoma
Josh Williams, RB LSU
CJ Dippre, TE Alabama
Rivaldo Fairweather, TE Auburn
Donovan Green, TE Texas A&M
Brett Norfleet, TE Missouri
Bauer Sharp, TE Oklahoma*
Joshua Simon, TE South Carolina
Eli Stowers, TE Vanderbilt*
Mason Taylor, TE LSU
Seydou Traore, TE Mississippi State
Benjamin Yurosek, TE Georgia*
Kelly Akharaiyi, WR Mississippi State*
Andrel Anthony, WR Oklahoma
Andrew Armstrong, WR Arkansas
Elijhah Badger, WR Florida*
Germie Bernard, WR Alabama
Jared Brown, WR South Carolina*
Cam Coleman, WR Auburn^
Kevin Coleman Jr., WR Mississippi State*
CJ Daniels, WR LSU*
Chimere Dike, WR Florida*
Jalil Farooq, WR Oklahoma
Jayden Gibson, WR Oklahoma
Matthew Golden, WR Texas*
Chris Hilton Jr., WR LSU
Dane Key, WR Kentucky
Keandre Lambert-Smith, WR Auburn*
Robert Lewis, WR Auburn*
Dominic Lovett, WR Georgia
Ja'Mori Maclin, WR Kentucky*
Bru McCoy, WR Tennessee
Moose Muhammad III, WR Texas A&M
Kobe Prentice, WR Alabama
Isaac TeSlaa, WR Arkansas
Noah Thomas, WR Texas A&M
Jahdae Walker, WR Texas A&M
Jordan Watkins, WR Ole Miss
Theo Wease, WR Missouri
Squirrel White, WR Tennessee
Colbie Young, WR Georgia*
Austin Barber, LT Florida
Marcus Bryant, LT Missouri*
Fernando Carmona, LT Arkansas*
Marques Cox, LT Kentucky
Earnest Greene III, LT Georgia
Lance Heard, LT Tennessee*
Percy Lewis, LT Auburn*
Makylan Pounders, LT Mississippi State*
Diego Pounds, LT Ole Miss*
Kadyn Proctor, LT Alabama
Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, RT Florida*
Reuben Fatheree II, RT Texas A&M
Gerald Mincey, RT Kentucky*
Xavier Truss, RT Georgia
Cayden Green, LG Missouri*
Ar'maj Reed-Adams, LG Texas A&M*
DJ Campbell, RG Texas
Miles Frazier, RG LSU
Steven Hubbard, RG Vanderbilt*
Febechi Nwaiwu, RG Oklahoma*
Javontez Spraggins, RG Tennessee
Branson Hickman, C Oklahoma*
Jake Majors, C Texas
Ethan Miner, C Mississippi State*
Jake Slaughter, C Florida
Connor Tollison, C Missouri
Honorable Mentions: Defense
Warren Brinson, IDL Georgia
Alfred Collins, IDL Texas
Eric Gregory, IDL Arkansas
Tonka Hemingway, IDL South Carolina
Cam Jackson, IDL Florida
Jermayne Lole, IDL Texas*
Omarr Norman-Lott, IDL Tennessee
Bill Norton, IDL Texas*
Octavious Oxendine, IDL Kentucky
JJ Pegues, IDL Ole Miss*
Joey Slackman, IDL Florida*
Ethan Burke, Edge Texas
Keyron Crawford, Edge Auburn*
Ethan Downs, Edge Oklahoma
Cashius Howell, Edge Texas A&M*
Jared Ivey, Edge Ole Miss
Anton Juncaj, Edge Arkansas*
Kyle Kennard, Edge South Carolina*
Jalen McLeod, Edge Auburn
Quandarrius Robinson, Edge Alabama
Donterry Russell, Edge Mississippi State
Tyreak Sapp, Edge Florida
T.J. Searcy, Edge Florida
Barryn Sorrell, Edge Texas
Shemar Stewart, Edge Texas A&M
Bradyn Swinson, Edge LSU
Khordae Sydnor, Edge Vanderbilt*
Johnny Walker Jr., Edge Missouri
J.J. Weaver, Edge Kentucky
Zion Young, Edge Missouri*
C.J. Allen, LB Georgia
Jihaad Campbell, LB Alabama
Solomon DeShields, LB Texas A&M*
Corey Flagg Jr., LB Missouri*
David Gbenda, LB Texas
Chuck Hicks, LB Missouri
D'Eryk Jackson, LB Kentucky
Shemar James, LB Florida
Triston Newson, LB Missouri
Langston Patterson, LB Vanderbilt
Taurean York, LB Texas A&M
Jaylon Braxton, CB Arkansas
O'Donnell Fortune, CB South Carolina
Isaiah Hamilton, CB Ole Miss*
Gavin Holmes, CB Texas
Domani Jackson, CB Alabama*
DaShawn Jones, CB Alabama*
BJ Mayes, CB Texas A&M*
Dezz Ricks, CB Texas A&M*
Keionte Scott, CB Auburn
Woodi Washington, CB Oklahoma
Gentry Williams, CB Oklahoma
Daylan Carnell, NB Missouri
Marlon Jones Jr., NB Vanderbilt*
Alex Afari Jr., DB Kentucky
Yam Banks, S Ole Miss*
Major Burns, S LSU
Hudson Clark, S Arkansas
DJ Douglas, S Florida*
Corey Ellington, S Mississippi State
Key Lawrence, S Ole Miss*
Sage Ryan, DB LSU
John Saunders Jr., S Ole Miss
CJ Taylor, S Vanderbilt
Jerrin Thompson, S Auburn*
Asa Turner, S Florida*
Trey Washington, S Ole Miss
De'Rickey Wright, S Vanderbilt