Will the SECÂ claim its 10th national championship since the start of the 2003 season? If Athlon Sports’ preseason All-America team is any indication of which conference will stand tallest at year’s end, that could be a reality come January.
Athlon Sports released its All-America team in wake of the upcoming 2016 campaign on Wednesday morning, and 32 players from the nation’s best conference make an appearance — 11 landing on the first-team roster.
Based on how the players are projected to perform this season, below is the entire first team with SEC players in italics:
Offense
Quarterback:Â Deshaun Watson, Clemson
Running Back:Â Dalvin Cook, Florida State; Leonard Fournette, LSU
Wide Receiver:Â Calvin Ridley, Alabama; JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC
Tight End:Â Jordan Leggett, Clemson
Center:Â Pat Elflein, Ohio State
Tackle/Guard:Â Zach Banner, USC; Dan Feeney, Indiana; Roderick Johnson, Florida State; Cam Robinson, Alabama
Defense
Defensive Line:Â Jonathan Allen, Alabama; Derek Barnett, Tennessee; Myles Garrett, Texas A&M; Malik McDowell, Michigan State
Linebacker:Â Devonte Fields, Louisville; Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State; Anthony Walker, Northwestern
Cornerback:Â Desmond King, Iowa; Jourdan Lewis, Michigan
Safety:Â Jamal Adams, LSU; Derwin James, Florida State
Special Teams
Kicker:Â Daniel Carlson, Auburn
Punter:Â J.K. Scott, Alabama
Kick Return:Â Evan Berry, Tennessee
Punt Return:Â Cameron Sutton, Tennessee
All-Purpose:Â Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
