HOOVER, Ala. — If there’s one final takeaway from SEC Media Days, the Eastern Division received very little respect and saw several key players snubbed on this year’s media-selected preseason All-SEC teams.
Surprise, surprise.
55 of the 78 players chosen on the Preseason All-SEC teams are from the SEC West.
— Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) July 17, 2015
My own ballot wasn’t much different than the final selections revealed by the league office Friday morning, sans a couple glaring omissions from the East.
Georgia sophomore wideout Isaiah McKenzie, who scored an SEC-best three touchdowns on special teams last season, was a noticeable exclusion along with teammate Lorenzo Carter, one of the league’s most efficient pass rushers over the second half of his freshman season.
Call me crazy, but it is RIDICULOUS that Isaiah McKenzie did not at least make one of the 3 Preseason All-SEC teams as a return specialist
— Anthony Dasher (@AnthonyDasher1) July 17, 2015
Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd rushed for 899 yards and five touchdowns, but six other running backs pushed him away from preseason mention. Mizzou’s Russell Hansbrough, a member of the Doak Walker watch list, was excluded despite a 1,084-yard junior season.
Some of the other notables …
Potential 2015 All-SEC snubs from the SEC East
- Isaiah McKenzie, Georgia, AP
- Jalen Hurd, Tennessee, RB
- Demarcus Robinson, Florida, WR
- Russell Hansbrough, Mizzou, RB
- Skai Moore, South Carolina, LB
- Lorenzo Carter, Georgia, LB
- Michael Scherer, Mizzou, LB
- Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee, LB
- Marquavius Lewis, South Carolina, DL
- Kenya Dennis, Mizzou, DB
- Josh Forrest, Kentucky, LB
Closer look: The biggest snub of all could be McKenzie, whose three special teams scores equaled two more than the three players ahead of him — Pharoh Cooper, Leonard Fournette and Speedy Noil — combined … The SEC’s top three returning tacklers behind Mizzou’s Kentrell Brothers — Scherer, Forrest and Reeves-Maybin — weren’t named preseason All-SEC … Moore, South Carolina’s leading tackler each of the last two seasons, lacks notoriety heading into August due primarily to the Gamecocks’ disappointing effort last fall as a unit … Dennis, a former JUCO transfer who emerged as Mizzou’s top coverman last season, is one of the leaders on the SEC’s most underrated defenses at the back end … Florida wideout Robinson could easily exceed 1,000 yards this fall if the Gators find consistency at the quarterback spot.
