SEC announces Week 7 Players of the Week

Week 7 of SEC play was filled with big matchups and highlight performances.

Following the weekend’s action, the conference named its players of the week.

Below is a list of the award winners:

SEC Offensive Player of the Week: Rawleigh Williams III, RB, Arkansas

• Ran for 101 yards in the first half against No. 12 Ole Miss and a career-high 180 yards for the game which is the most by a Razorback in an SEC game since November of 2010.
• Took over as the SEC’s leading rusher thanks to his league-leading fourth 100-yard game of the season.
• Broke three runs over 20 or more yards, including his second over 50 yards this season. His three 20-yard runs against Ole Miss are more than the season total of all but 13 other SEC players.
• Had six runs that resulted in first downs in first downs while he wasn’t stopped for negative yards on any of his 27 carries.
• Hauled in his first career receiving touchdown in the third quarter.
• His 180 yards rushing were the most by an SEC player this week and the third-most in an SEC game this season.
• Williams is one of three Power 5 players with 750 yards rushing and five touchdowns this season.

SEC Defensive Player of the Week: Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt

• Earned Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors after a 19-tackle performance in Vanderbilt’s 17-16 win at Georgia that was capped with a game-clinching tackle on a 4th-and-1 Bulldog play with :56 left in regulation.
• Cunningham’s 19 tackles, which included 2.5 tackles for loss, is a personal career high and is tied for the most by a SEC player this season. It’s the most tackles registered by a Commodore defender since LB Jamie Winborn had 20 tackles against South Carolina on Oct. 23, 1999.
• Sparked a Vanderbilt defense that limited UGA to 75 rushing yards, including just 40 yards by standout RB Nick Chubb.
• Cunningham tops the SEC with 81 total tackles and 13 tackles for loss. In four SEC games, he is averaging 13.8 tackles for 2.3 tackles for loss.

SEC Special Teams Player of the Week: Darrius Sims, KR, Vanderbilt

• Had two kick returns for 124 yards, including a 95-yarder on the opening kick, in Vanderbilt’s 17-16 road victory over Georgia.
• Sims’ 95-yard return, the longest by a SEC player this season, gave the Commodores an early lead, and helped lift the Commodores to their biggest win of the season. It also marked Derek Mason’s first SEC road victory as Vanderbilt’s coach.
• His 32.4-yard kick return average leads the SEC and is on pace to smash the team’s single-season return. He also needs just 44 yards to become Vanderbilt’s career leader in kick return yards.

SEC Freshman of the Week: Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama

• Hurts ran for a game-high 132 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries, while throwing for 143, in leading No. 1 Alabama to defeat the No. 9 Vols, 49-10.
• Hurts became the first Tide quarterback to run for 100 yards in a game since 2001 when he ran for 146 yards during Alabama’s win over Ole Miss Sept. 17. Now, he owns two of the top seven single-game rushing performances by a quarterback in Tide history.
• In just his seventh career game, Hurts became the first quarterback in Alabama history to run for 120-plus yards a second time during his career.
• The true freshman had runs of 10, 16, 21, 37 and 45 yards against Tennessee – the longest of those going for a touchdown.

SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week: Jonah Williams, OL, Alabama

• The freshman right tackle cleared a path for 594 yards of total offense in the Tide’s 49-10 win at No. 9 Tennessee.
• Posted a grade of 90 percent and did not allow a quarterback hurry or a sack and did not commit a penalty.
• Provided time for Alabama to rush for a Saban-era high 438 yards on the ground with five rushing touchdowns.
• Helped both Jalen Hurts and Bo Scarbrough eclipse the 100-yard rushing barrier with Damien Harris close behind at 94 yards.
• Provided time for 156 yards passing.
• Helped the Crimson Tide average 7.8 yards per play and 8.9 yards per rush.

SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week: Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee

• Junior defensive end Derek Barnett recorded three tackles, one sack, two tackles for a loss, one forced fumble and one interception against No. 1 Alabama on Saturday.
• On Alabama’s second drive of the second quarter, Barnett sacked Jalen Hurts for a 14-yard loss and forced a fumble that was recovered by UT’s Quay Picou at the Crimson Tide’s 11-yard line. That turnover resulted in points as it set up a seven-yard touchdown run by Alvin Kamara to pull the Vols to within 14-7. The sack was the 26th of Barnett’s career, giving him sole possession of third-most in Tennessee history. He is now six sacks away from tying Reggie White (32) for the UT all-time record and three away from matching Leonard Little’s 28 in second place.
• With 26.0 career sacks, Barnett ranks second among active FBS players.
• Barnett halted Alabama’s fourth possession of the second quarter when he intercepted a pass by Hurts and returned it seven yards to the UT 32-yard line.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.