Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson, South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard headline AP’s All-SEC team
Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson is The Associated Press offensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference and South Carolina defensive lineman Kyle Kennard is the top defensive player.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was voted the top newcomer on Wednesday while the Gamecocks’ Shane Beamer is coach of the year in voting by the panel of 17 media members who cover the league.
Sampson led the SEC and set school records by rushing for 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns. He is tied for third nationally in rushing touchdowns, recording the league’s fifth-most in a season. Sampson was chosen on all but two ballots. Mississippi wide receiver Tre Harris and his quarterback, Jaxson Dart, each got a vote.
Kennard led the SEC with 11-1/2 sacks and 15-1/2 tackles for loss. He also had 10 quarterback hurries and forced three fumbles.
Beamer led the Gamecocks to just their fifth nine-win season, including a school-record four wins over Top 25 opponents. They’ve won their last six games and ended the regular season with a win over eventual ACC champion Clemson. South Carolina plays Illinois on Dec. 31 in the Citrus Bowl.
Pavia helped lead Vandy to its first bowl game since 2018 after transferring from New Mexico State. He passed for 2,133 yards and 17 touchdowns with four interceptions. He ran for another 716 yards and six touchdowns, directing an upset of Alabama.
The 2024 Associated Press All-SEC team, as selected by a panel of 17 sports writers who regularly cover the league. Players at all positions are listed alphabetically with name, school, height, weight, class and hometown; “u-” denotes unanimous selections:
First team offense
QB — Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, 6-2, 225, Sr., Kaysville, Utah
u_RB — Dylan Sampson, Tennessee, 5-11, 201, Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
RB — Jarquez Hunter, Auburn, 5-10, 209, Jr., Philadelphia, Mississippi
WR — Tre Harris, Ole Miss, 6-3, 210, Sr., Lafayette, Louisiana
WR — Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas, 6-4, 202, R-Sr., Dallas, Texas
TE — Gunnar Helm, Texas, 6-5, 250, Sr., Englewood, Colorado
u-OT — Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, 6-4, 320, Jr., Humble, Texas
OT — Will Campbell, LSU, 6-6, 323, Jr., Monroe, Louisiana
OG — Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-5, 325, Jr., New Haven, Connecticut
OG — Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6, 320, Sr., Rome, Georgia
C — Jake Slaughter, Florida, 6-5, 308, R-Jr., Sparr, Florida
PK — Alex Raynor, Kentucky, 6-0, 185, Sr., Kennesaw, Georgia
All-purpose — Barion Brown, Kentucky, 6-1, 18-2, Nashville, Tennessee.
First team defense
DE — Kyle Kennard, South Carolina, 6-5, 254, R-Sr., Atlanta
DE — Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss, 6-4, 255, Sr., Austin, Texas
DT — Walter Nolen, Ole Miss, 6-3, 305, Jr., Powell, Tennessee
DT — Alfred Collins, Texas, 6-5, 320, Sr., Bastrop, Texas
LB — Anthony Hill Jr., Texas, 6-3, 235, So., Denton, Texas
LB — Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, 6-4, 243, Sr., Windermere, Florida
LB — Whit Weeks, LSU, 6-2, 228, So., Watkinsville, Georgia
u-CB — Jahdae Barron, Texas, 5-11, 200, Sr., Austin, Texas
CB — Jermod McCoy, Tennessee, 6-0, 193, So., Whitehouse, Texas
S — Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-1, 205, Jr., Jefferson, Georgia
S — Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Jr., Irmo, South Carolina
P — Jesse Mirko, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 222, grad, Fremantle, Western Australia
Second team offense
QB — Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt, 6-0, 207, grad, Albuquerque, N.M.
RB — Raheim Sanders, South Carolina, 6-0, 230, Sr., Rockledge, Florida
RB — Ja’Quinden Jackson, Arkansas, 6-2, 233, R-Sr., Dallas
WR — Ryan Williams, Alabama, 6-0, 175, Fr., Mobile, Alabama
WR — (tie) KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Auburn, 6-1, 182, Sr., Norfolk, Virginia; Kyren Lacy, LSU, 6-2, 213, R-Sr., Thibodaux, Louisiana
TE — Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 235, Grad., Denton, Texas
OT — Emery Jones, LSU, 6-6, 315, Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
OT — Armand Membou, Missouri, 6-3, 314, Jr., Lee’s Summitt, Missouri
OG — Dylan Fairchild, Georgia, 6-5, 315, R-Jr., Cumming, Georgia
OG — Cam’Ron Johnson, Missouri, 6-3, 310, Grad, Houston
C — Cooper Mays, Tennessee, 6-4, 310, Sr., Kingston, Tennessee
PK — Peyton Woodring, Georgia, 5-10, 185, So., Lafayette, Louisiana
All-purpose — Davon Booth, Mississippi State, 5-10, 205, Sr., North Las Vegas, Nevada
Second team defense
DE — James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, 6-5, 243, Jr., Charlotte, North Carolina
DE — (tie) Nic Scourton, Texas A&M 6-4, 285, Jr., Bryan, Texas; Landon Jackson, Arkansas, 6-7, 280, Sr., Texarkana, Texas
DT — TJ Sanders, South Carolina, 6-4, 290, Jr., Marlon, South Carolina
DT — Deone Walker, Kentucky, 6-6, 345, Jr., Detroit, Michigan
LB — Jalon Walker, Georgia, 6-2, 245, Jr., Salisbury, North Carolina
LB — Jihaad Campbell, Alabama, 6-3, 244, Jr., Erial, New Jersey
LB — Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss, 6-1, 235, Jr., Cordele, Georgia
CB — Trey Amos, Ole Miss, 6-1, 190, Sr., New Iberia, Louisiana
CB — Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky, 6-1, 186, Jr., West Bloomfield, Michigan
S — Malachi Moore, Alabama, 6-0, 201, Grad, Trussville, Alabama
S — Andrew Mukuba, Texas, 6-0, 190, Sr., Austin, Texas
P — Brett Thorson, Georgia, 6-2, 235, Jr., Melbourne, Australia
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Coach of the Year — Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Offensive Player of the Year — Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Defensive Player of the Year — Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
Newcomer of the Year — Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
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Voting panel: Kayla Anderson, News 2 WKRN; Eric Bailey, The Tulsa World; Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle; John Clay, Lexington Herald-Leader; Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station Eagle; Robbie Faulk, Starkville Daily News; Garland Gillen, fox8live; Michael Katz, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal; Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star; Zach Klein, WSB-TV; Justin Lee, Opelika-Auburn News; Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; David Paschall, Chattanooga Times Free Press; Koki Riley, Baton Rouge Advocate; Creg Stephenson, al.com; Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel