AP names LSU’s Daniels unanimous SEC offensive player of year; Watson named top defensive player
By JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is the unanimous pick as Associated Press Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year, while Mississippi State linebacker Nathaniel Watson is defensive player of the year.
Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz won coach of the year honors Monday after leading the ninth-ranked Tigers into the Cotton Bowl against No. 7 Ohio State. Alabama safety Caleb Downs is the top newcomer.
Daniels, a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy, leads the nation in total offense (412.2 yards per game), passing for 3,812 yards and a nation’s best 40 touchdowns against only four interceptions. Daniels has also run for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Watson is the SEC’s leading tackler with 137 and also has a league-best 10 sacks. Watson has two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
Downs led No. 5 Alabama with 99 tackles as a freshman, well ahead of No. 2 tackler Jihaad Campbell’s 65. He also has two interceptions and returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown against Chattanooga.
Other unanimous first-team picks include LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers, Missouri running back Cody Schrader, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers and Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran.
The AP All-SEC teams were voted on by a panel of 14 sportswriters and broadcasters covering the league.
(u-unanimous choice)
FIRST TEAM
Offense
WR — u-Malik Nabers, LSU, 6-0, 200, Jr., Youngsville, Louisiana
WR — Luther Burden III, Missouri, 5-11, 208, So., St. Louis, Missouri
T — Javon Foster, Missouri, 6-5, 319, grad, Detroit
T — JC Latham, Alabama, 6-6, 360, Jr., Oak Creek, Wisconsin
G — Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6, 310, Jr., Rome, Georgia
G — Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-5, 352, So., New Haven, Connecticut
C — u-Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia, Jr., 6-4, 310, New Orleans
TE — u-Brock Bowers, Georgia, 6-4, 240, Jr., Napa, California
QB — u-Jayden Daniels, LSU, 6-4, 210, Sr., San Bernardino, California
RB — u-Cody Schrader, Missouri, 5-9, 214, graduate, St. Louis, Missouri
RB — Ray Davis, Kentucky, 5-10, 216, Sr., San Francisco
PK — Will Reichard, Alabama, 6-1, 194, grad, Hoover, Alabama
All-Purpose — Ainias Smith, Texas A&M, 5-10, 200, grad, Missouri City, Texas
Defense
DE — James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, 6-5, 242, So., Charlotte, North Carolina
DE — Darius Robinson, Missouri, 6-5, 296, grad, Southfield, Michigan
DT — Marcus Harris, Auburn, 6-3, 295, Sr., Montgomery, Alabama
DT — Deone Walker, Kentucky, 6-6, 348, So., Detroit
LB — Dallas Turner, Alabama, 6-4, 252, Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida
LB — Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M, 6-3, 230, Jr., Covington, Louisiana
LB — Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State, grad, 6-2, 245, Maplesville, Alabama
CB — Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri, 5-11, 178, Jr., Mobile, Alabama
CB — Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama, 6-1, 195, Jr., Birmingham, Ala.
S — Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-1, 205, So., Jefferson, Georgia
S — Jaylin Simpson, Auburn, 6-1, 178, Sr., Brunswick, Georgia
P — Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt, 6-1, 187, grad, West Adelaide, Australia
SECOND TEAM
Offense
WR — Xavier Legette, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Sr., Mullins, South Carolina
WR — Brian Thomas, LSU, 6-4, 205, Jr., Walker, Louisiana
T — Will Campbell, LSU, 6-6, 325, So., Monroe, Louisiana
T — Gunner Britton, Auburn, 6-6, 312, Sr., Conway, South Carolina
G — Joshua Braun, Arkansas, 6-6, 348, Jr., Live Oak, Florida
G — Cam’Ron Johnson, Missouri, 6-4, 305, Jr., Houston
C — Cooper Mays, Tennessee, 6-3, 305, Sr., Knoxville, Tennessee
TE — Rivaldo Fairweather, 6-4, 251, Jr., Lauderhill, Florida
QB — Jalen Milroe, Alabama, 6-2, 220, So., Katy, Texas
RB — Quinshon Judkins, Mississippi, 5-11, 210, So., Pike Road, Alabama
RB — Jaylen Wright, Tennessee, 5-11, 210, Jr., Durham, North Carolina
PK — Harrison Mevis, Missouri, 5-11, 243, Sr., Warsaw, Indiana
All-Purpose — t-Barion Brown, Kentucky, 6-1, 166, So., Nashville; Xavier Legette, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Sr., Mullins, South Carolina
Defense
DE — Princely Umanmielen, 6-5, 255, Jr., Manor, Texas
DE — Landon Jackson, Arkansas, 6-7, 281, Texarkana, Texas
DT — Justin Eboigbe, Alabama, 6-5, 292, Sr., Forest Park, Georgia
DT — Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia, 6-3, 320, Sr., Stone Mountain, Georgia
LB — Jett Johnson, Mississippi State, 6-2, 230, grad, Tupelo, Mississippi
LB — Chris Braswell, Alabama, 6-3, 255, Sr., Baltimore, Maryland
LB — Debo Williams, South Carolina, 6-1, 232, Jr., Smyrna, Delaware
CB — Terrion Arnold, Alabama, 6-0, 196, So., Tallahassee, Florida
CB — Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky, 6-0, 196, So., West Bloomfield, Michigan
S — Javon Bullard, Georgia, 5-11, 195, Jr., Milledgeville, Georgia
S — Caleb Downs, Alabama, 6-0, 203, Fr., Hoschton, Georgia
P — Jeremy Chrawshaw, Florida, 6-4, 200, Jr., New South Wales, Australia
Offensive Player of the Year — u-Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Defensive Player of the Year — Nathaniel Watson, LB, Mississippi State
Coach of the Year — Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri
Newcomer of the Year — Caleb Downs, S, Alabama
___
AP All-SEC Voting Panel: Emily Adams, The Greenville (South Carolina) News; Kayla Anderson, WKRN-TV, Nashville, Tennessee; Matt Baker, St. Petersburg Times; Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station Eagle; John Clay, Lexington Herald Leader; Adam Cole, Opelika-Auburn News; Garland Gillen, Fox 8 (WVUE-TV), New Orleans; Stephen Hargis, Chattanooga Times Free Press; Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star; Stefan Krajisnik, Jackson Clarion-Ledger; Tom Murphy, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate; Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald; Creg Stephenson, al.com.
___
Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
