LEXINGTON, KY (WTVQ) – With the season in the books, the Associated Press has announced their picks for the All-SEC team.
Lynn Bowden Jr. (All purpose), Drake Jackson (Center), Logan Stenberg (Guard) and Max Duffy (Punter) were all named to the first team.
Also, Lexington native and Alabama Offensive Tackle Jed Wills was named to the All-SEC first team.
UK’s full press release is below;
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky’s record-breaking athlete Lynn Bowden Jr. headlines four Wildcats named Associated Press first-team All-Southeastern Conference, it was announced on Monday. Bowden was named the top all-purpose player in the league, while punter Max Duffy, center Drake Jackson and offensive guard Logan Stenberg also were recognized for their play this season.
This is the first time since 2002 that four Wildcats have earned first-team All-SEC by the AP. Return specialist Derek Abney, offensive tackle Antonio Hall, punter Glenn Pakulak and running back Artose Pinner were honored that season. Three Cats – linebacker Josh Allen, running back Benny Snell Jr. and offensive guard Bunchy Stallings made the first team last season.
Bowden, Jackson and Stenberg were three major cogs in the nation’s fourth-ranked rushing offense this season, as the Cats completely re-vamped their attack after a rash of injuries at quarterback position necessitated Bowden taking over the position. The Cats rushed for 274.4 yards per game, including three consecutive games of at least 400 yards to end the season. The team broke the single-game rushing record in back-to-back weeks, including 517 yards against Louisville in the regular-season finale.
Bowden, a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award for the nation’s most versatile player, currently leads the SEC and ranks eighth nationally in all-purpose yardage, averaging 153.0 yards per game (note that all-purpose yardage does not include Bowden’s passing yardage as a quarterback). He is one of only three players in the top nine nationally with rushing, receiving, punt return and kickoff return yards.
The Youngstown, Ohio native, who earned First-Team Midseason All-America honors as an all-purpose player by The Associated Press and ESPN, is averaging 8.2 yards per rushing attempt, and is in contention to break the school record. That mark leads the SEC and ranks second nationally. He also is the only player in the nation leading his team in both rushing (1,235) and pass receiving (348). He ranks 13th on UK’s career receptions list with 114 and is 18th on the career receiving yards list with 1,303 yards.
Jackson and Stenberg were the two most veteran pieces of an offensive line regarded as one of the best in the country. Jackson, a redshirt junior from Versailles, Kentucky, has started 32 consecutive games and was named SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week after the Cats piled up 401 yards on the ground versus Vanderbilt on Nov. 16. Stenberg, a senior from Madison, Alabama, has a reputation as one of the toughest blocking guards in the SEC and has started 38 consecutive games for the Cats.
Duffy, a junior from Perth, Australia, leads the nation in punting at 48.6 yards per punt and has helped the Cats lead the nation in net punting as well. He has been consistently excellent this season and was twice named the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week. He is a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, to be announced on Dec. 10. Duffy also is UK’s all-time leading career punter at 46.47 yards on 107 kicks.
Kentucky finished the regular season 7-5 overall, 3-5 in the SEC and will face Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl on December 31 in Charlotte, North Carolina at noon on ESPN.
FIRST TEAM
Offense
u-QB – Joe Burrow, LSU, 6-foot-4, 216, Sr., Athens, Ohio
u-RB – Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU, 5-8, 209, Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
RB – Kylin Hill, Mississippi State, 5-11, 215, Jr., Columbus, Mississippi
T – Andrew Thomas, Georgia, 6-5, 320, Jr., Lithonia, Georgia
T – Jedrick Wills Jr., Alabama, 6-5, 320, Jr., Lexington, Kentucky
G – Trey Smith, Tennessee, 6-6, 325, Jr., Jackson, Tennessee
G – Logan Stenberg, Kentucky, 6-6, 322, Sr., Madison, Alabama
C – Drake Jackson, Kentucky, 6-2, 313, Jr., Versailles, Kentucky
TE – Kyle Pitts, Florida, 6-6, 239, Soph., Philadelphia
u-WR – Ja’Marr Chase, LSU, 6-1, 200, Soph., Harvey, Louisiana
WR – DeVonta Smith, Alabama, 6-1, 175, Jr., Amite, Louisiana
All-purpose – Lynn Bowden Jr., Kentucky, 6-1, 199, Jr., Youngstown, Ohio
K – Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia, 6-1, 191, Sr., Marietta, Georgia
Defense
E – Marlon Davidson, Auburn, 6-3, 278, Sr., Greenville, Alabama
E – Jonathan Greenard, Florida, 6-3, 263, Gr., Hiram, Georgia
T – Derrick Brown, Auburn, 6-5, 318, Sr., Sugar Hill, Georgia
T – Jordan Elliott, Missouri, 6-4, 315, Jr., Missouri City, Texas
LB – Nick Bolton, Missouri, 6-0, 235, Soph., Frisco, Texas
LB – K.J. Britt, Auburn, 6-0, 236, Jr., Oxford, Alabama
LB – Anfernee Jennings, Alabama, 6-3, 259, Sr., Dadeville, Alabama
CB – Trevon Diggs, Alabama, 6-2, 207, Sr., Gaithersburg, Maryland
CB – Derek Stingley Jr., LSU, 6-1, 190, Fr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
S – Xavier McKinney, Alabama, 6-1, 200, Jr., Roswell, Georgia
S – Nigel Warrior, Tennessee, 6-0, 190, Sr., College Park, Georgia
P – Max Duffy, Kentucky, 6-1, 186, Jr., Perth, Australia
SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB – Tua Tagoailoa, Alabama, 6-1, 218, Jr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii
RB – Najee Harris, Alabama, 6-2, 230, Jr., Antioch, California
RB – D’Andre Swift, Georgia, 5-9, 215, Jr., Philadelphia
T – Alex Leatherwood, Alabama, 6-6, 310, Jr., Pensacola, Florida
T – Isaiah Wilson, Georgia, 6-7, 340, Soph., Brooklyn, New York
G – Landon Dickerson, Alabama, 6-6, 308, Jr., Hickory, North Carolina
G – Damien Lewis, LSU, 6-3, 322, Sr., Canton, Mississippi
C – Trey Hill, Georgia, 6-4, 330, Soph., Warner Robins, Georgia
TE – Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M, 6-5, 260, Fr., Dickinson, Texas
WR – Justin Jefferson, LSU, 6-3, 192, Jr., St. Rose, Louisiana
WR – Jerry Jeudy, Alabama, 6-1, 192, Jr., Deerfield Beach, Florida
All-purpose – Jaylen Waddle, Alabama, 5-10, 182, Soph., Houston
K – Cade York, LSU, 6-2, 189, Fr., McKinney, Texas
Defense
E – Chauncey Rivers, Mississippi State, 6-3, 275, Sr., Stone Mountain, Georgia
E – D.J. Wonnum, South Carolina, 6-5, 260, Sr., Stone Mountain, Georgia
T – Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina, 6-6, 310, Sr., Charleston, South Carolina
T – Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M, 6-3, 304, Jr., McKinney, Texas
LB – K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU, 6-4, 250, Soph., Houston
LB – De’Jon Harris, Arkansas, 6-0, 245, Sr., Harvey, Louisiana
x-LB – David Reese, Florida, 6-0, 220, R-Fr., Fort Pierce, Florida
x-LB – Monty Rice, Georgia, 6-1, 235, Jr., Huntsville, Alabama
x-CB – Israel Mukuamu, South Carolina, 6-4, 205, Soph., Bossier City, Louisiana
x-CB – Kristian Fulton, LSU, 6-0, 200, Sr., New Orleans
x-CB – Eric Stokes, Georgia, 6-1, 185, Soph., Covington, Georgia
S – Grant Delpit, LSU, 6-3, 203, Jr., Houston
S – Jeremiah Dinson, Auburn, 6-0, 191, Sr., Miami
P – Braden Mann, Texas A&M, 5-11, 195, Sr., Houston
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u-Offensive Player of the Year – QB Joe Burrow, LSU
Defensive Player of the Year – DT Derrick Brown, Auburn
Newcomer of the Year – CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
Coach of the Year – Ed Orgeron, LSU
u-Unanimous selection
x-Ties