Media selects Georgia to win SEC Championship over Texas
By GRAHAM DUNN
DALLAS - For the second-straight season, the Georgia Bulldogs have been chosen to win the Southeastern Conference by members of the media during SEC Kickoff this week at the Omni Hotel.
Georgia received 165 points, well ahead of second-place Texas to win the title. Alabama followed the Longhorns while Ole Miss, LSU, South Carolina and Vanderbilt also received nods to win the championship.
Only nine times since 1992 (32 years) has the predicted champion prior to the season at SEC Media Days proceeded to win the SEC Championship Game. The last to do it was Alabama in 2020 and ‘21.
Georgia was picked to win it last season but lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship game.
The Crimson Tide had been picked to win the championship 11 times since 2010 and won it five of those years. In the three years it wasn’t chosen, the Tide won the title in each of those seasons.
The Bulldogs and Longhorns were the top two picks in what is now a division-less league with Alabama picked third and Ole Miss fourth. The Rebels are seeking their first-ever championship berth in school history. This is the first time the conference has not had divisions since 1992 when Arkansas and South Carolina were added to the league. Oklahoma and Texas have joined the league and will participate for the first time after spending the last 28 seasons in the Big 12.
The media also selected all-conference teams. Georgia again led the way with 14 overall picks, including first-team quarterback Carson Beck.Texas and Alabama each had 12 picks.
SEC Champion Picks
Georgia 165
Texas. 27
Alabama 12
Ole Miss. 4
Vanderbilt. 2
LSU 2
South Carolina 1
Predicted order of finish
Georgia (3330)
Texas (3041)
Alabama (2891)
Ole Miss (2783)
LSU (2322)
Missouri (2240)
Tennessee (2168)
Oklahoma (2022)
Texas A&M (1684)
Auburn (1382)
Kentucky (1371)
Florida (1146)
South Carolina (923)
Arkansas (749)
Mississippi St (623)
Vanderbilt (293)
All-SEC Preseason teams
*indicates tie
Offense
First-Team
QB – Carson Beck, UGA
RB - Trevor Etienne, UGA
RB – Jarquez Hunter, AU
WR - Luther Burden III, MIZ
WR - Tre Harris, UM
TE - Caden Prieskorn, UM
OL - Tyler Booker, UA
OL - Will Campbell, LSU
OL - Kelvin Banks Jr., TEX
OL - Tate Ratledge, UGA
C - Cooper Mays, UT
Second-Team
QB – Quinn Ewers, TEX
RB - Raheim Sanders, SC
*RB - CJ Baxter, TEX
*RB - Montrell Johnson Jr., UF
WR - Isaiah Bond, TEX
WR - Kyren Lacy, LSU
TE - Mason Taylor, LSU
OL - Emery Jones, LSU
OL - Kadyn Proctor, UA
OL - Xavier Truss, UGA
OL - Dylan Fairchild, UGA
C - Parker Brailsford, UA
Third-Team
QB – Jalen Milroe, UA
RB - Justice Haynes, UA
RB - Ulysses Bentley, UM
WR - Deion Burks, OU
WR - Dominic Lovett, UGA
TE - Oscar Delp, UGA
OL - Earnest Greene III, UGA
OL - Marques Cox, UK
OL - Trey Zuhn III, TAMU
OL - Jaeden Roberts, UA
C - Jake Majors, TEX
DEFENSE
First-Team
DL - James Pearce Jr., UT
DL - Walter Nolen, UM
DL - Deone Walker, UK
DL - Nazir Stackhouse, UGA
LB - Harold Perkins, LSU
LB - Danny Stutsman, OU
*LB - Deontae Lawson, UA
*LB - Mykel Williams, UGA
DB - Malaki Starks, UGA
DB - Malachi Moore, UA
DB - Billy Bowman, OU
DB - Maxwell Hairston, UK
Second-Team
DL - Shemar Turner, TAMU
DL - Landon Jackson, ARK
DL - Nic Scourton, TAMU
*DL - Tim Smith, UA
*DL - Jared Ivey, UM
LB - Debo Williams, SC
LB - Anthony Hill Jr., TEX
LB - Smael Mondon Jr., UGA
DB - Jahdae Barron, TEX
DB - Major Burns, LSU
DB - Andrew Mukuba, TEX
DB - Malik Muhammad, TEX
Third-Team
DL - Tim Keenan III, UA
DL - Princely Umanmielen , UM
DL - Trey Moore, TEX
DL - Tonka Hemingway, SC
LB - Jamon "Pop" Dumas-Johnson, UK
LB - Jihaad Campbell, UA
LB - Eugene Asante, AU
DB - Domani Jackson, UA
DB - Daylen Everette, UGA
DB - Jason Marshall Jr., UF
*DB - Keon Sabb, UA
*DB - Nick Emmanwori, SC
SPECIALISTS
First-Team
P - James Burnip, UA
PK - Bert Auburn, TEX
LS - Kneeland Hibbett, UA
KS – Alex McPherson, AU
RS - Barion Brown, UK
AP - Zavion Thomas, LSU
Second-Team
P - Brett Thorson, UGA
PK - Graham Nicholson, UA
LS – Hunter Rogers, SC
KS - Will Stone, TEX
RS - Zavion Thomas, LSU
AP - Dillion Bell, UGA
Third-Team
P - Jeremy Crawshaw, UF
PK - Alex McPherson, AU
LS - Slade Roy, LSU
KS – Trey Smack, UF
RS - Keionte Scott, AU
*AP - Barion Brown, UK
*AP - Jaydon Blue, TEX