Seven Tigers placed on All-SEC first team

BATON ROUGE - LSU led all Southeastern Conference teams with seven players on the preseason Coaches All-SEC first-team and tied Alabama for the most total All-SEC selections with 11, the league office announced Thursday.

The conference released a first, second and third-teams for offense, defense and specialists. The preseason All-SEC team was voted on by the 14 head coaches in the conference, and coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team.

LSU's first-team All-SEC players include Alex Hurst on offense, Sam Montgomery, Barkevious Mingo, Tyrann Mathieu and Eric Reid on defense and Brad Wing and Mathieu on special teams.

The Tigers had three players listed on the second-team and one on the third-team.

Sophomore wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., junior offensive tackle Chris Faulk and senior placekicker Drew Alleman were named to the second-team while junior running back Spencer Ware earned a spot on the third-team offense.

Hurst is a two-year starter at right tackle for the Tigers, and he is coming off a season in which he earned first-team All-SEC recognition after starting all 14 games and racking up 71.5 knockdowns in 2011.

Montgomery earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2011 after he led the team with 9.0 sacks and ranked second with 13.5 tackles for a loss.

Mingo led LSU in tackles for loss with 15.0 last season and finished second on the squad with 8.0 sacks.

Reid tied for the team lead in tackles with 76 last season, and he also registered two interceptions, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

Wing excelled as a redshirt freshman last season as he averaged 44.4 yards a punt and placed 27 of his 59 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line on the way to earning First-Team All-America and First-Team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press.

Mathieu, a junior, was selected on the first-team defense and first-team special teams as a return specialist. In 2011, he tied for the team lead in tackles with 76, ranked first nationally with five fumble recoveries and also forced six fumbles. As a punt returner he ranked second in the SEC and fourth nationally with a 15.6-yard average per return, and he brought back two punts for touchdowns, including a 92-yard return against Arkansas that is tied for the third-longest punt return in LSU history.

This marks the ninth straight year of the SEC Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team. The team is announced each year in advance of the SEC Football Media Days. This year, the event will be held next Tuesday through Thursday at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala.

LSU is slated to appear at SEC Media Days on Wednesday from 2:30-5 p.m. with head coach Les Miles, junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger, Beckham Jr. and Reid scheduled to attend.

2012 SEC COACHES PRE-SEASON ALL-SEC TEAM

OFFENSE

First-Team Offense

QB   Tyler Wilson Arkansas     6-3    220   Sr.   Greenwood, Ark.

RB    Marcus Lattimore South Carolina   6-0    218   Jr.    Duncan, S.C.

RB    Knile Davis    Arkansas     6-0    226   Jr.    Missouri City, Texas

WR   Da'Rick Rogers     Tennessee    6-3    215   Jr.    Calhoun, Ga.

WR   *Cobi Hamilton     Arkansas     6-3    209   Sr.   Texarkana, Texas

WR   *Ryan Swope    Texas A&M    6-0    206   Sr.   Austin, Texas

TE    Philip Lutzenkirchen    Auburn    6-5    256   Sr.   Marietta, Ga.

OL    Alex Hurst     LSU    6-6    340   Sr.   Bartlett, Tenn.

OL    Luke Joeckel Texas A&M    6-6    310   Jr.    Arlington, Texas

OL    D.J. Fluker     Alabama 6-6    335   Jr.    Foley, Ala.

OL    Larry Warford   Kentucky    6-3    343   Sr.   Richmond, Ky.

C   Barrett Jones Alabama 6-5    311   Sr.   Germantown, Tenn.

Second-Team Offense

QB   Aaron Murray    Georgia   6-1    211   Jr.    Tampa, Fla.

RB    Eddie Lacy    Alabama 6-0    220   Jr.    Geismar, La.

RB    Zac Stacy   Vanderbilt   5-9    210   Sr.   Centreville, Ala.

WR   Justin Hunter     Tennessee    6-4    200   Jr.    Virginia Beach, Va.

WR   *Emory Blake    Auburn    6-2    197   Sr.   Austin, Texas

WR   *Odell Beckham, Jr. LSU    5-11  183   So.  New Orleans, La.

WR   *La'Rod King   Kentucky    6-4    222   Sr.   Radcliff, Ky.

TE    Chris Gragg   Arkansas     6-3    236   Sr.   Warren, Ark.

OL    Alvin Bailey Arkansas     6-5    312   Jr.    Broken Arrow, Okla.

OL    Chance Warmack Alabama 6-3    320   Sr.   Atlanta, Ga.

OL    Chris Faulk    LSU    6-6    325   Jr.    Slidell, La.

OL    Gabe Jackson     Miss. State 6-4    320   Jr.    Liberty, Miss.

C   T.J. Johnson   South Carolina   6-6    319   Sr.   Aynor, S.C.

Third-Team Offense

QB   A.J. McCarron   Alabama 6-4    205   Jr.    Mobile, Ala.

RB    Spencer Ware    LSU    5-11  223   Jr.    Cincinnati, Ohio

RB    Christine Michael Texas A&M    5-11  220   Sr.   Beaumont, Texas

WR   Malcolm Mitchell Georgia   6-1    184   So.  Valdosta, Ga.

WR   T.J. Moe     Missouri 6-0    200   Sr.   O'Fallon, Mo.

TE    Michael Williams   Alabama 6-6    269   Sr.   Reform, Ala.

OL    Jake Matthews   Texas A&M    6-5    305   Jr.    Missouri City, Texas

OL    Dallas Thomas   Tennessee    6-5    305   Sr.   Baton Rouge, La.

OL    Xavier Nixon     Florida     6-6    309   Sr.   Fayetteville, N.C.

OL    Elvis Fisher    Missouri 6-5    295   Sr.   St. Petersburg, Fla.

C   Travis Swanson     Arkansas     6-5    305   Jr.    Kingwood, Texas

DEFENSE

First-Team Defense

DL    Jadeveon Clowney    South Carolina   6-6    256   So.  Rock Hill, S.C.

DL    Sam Montgomery LSU    6-4    245   Jr.    Greenwood, S.C.

DL    Corey Lemonier     Auburn    6-4    240   Jr.    Hialeah, Fla.

DL    Barkevious Mingo     LSU    6-5    240   Jr.    West Monroe, La.

ILB  *C.J. Mosley Alabama 6-2    234   Jr.    Theodore, Ala.

ILB  *Nico Johnson   Alabama 6-3    245   Sr.   Andalusia, Ala.

OLB Jarvis Jones    Georgia   6-3    241   Jr.    Columbus, Ga.

OLB Sean Porter    Texas A&M    6-2    230   Sr.   Schertz, Texas

DB   Tyrann Mathieu     LSU    5-9    175   Jr.    New Orleans, La.

DB   Bacarri Rambo   Georgia   6-0    218   Sr.   Donalsonville, Ga.

DB   Eric Reid   LSU    6-2    208   Jr.    Geismar, La.

DB   Johnthan Banks     Miss. State 6-2    185   Sr.   Maben, Miss.

Second-Team Defense

DL    John Jenkins Georgia   6-3    351   Sr.   Meriden, Conn.

DL    Devin Taylor South Carolina   6-8    267   Sr.   Beaufort, S.C.

DL    Jesse Williams    Alabama 6-4    319   Sr.   Brisbane, Australia

DL    Sharrif Floyd     Florida     6-3    305   Jr.    Philadelphia, Pa.

ILB  Jon Bostic Florida     6-1    243   Sr.   Wellington, Fla.

OLB Alonzo Highsmith     Arkansas     6-1    233   Sr.   Missouri City, Texas

OLB DeVonte Holloman   South Carolina   6-2    241   Sr.   Rock Hill, S.C.

DB   Robert Lester     Alabama 6-2    210   Sr.   Foley, Ala.

DB   D.J. Swearinger     South Carolina   6-0    210   Sr.   Greenwood, S.C.

DB   Prentiss Waggner   Tennessee    6-2    185   Sr.   Clinton, La.

DB   Matt Elam Florida     5-10  210   Jr.    Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Third-Team Defense

DL    Josh Boyd Miss. State 6-3    300   Sr.   Philadelphia, Miss.

DL    *Dominique Easley      Florida     6-2    286   Jr.    Staten Island, N.Y.

DL    *Abry Jones   Georgia   6-3    309   Sr.   Warner Robins, Ga.

DL    *Damontre Moore     Texas A&M    6-4    250   Jr.    Rowlett, Texas

DL    *Rob Lohr     Vanderbilt   6-4    290   Sr.   Phoenixville, Pa.

ILB  *Alec Ogletree Georgia   6-3    236   Jr.    Newnan, Ga.

ILB  *Daren Bates     Auburn    5-11  211   Sr.   Memphis, Tenn.

ILB  *Jelani Jenkins   Florida     6-0    233   Jr.    Olney, Md.

OLB Zaviar Gooden Missouri 6-2    230   Sr.   Pflugerville, Texas

OLB A.J. Johnson Tennessee    6-3    245   So.  Gainesville, Ga.

DB   Dee Milliner   Alabama 6-1    196   Jr.    Millbrook, Ala.

DB   Charles Sawyer Ole Miss 5-11  175   Jr.    Miami, Fla.

DB   Akeem Auguste     South Carolina   5-9    188   Sr.   Hollywood, Fla.

DB   *E.J. Gaines   Missouri 5-10  190   Jr.    Independence, Mo.

DB   *Sanders Commings Georgia   6-2    217   Sr.   Augusta, Ga.

SPECIALISTS

First-Team Specialists

P    Brad Wing     LSU    6-3    184   So.  Melbourne, Australia

PK    Caleb Sturgis     Florida     5-11  187   Sr.   St. Augustine, Fla.

RS    Tyrann Mathieu     LSU    5-9    175   Jr.    New Orleans, La.

AP    Dennis Johnson     Arkansas     6-0    180   Jr.    Russellville, Ark.

Second-Team Specialists

P    Steven Clark Auburn    6-5    235   Jr.    Kansas City, Mo.

PK    Drew Alleman   LSU    5-11  183   Sr.   Lafayette, La.

RS    Andre Debose   Florida     5-11  186   Jr.    Sanford, Fla.

AP    Johnthan Banks     Miss. State 6-2    185   Sr.   Maben, Miss.

Third-Team Specialists

P    *Dylan Breeding   Arkansas     6-1    211   Sr.   Hoover, Ala.

P    *Tyler Campbell    Ole Miss 6-2    220   Sr.   Little Rock, Ark.

PK    Zach Hocker Arkansas     6-0    180   Jr.    Russellville, Ark.

RS    Dustin Harris     Texas A&M    6-0    175   Sr.   Livingston, Texas

AP    Bruce Ellington     South Carolina   5-9    197   So.  Moncks Corner, S.C.