78th annual SEC post-spring football report: Alabama places 6 on preseason all-conference team

Nick Saban did not leave the cupboard bare in Tuscaloosa when he retired in January — far from it.

Alabama placed a league-high six players on the 78th annual preseason All-SEC team, published each year since 1947 by The Birmingham News and/or AL.com. That’s twice as many as any other team in the conference, with Georgia and Kentucky sharing second-place honors with three All-SEC picks each (it’s also worth nothing that two of the Crimson Tide’s representatives on the team are transfers brought in by new coach Kalen DeBoer).

RELATED: Georgia picked to win super-sized SEC in 78th annual post-spring football report

Four schools — Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma and South Carolina — each had two players selected, while Arkansas, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas all had one. Florida, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt did not have a player chosen preseason All-SEC.

For the first time in the 78 years of the report, voting was conducted among AL.com sports staff members. Previously, football information directors at the SEC member schools did the voting, with coaches doing so in the early days of the poll.

Only one “team” of 25 players (11 offense, 11 defense, 3 specialists) was chosen this year, rather than first and second teams as in the past. All players who received at least one preseason All-SEC vote are noted below.

Here’s a breakdown of AL.com’s choices for the preseason All-SEC team:

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Carson Beck, Georgia

6-4, 220 | Junior | Jacksonville, Fla.

Beck returns for his second year as a starter after leading the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record in 2023, and is likely to be among the Heisman Trophy favorites this season. He completed 72.4% (302 of 417) of his passes a year ago for an SEC-best 3,941 yards, with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, and added four rushing touchdowns. He was a second-team All-SEC pick in 2023 behind Heisman winner Jayden Daniels of LSU.

Others receiving votes: Brady Cook, Missouri; Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss; Quinn Ewers, Texas; Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Running back

Jarquez Hunter, Auburn

5-10, 209 | Senior | Philadelphia, Miss.

The leading returning rusher in the SEC, Hunter bounced back from an offseason suspension (which also kept him out of the season-opener) to rush for 909 yards on 159 carries (5.7 yards per carry) with seven touchdowns. He added 18 receptions.

Rocket Sanders, South Carolina

6-0, 230 | Senior | Rockledge, Fla.

Sanders is looking for a return to form at his new school after knee and shoulder injuries limited him to just six games in 2023 at Arkansas. He was a first-team All-SEC pick in 2022, when he ran for 1,443 yards and 10 scores for the Razorbacks.

Others receiving votes: Ulysses Bentley, Ole Miss; Trevor Etienne, Georgia; Gavin Sawchuk, Oklahoma

Wide receiver

Luther Burden, Missouri

5-11, 208 | Junior | St. Louis, Mo.

Perhaps the most exciting returning offensive player in the SEC if not the country, Burden was a second-team All-American in 2023, when he totaled 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns.

Tre Harris, Ole Miss

6-2, 205 | Senior | Lafayette, La.

Harris caught three touchdown passes in his first game with the Rebels after transferring from Louisiana Tech and hardly slowed down after that in 2023, finishing with 54 receptions for 985 yards (18.2 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns.

Others receiving votes: Isaiah Bond, Texas; Juice Wells, Ole Miss

Tight end

Rivaldo Fairweather, Auburn

6-4, 252 | Senior | Lauderhill, Fla.

A highly productive pass-catcher at Florida International, Fairweather made the transition to the SEC with ease in 2023. He led the Tigers in receptions (38), yards (394) and touchdowns (6).

Others receiving votes: Oscar Delp, Georgia; Amari Niblack, Texas; Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss

Center

Parker Brailsford, Alabama

6-2, 275 | Sophomore | Mesa, Ariz.

The undersized Brailsford excelled at a redshirt freshman at Washington 2024, earning second-team Pac-12 and Freshman All-America honors. He’s among several former Huskies who followed new coach Kalen DeBoer to Tuscaloosa.

Others receiving votes: Eli Cox, Kentucky; Connor Lew, Auburn; Cooper Mays, Tennessee

Offensive line

Kelvin Banks, Texas

6-4, 324 | Junior | Humble, Texas

A 27-game starter at left tackle for the Longhorns, Banks was a first-team All-Big 12 and second-team All-America pick for a conference championship team in 2023.

Tyler Booker, Alabama

6-5, 352 | Junior | New Haven, Conn.

A 12-game starter at left guard, Booker was a first-team All-SEC pick for the conference champions in 2023. He was a freshman All-SEC pick in 2022.

Will Campbell, LSU

6-6, 320 | Junior | Monroe, La.

Campbell has started 26 consecutive games at left-tackle for the Tigers. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2023 and a Freshman All-American in 2022.

Tate Ratledge, Georgia

6-6, 310 | Senior | Rome, Ga.

Ratledge has started 28 career games at right guard for the Bulldogs, earning first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America honors in 2023.

Others receiving votes: Grant Dellinger, LSU; Dylan Fairchild, Georgia; Earnest Greene, Georgia; Jeremy James, Ole Miss; Emery Jones, LSU; Cam’Ron Johnson, Missouri; Kayden Proctor, Alabama; Javontez Spraggins, Tennessee; Xavier Truss, Georgia

DEFENSE

Defensive line

Landon Jackson, Arkansas

6-7, 282 | Senior | Texarkana, Texas

A dominant player on a bad team, Jackson was a first-team All-SEC selection as an edge rusher in 2023. He totaled 44 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

James Pearce, Tennessee

6-5, 242 | Junior | Charlotte, N.C.

Another highly-productive edge rusher, Pearce was a first-team All-SEC pick a year ago. He tied for the SEC lead with 10 sacks and also compiled 28 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles.

Deone Walker, Kentucky

6-6, 348 | Junior | Detroit, Mich.

The mammoth Walker was nearly unblockable at the nose guard position for the Wildcats, piling up 55 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks on his way to first-team All-SEC honors.

Others receiving votes: Ethan Downs, Oklahoma; Keldric Faulk, Auburn; Tonka Hemingway, South Carolina; Walter Nolen, Ole Miss; J.J. Pegues, Ole Miss; Nic Scourton, Texas A&M; Joey Slackman, Florida; Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia; Shemar Turner, Texas A&M; Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss; Mykel Williams, Georgia

Linebacker

Deontae Lawson, Alabama

6-2, 230 | Junior | Mobile, Ala.

Lawson is being counted on to be the Crimson Tide’s defensive bellcow in 2024 after totaling 67 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and four pass breakups as a sophomore last season.

Harold Perkins, LSU

6-1, 220 | Junior | New Orleans, La.

After being miscast as an inside linebacker, Perkins is back on the edge where he was a first-team All-SEC and Freshman All-America pick in 2022. Even playing out of position, Perkins totaled 75 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and an interception in 2023.

Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma

6-4, 241 | Senior | Windermere, Fla.

Stutsman was arguably the best linebacker in the Big 12 a year ago, totaling 104 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception (which he returned for a touchdown) in 2023. He was a first-team All-Big 12 pick and a second-team All-American.

Debo Williams, South Carolina

6-1, 232 | Senior | Smyrna, Del.

Williams blossomed in his first full season as a starter in 2023, totaling 113 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three pass breakups, a sack and a fumble recovery. He was a first-team All-SEC selection.

Others receiving votes: Eugene Asante, Auburn; D’Eryk Jackson, Kentucky; Shemar James, Florida; Jalen McLeod, Auburn; Smael Mondon, Georgia; Triston Newson, Missouri; Langston Patterson, Vanderbilt; Taurean York, Texas A&M

Defensive back

Billy Bowman, Oklahoma

5-10, 191 | Senior | Denton, Texas

Bowman was a big play waiting to happen at safety for the Sooners in 2023, returning three of his six interceptions for touchdowns. He also totaled 63 tackles, three tackles for loss and four pass breakups in earning first-team All-Big 12 honors.

Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky

6-1, 191 | Junior | West Bloomfield, Mich.

The top returning cornerback in the SEC, Hairston recorded five interceptions (two of them returned for touchdowns) and six pass breakups in 2023. He added 68 tackles and a forced fumble, picking up second-team All-SEC recognition.

Malachi Moore, Alabama

6-0, 198 | Senior | Trussville, Ala.

Moore has played all over the secondary in his four years with the Crimson Tide, making him a perfect fit for Kane Wommack’s 4-2-5 defensive scheme. In 2023, he totaled 52 tackles, five tackles for loss, five pass breakups and an interception.

Malaki Starks, Georgia

6-1, 205 | Junior | Jefferson, Ga.

Starks might be the most-decorated returning player in the league, a first-team All-SEC and All-America pick and a Nagurski Trophy and Thorpe Award finalist as a sophomore in 2023. He totaled 52 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions for the Bulldogs last season.

Others receiving votes: Jahdae Barron, Texas; Major Burns, LSU; Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina; Malik Muhammad, Texas; Keon Sabb, Alabama; Keionte Scott, Auburn

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker

Graham Nicholson, Alabama

6-0, 180 | Senior | Cincinnati, Ohio

A transfer from Miami of Ohio, Nicholson won the Groza Award as the top kicker in college football in 2023. He made 35 of 37 extra points and 27 of 28 field goals (making 10 of 11 from 40-plus yards with a long of 52) and also had 52 touchbacks in 73 kickoffs. He was a first-team All-American and the Mid-American Conference Special Teams Player of the Year.

Others receiving votes: Bert Auburn, Texas; Alex McPherson, Auburn

Punter

James Burnip, Alabama

6-6, 220 | Senior | Mount Macedon, Australia

Burnip bailed out an inconsistent Crimson Tide offense on several occasions in 2023, averaging 47.6 yards on 59 punts. He was a second-team All-SEC pick a year ago.

Others receiving votes: Jeremy Crawshaw, Florida; Kai Kroeger, South Carolina

Return specialist

Barion Brown, Kentucky

6-1, 174 | Junior | Nashville, Tenn.

Brown led the country in kickoff return average in 2023 (36.0 yards) and scored three touchdowns, including a 100-yarder in the Wildcats’ Gator Bowl win over Clemson, a game in which he also caught and rushed for a score. He also averaged 17.0 yards on a handful of punt returns.

Others receiving votes: Keionte Scott, Auburn

COMING SUNDAY: Answering key questions about the SEC’s top teams and players in 2024.

Creg Stephenson is a sports writer for AL.com. He has covered college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at cstephenson@al.com or follow him on Twitter at @CregStephenson.