NASHVILLE, TENN. (Florida Sports Wire) — The South Carolina Gamecocks have been picked to finish third in the SEC Eastern Division according to a preseason poll of the media covering the annual SEC Football Media Days this past week in Nashville, it was announced today.
Georgia was selected to win the SEC Eastern Division with 2011 points, including an overwhelming 265 first-place votes, while Tennessee was second with 1682 points and 14 votes to win the division. South Carolina was third with 1254 points. Points were awarded on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale.
Alabama was picked to win the SEC Western Division with 1899 total points, narrowly over LSU with 1838 points. Texas A&M was third with 1144 points.
Georgia was predicted to win the 2023 SEC Championship. The Bulldogs received 181 votes to be crowned SEC Champion on December 2 in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, while Alabama was second with 62 votes.
In addition, the preseason All-SEC teams as selected by the media were announced. Six Gamecocks were named to the three units, including first-team punter Kai Kroeger, first-team kickoff specialist Mitch Jeter, second team wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr., third-team tight end Trey Knox, third-team defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway and third-team all-purpose back Dakereon Joyner.
The Gamecocks will open the 2023 football season in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 2, when they face the North Carolina Tar Heels. Game time is set for 7:30 pm and the contest will be televised nationally on ABC.
SEC PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
First place votes in ()EASTERN DIVISION
Georgia (265) 2011 Tennessee (14) 1682 South Carolina (3) 1254 Kentucky (1) 1204 Florida 911 Missouri 658 Vanderbilt (8) 428WESTERN DIVISION
Alabama (165) 1899 LSU (117) 1838 Texas A&M (1) 1144 Ole Miss 1128 Arkansas (3) 958 Auburn (4) 685 Mississippi State (1) 496SEC CHAMPION
Georgia 181 Alabama 62 LSU 31 Tennessee 5 Vanderbilt 5 Arkansas 2 Auburn 2 Texas A&M 1 Mississippi State 1 South Carolina 12023 PRESEASON MEDIA DAYS ALL-SEC TEAM
OFFENSE
First-Team
QB – Jayden Daniels, LSU RB – Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss RB – Raheim Sanders, Arkansas WR – Malik Nabers, LSU WR – Ladd McConkey, Georgia TE – Brock Bowers, Georgia OL – JC Latham, Alabama OL – Amarius Mims, Georgia OL – Tate Ratledge, Georgia OL – Will Campbell, LSU C – Sedrick Van Pran, GeorgiaSecond-Team
QB – KJ Jefferson, Arkansas RB – Jase McClellan, Alabama RB – Kendall Milton, Georgia WR – Antwane Wells, South Carolina *WR – Bru McCoy, Tennessee *WR – Ja’Corey Brooks, Alabama TE – Mason Taylor, LSU OL – Tyler Booker, Alabama OL – Brady Latham, Arkansas OL – Javon Foster, Missouri OL – Xavier Truss, Georgia C – Seth McLaughlin, AlabamaThird-Team
*QB – Joe Milton III, Tennessee *QB – Will Rogers, Mississippi State RB – Jarquez Hunter, Auburn RB – Trevor Etienne, Florida WR – Ainias Smith, Texas A&M WR – Jermaine Burton, Alabama TE – Trey Knox, South Carolina OL – Emery Jones, LSU OL – Eli Cox, Kentucky OL – Javontez Spraggins, Tennessee OL – Layden Robinson, Texas A&M C – Cooper Mays, TennesseeDEFENSE
First-Team
DL – Mekhi Wingo, LSU DL – Mykel Williams, Georgia DL – Maason Smith, LSU DL – Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia LB – Dallas Turner, Alabama LB – Harold Perkins, LSU LB – Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia DB – Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama DB – Malaki Starks, Georgia DB – Kamari Lassiter, Georgia DB – Javon Bullard, GeorgiaSecond-Team
DL – Jaheim Oatis, Alabama DL – McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M DL – Justin Eboigbe, Alabama DL – Deone Walker, Kentucky LB – Smael Mondon, Georgia LB – Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State LB – Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri DB – Malachi Moore, Alabama DB – Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas DB – Demani Richardson, Texas A&M DB – Kris Abrams-Draine, MissouriThird-Team
DL – Princely Umanmiellen, Florida DL – Tonka Hemingway, South Carolina DL – Tim Smith, Alabama DL – Darius Robinson, Missouri LB – Chris Braswell, Alabama LB – Jalon Walker, Georgia LB – JJ Weaver, Kentucky DB – Major Burns, LSU DB – D.J. James, Auburn DB – Nehemiah Pritchett, Auburn DB – Jason Marshall, Florida SPECIALISTSFirst-Team
P – Kai Kroeger, South Carolina PK – Will Reichard, Alabama LS – Kneeland Hibbett, Alabama KOS – Mitch Jeter, South Carolina RS – Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama AP – Ainias Smith, Texas A&MSecond-Team
P – Nik Constantinou, Texas A&M PK – Harrison Mevis, Missouri LS – Slade Roy, LSU KOS – Nathan Dibert, LSU RS – Ainias Smith, Texas A&M AP – Tulu Griffin, Mississippi StateThird-Team
P – Oscar Chapman, Auburn PK – Alex McPherson, Auburn LS – William Mote, Georgia RS – Tulu Griffin, Mississippi State AP – Dakereon Joyner, South Carolina* – Indicates a tie