University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Occupy 11 Spots on Athlon Preseason All-SEC
June 16, 2016 | Football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Highly regarded college football publication Athlon Sports announced its preseason All-SEC teams on Tuesday, naming 10 Tennessee football players across 11 spots on its first, second, third, and fourth teams.
Athlon Sports 2016 Preseason All-SEC
Tennessee selectionsOFFENSE
- First Team
RB Jalen Hurd
OL Jashon Robertson - Second Team
QB Joshua Dobbs
AP Alvin Kamara - Fourth Team
OL Dylan Wiesman
DEFENSE
- First Team
DE Derek Barnett
LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin - Second Team
DB Cameron Sutton
SPECIAL TEAMS
- First Team
KR Evan Berry
PR Cameron Sutton - Third Team
P Trevor Daniel
Tennessee's 11 representatives across the four preseason all-conference squads ranks third in the conference, trailing only Alabama (14) and LSU (12). The Vols have six first-team selections -- tied with Alabama for the most in the league -- three second-team picks, one third-teamer, and one fourth-team choice.
Jalen Hurd (running back) and Jashon Robertson (offensive line) were first team All-SEC offensive selections while junior defensive lineman Derek Barnett and senior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin landed on the All-SEC first team defense. Additionally, the nation's top returning kick returners in junior Evan Berry (kickoff) and senior Cameron Sutton (punt) rounded out UT's first team selections as special teams picks.
Offensively, the second team featured senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs and redshirt junior running back Alvin Kamara. Sutton was Tennessee's only second team representative on the defensive side while punter Trevor Daniel was picked for the All-SEC third team. Offensive lineman Dylan Wiesman, the final of Tennessee's 11 selections, landed on the fourth team.
Juniors Hurd and Robertson were named to the first team one year after the running back and left guard helped the UT offense rack up 2,908 yards rushing during the 2015 season. Hurd, the Outback Bowl MVP, finished the season with 1,288 yards rushing to become Tennessee's first-ever true sophomore to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a single season. He was fourth in the SEC in rushing last season and will enter his junior season with 2,291 yards to his name -- just 891 yards behind Travis Henry for Tennessee's all-time career rushing mark. Meanwhile, Robertson has started every game of his 23-game career on Rocky Top and remains a major catalyst along a Tennessee offensive line that helped the Vols average 422.3 yards of total offense per game in 2015.
On the defensive side, junior pass rusher Barnett and senior linebacker Reeves-Maybin represent the Vols on the All-SEC first team. An All-SEC second team selection after ranking third in the conference in sacks (10.0) last season, Barnett will enter his junior season tied for eighth in career sacks at Tennessee with 20. He trails the great Reggie White, UT's all-time sacks leader, by only 12. Reeves-Maybin, one of the most consistent linebackers in the SEC, returns for his senior season after ranking seventh in the SEC in total tackles (105) and ninth in tackles per game (8.1) a year ago. The Clarksville, Tennessee, native has started in each of his last 26 games for Tennessee and was selected as a 2016 team captain by head coach Butch Jones at the DISH Orange & White Game in April.
Rounding out Tennessee's first team selections are the Vols' outstanding return duo in junior Evan Berry and senior Cameron Sutton. Berry was the country's top kickoff returner in 2015, pacing the FBS with a 38.3 yards-per-return average to go along with three return touchdowns. For his efforts, Berry was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and earned first team All-America honors from multiple publications. Similarly, Sutton led the country in punt returns at 18.7 yards per return and brought two punts back for scores.
Athlon also named Sutton to the second team All-SEC defensive unit. The defensive back has started all 38 games of his career, including 13 games in 2015 in which he posted 28 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, an interception, two pass break-ups, and two forced fumbles. He is tied for fourth in career passes defended at Tennessee, recently surpassing Eric Berry (31).
Offensively, quarterback Joshua Dobbs and running back Alvin Kamara landed on Athlon's second team All-SEC offense. Dobbs is 14-5 in his last 19 starts and threw for 2,291 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2015. He also rushed 671 yards last season -- the most ever by a quarterback at Tennessee. Dynamic tailback Kamara finished the 2015 season -- his first on Rocky Top -- with 698 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns. He was also second on the team in receptions with 34 catches for 291 yards.
On the third team, punter Daniel earns preseason accolades after piecing together a career season in 2015. A Ray Guy Award candidate, Daniel set a new Tennessee record by averaging 45.7 yards per punt and landed 25 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Rounding out Tennessee's honorees, Wiesman lands on Athlon's fourth team after earning All-SEC second team honors from the Associated Press last year. As a junior in 2015, Wiesman started all 13 games and helped pave the way for the Vols' efficient rushing attack.
Tennessee and Team 120 -- previously tabbed with a No. 7 preseason ranking by Athlon Sports -- opens the 2016 season on Thursday, Sept. 1 against Appalachian State.
