Alabama QB Young, LB Anderson named SEC players of year

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Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (9) passes in the pocket against Georgia during the first half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Alabama once again collected a Southeastern Conference title and two big league-wide individual awards.

Quarterback Bryce Young is the SEC’s offensive player of the year and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. is the top defensive player, as voted on by a panel of sports writers and broadcasters covering the league. The voting was released on Wednesday.

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Georgia’s Kirby Smart was the pick as coach of the year after leading the Bulldogs to a 12-0 regular season and into the College Football Playoffs. Bulldogs freshman tight end Brock Bowers is the selection as top newcomer after leading the team in receiving.

Missouri tailback Tyler Badie, Anderson and Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams were the only unanimous picks. Anderson, the Bronco Nagurski winner as the nation’s top defensive player, was named on some ballots as a defensive lineman/edge rusher.

He's leading the nation in sacks and tackles for loss. Young is the Heisman Trophy favorite after leading a 41-24 victory over Smart’s Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game.

It was the second straight year Alabama had the offensive and defensive players of the year, with Heisman-winning wide receiver DeVonta Smith and cornerback Patrick Surtain taking the awards in 2020.

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The 2021 AP All-SEC team, as selected by a panel of 14 sports writers and sportscasters who regularly cover the league, with name, school, height, weight, class and hometown. (“u-” denotes unanimous selection):

FIRST TEAM

Offense

QB — Bryce Young, Alabama, 6-0, 194, So., Pasadena, California

RB — u-Tyler Badie, Missouri, 5-8, 194, Sr., New Orleans

RB — Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky, 5-11, 224, Jr., McDonough, Georgia

OL — Darian Kinnard, Kentucky, 6-5, 345, Sr., Knoxville, Tennessee

OL — Charles Cross, Mississippi St., 6-5, 310, R-So., Laurel, Mississippi

OL — Kenyon Green, Texas A&M, 6-4, 325, Jr., Humble, Texas

OL — Evan Neal, Alabama, 6-7, 360, Jr., Okeechobee, Florida

C — Michael Maietti, Missouri, 6-1, 290, Grad., West Orange, N.J.

TE — Brock Bowers, Georgia, 6-4, 230, Fr., Napa, California.

WR — Jameson Williams, Alabama, 6-1, 175, Jr., St. Louis, Missouri

WR — Treylon Burks, Arkansas, 6-3, 225, Jr., Warren, Arkansas

K — Harrison Mevis, Missouri, 5-11, 236, So., Warsaw, Indiana

AP — Velus Jones, Tennessee, 6-0, 200, Sr., Saraland, Alabama.

Defense

DE — Sam Williams, Mississippi, 6-4, 265, Sr., Montgomery, Alabama

DE — Josh Paschal, Kentucky, 6-3, 278, Sr., Prince George's County, Maryland

DT — DeMarvin Leal, 6-4, 290, Jr., San Antonio, Texas

DT — Jordan Davis, Georgia, 6-6, 340, Sr., Charlotte, North Carolina

LB — Will Anderson, Alabama, 6-4, 243, So., Hampton Georgia

LB — Nakobe Dean, Georgia, 6-0, 225, Jr., Horn Lake, Mississippi

LB — Damone Clark, LSU, 6-3, 240, Sr., Baton Rouge

DB — Roger McCreary, Auburn, 6-0, 190, Sr., Mobile, Alabama

DB — Lewis Cine, Georgia, 6-1, 200, Jr., Cedar Hill, Texas

DB — Jaylan Foster, South Carolina, 5-10, 195, Sr., Duncan, South Carolina

DB — Jordan Battle, Alabama, 6-1, 210, Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida

P — Nik Constantinou, Texas A&M, 6-3, 230, So., Melbourne, Australia

SEC Offensive Player of the Year — Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

SEC Defensive Player of the Year — Will Anderson, LB, Alabama

SEC Coach of the Year — Kirby Smart, Georgia

SEC Newcomer of the Year — Brock Browers, TE, Georgia

SECOND TEAM

Offense

QB — Matt Corral, Mississippi, 6-2, 205, Jr., Ventura, California

RB — Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M, 6-1, 215, Jr., Spring, Texas

RB — Brian Robinson, Alabama, 6-0, 204, Sr., Tuscaloosa, Alabama

OL — Jamaree Salyer, Georgia, 6-4, 325, Sr., Atlanta

OL — Layden Robinson, Texas A&M, 6-4, 320, So., Manuel, Texas

OL — Justin Shaffer, Georgia, 6-4, 330, Sr., Ellenwood, Georgia

OL —Cade Mays, Tennessee, 6-6, 325, Knoxville, Tennessee

C — Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas, 6-4, 310, Jr., Tulsa, Oklahoma

TE — Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M, 6-5, 255, Jr., Dickinson, Texas

WR — Wan’Dale Robinson, Kentucky, 5-11, 185, Jr., Frankfort, Kentucky

WR — John Metchie III, Alabama, 6-0, 195, Jr., Brampton, Canada

PK — Cade York, LSU, 6-1, 198, Jr., McKinney, Texas

Defense

DE — Derick Hall, Auburn, 6-3, 251, Jr., Gulfport, Mississippi

DE — Tyree Johnson, Texas A&M, 6-4, 240, Sr., Washington, D.C.

DT — Devonte Wyatt, Georgia, 6-3, 315, Sr., Decatur, Georgia

DT — Neal Farrell Jr., LSU, 6-4, 325, Grad., Mobile, Alabama

LB — Channing Tindall, Georgia, 6-2, 230, Sr., Columbia, South Carolina

LB — Zakoby McClain, Auburn, 6-0, 219, Sr., Valdosta, Georgia

LB — Bumper Pool, Arkansas, 6-2, 230, Sr., Lucas, Texas

DB — Derion Kendrick, Georgia, 6-0, 190, Sr., Rock Hill, South Carolina

DB_Cam Smith, South Carolina, 6-1, 187, So., Blythewood, South Carolina

DB_AJ Finley, Mississippi, 6-2, 210, Jr., Mobile, Alabama

DB_Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M, 6-3, 200, So., East St. Louis, Illinois

P— Jake Camarda, Georgia, 6-2, 180, Sr., Norcross, Georgia

AP — Jameson Williams, Alabama, 6-2, 189, Jr., St. Louis, Missouri

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AP All-SEC Voting Panel: Parrish Alford, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal; Travis Brown, Bryan-College Station Eagle; John Clay, Lexington Herald Leader; Gentry Estes, The Tennessean; Garland Gillen, Fox 8 (WVUE-TV), New Orleans; Jordan Hill, Opelika-Auburn News; Nick Kelly, The Tuscaloosa News; David Matter, St. Louis Post Dispatch; Tom Murphy, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Ben Portnoy, The State, Columbia, S.C.; Adam Sparks, Knoxville News-Sentinel; Nick Suss, The Clarion Ledger; Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel; Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald.