There are plenty of polls and All-SEC predictions each year, but one that you should pay special attention to is the SEC Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team. In the poll, all of the head coaches select which players – excluding their own – they think belong on the first, second and third team lists.
Chad Kelly was voted as the top quarterback in the conference and named to the first team. Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs and LSU’s Brandon Harris were named second and third team, respectively. Kelly is coming off of a season in which he threw for 4,042 yards and 31 touchdowns on a 65.1 completion percentage and had the most fourth-quarter touchdowns of any SEC quarterback with seven. Kelly also added 500 yards rushing on a 4.67 yard average and 10 touchdowns.
Senior tight end Evan Engram was named the second team tight end, behind only Alabama’s O.J. Howard. Engram currently holds the school record for career catches and receiving yards by a tight end. Last season, Engram saw a slight dip in production, catching 38 passes for 464 yards and two touchdowns after catching 38 passes for 662 yards and two touchdowns the previous year, but he is poised to take a bigger role in the offense this season.
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- Chad Kelly throws a pass during a game against New Mexico St on October 10, 2015. Kelly was recently voted the top quarterback in the SEC and named to the Preseason Coaches All-SEC first team. (File Photo: Cameron Brooks)
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- Evan Engram celebrating with teammates after a touchdown in the first quarter against Texas A&M on October 24, 2015. Engram was named to the Preseason Coaches All-SEC second team. (File Photo: Cameron Brooks)
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- Tony Conner attempts to tackle Alabama quarterback Blake Sims against Alabama Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014. Despite missing eight games last season, Conner was named to the Preseason Coaches All-SEC second team. (File Photo: Cady Herring)
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- Marquis Haynes runs back a fumble against Auburn last season before officials calling the play back. Haynes joined Gary Wunderlich on the Preseason Coaches All-SEC third team.
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- Gary Wunderlich talks with teammates after a field goal during the 2014 Alabama game in Oxford, MS. Wunderlich made the Preseason Coaches All-SEC third team.
Also on the second team is senior husky Tony Conner, who made the list as a defensive back. As a sophomore in 2014, Conner was named to the AP All-SEC second team after registering 69 tackles, nine tackles for loss and an interception. Conner also made the NCAA All-Freshman team in his first year after recording 66 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, one sack and one interception. Conner missed most of last year, but is prepared to reenter the starting lineup this year.
Junior Marquis Haynes was also able to crack the list, coming in on the third team at defensive end. Last season, Haynes was named to the All-SEC second team after he registered 10 sacks and 16.5 tackles for launch. Haynes’ 10 sacks tied the school record for sacks in a season and gave him 17.5 total sacks, good for the fourth most career sacks by an Ole Miss player.
The Rebels also made a mark on special teams, as kicker Gary Wunderlich made the third team. Wunderlich hit 19 of his 25 field goal attempts, with three of those coming from more than 40 yards away. Wunderlich was perfect on his extra points, knocking down a school record 63 of his 63 point after attempts. Wunderlich led all SEC kickers with 120 total points on the season.
