By Missy Grimes
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A day after having six players named to the Coaches All-SEC teams, No. 7 Tennessee had four representatives on the All-SEC teams released by the Associated Press on Wednesday.
Star running back Dylan Sampson was a unanimous first-team selection and was joined by Jermod McCoy on the first team. Cooper Mays and James Pearce Jr. were both recognized as second-team selections to round out the group.
Tennessee has now produced 13 AP All-SEC honorees in the Josh Heupel era (2021-present), its most in a four-year span since having 14 recognized from 2009-12.
More information on each of the Vols’ AP All-SEC selections can be found below.
Dylan Sampson (RB) – All-SEC First Team | SEC Offensive Player of the Year
Sampson, who was also tabbed the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Year by both the league’s coaches and the AP on Wednesday, has had a record-setting season for the Big Orange while helping lead Tennessee to its first ever College Football Playoff appearance.
Sampson finished the regular season as the SEC’s leader in carries (256), rushing yards (1,485), rushing yards per game (123.8) and rushing touchdowns (22), setting UT single-season records for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns along the way. In total, Sampson leads the SEC in 11 different categories and is tied for first among Power Four players (third nationally) in rushing scores, with his 22 touchdowns on the ground ranking tied for the fifth most in SEC single-season history.
The junior workhorse became the second player in Tennessee history with 10 100-yard rushing games in a single season, joining Jay Graham, who had 11 in 1995. He also leads the SEC and ranks eighth nationally in all-purpose yards with 1,620 entering the Vols’ CFP first round contest at No. 6 Ohio State on Dec. 21.
Sampson has been a point scoring machine in 2024, leading the conference and ranking fifth in the FBS with a program-record 132 points scored. His 11 straight games with a touchdown earlier this season was also a single-season school record.
Jermod McCoy (CB) – All-SEC First Team
McCoy has emerged as one of the league’s top cornerbacks this season after transferring to Tennessee following his true freshman year at Oregon State.
During the regular season, the sophomore standout finished tied for second in the SEC with four interceptions and was third in the conference with 13 passes defended, a mark that ranked No. 2 in the FBS among underclassmen. McCoy also was the Vols’ third-leading tackler with 39 stops on the year.
The Whitehouse, Texas, native, has posted a 90.3 coverage grade according to PFF, which ranks fifth nationally and second in the SEC among cornerbacks.
Cooper Mays (C) – All-SEC Second Team
In his fourth-straight season as the starting center, Mays anchored UT’s offensive line that helped the Vols finish with a top 10 rushing offense and total offense in the country. The Kingston, Tennessee, native, played a team-high 816 offensive snaps according to PFF and did not allow a sack or quarterback hit throughout the entire 2024 campaign. He carries a streak of 26 consecutive games without allowing a sack into next week’s CFP first-round contest against the Buckeyes, which dates back to the 2022 season.
Mays led an offensive line unit that paved the way for the top rushing attack in the SEC for the second year in row. Tennessee’s 232.0 rushing yards per game ranked first in the conference and ninth in the FBS, while its 462.9 yards of total offense per game were second in the league and eighth nationally. For their efforts, UT’s offensive line was recognized as Joe Moore Award semifinalists for the third-straight season, joining Oregon as the only schools in the country to accomplish that feat.
This marks the second straight year that Mays has been named an All-SEC performer by the AP after also earning second-team acclaim in 2023.
James Pearce Jr. (DL) – All-SEC Second Team
For the second consecutive season, Pearce Jr. earned AP All-SEC honors after continuing to be one of the conference’s most disruptive defenders and feared pass rushers.
Pearce Jr.’s 52 total pressures according to PFF rank second in the SEC and sixth among edge rushers in the Power Four conferences while his 89.6 pass rush grade ranks 11th in the FBS and third in the SEC.
The Charlotte, North Carolina, native, led the Big Orange in tackles for loss (11.0) and sacks (7.5) for the second straight year and has racked up a career-best 35 total tackles to go along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 2024.
The full Associated Press All-SEC teams can be seen below or by clicking HERE.
2024 Associated Press All-SEC Teams
First Team – Offense
QB — Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
RB — Dylan Sampson, Tennessee (unanimous)
RB — Jarquez Hunter, Auburn
WR — Tre Harris, Ole Miss
WR — Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas
TE — Gunnar Helm, Texas
OT — Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas (unanimous)
OT — Will Campbell, LSU
OG — Tyler Booker, Alabama
OG — Tate Ratledge, Georgia
C — Jake Slaughter, Florida
PK — Alex Raynor, Kentucky
All-purpose — Barion Brown, Kentucky
First Team – Defense
DE — Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
DE — Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss
DT — Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
DT — Alfred Collins, Texas
LB — Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
LB — Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
LB — Whit Weeks, LSU
CB — Jahdae Barron, Texas (unanimous)
CB — Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
S — Malaki Starks, Georgia
S — Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
P — Jesse Mirko, Vanderbilt
Second Team – Offense
QB — Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
RB — Raheim Sanders, South Carolina
RB — Ja’Quinden Jackson, Arkansas
WR — Ryan Williams, Alabama
WR (tie) — KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Auburn | Kyren Lacy, LSU
TE — Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
OT — Emery Jones, LSU
OT — Armand Membou, Missouri
OG — Dylan Fairchild, Georgia
OG — Cam’Ron Johnson, Missouri
C — Cooper Mays, Tennessee
PK — Peyton Woodring, Georgia
All-purpose — Davon Booth, Mississippi State
Second Team – Defense
DE — James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
DE (tie) — Nic Scourton, Texas A&M | Landon Jackson, Arkansas
DT — TJ Sanders, South Carolina
DT — Deone Walker, Kentucky
LB — Jalon Walker, Georgia
LB — Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
LB — Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss
CB — Trey Amos, Ole Miss
CB — Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
S — Malachi Moore, Alabama
S — Andrew Mukuba, Texas
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
P — Brett Thorson, Georgia
___
Coach of the Year — Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Offensive Player of the Year — Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Defensive Player of the Year — Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
Newcomer of the Year — Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
2024 Tennessee Postseason Award Honors as of Dec. 11
DC Tim Banks
Broyles Award Finalist
DB Will Brooks
Burlsworth Trophy Semifinalist
QB Nico Iamaleava
Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Finalist
Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Semifinalist
OL Cooper Mays
Rimington Trophy Finalist
All-SEC First Team (Coaches)
All-SEC Second Team (AP)
WR Bru McCoy
Witten Award Semifinalist
Comeback Player of the Year Semifinalist
SEC Community Service Team
DB Jermod McCoy
Thorpe Award Semifinalist
All-SEC First Team (AP)
All-SEC Second Team (Coaches)
DE James Pearce Jr.
Bednarik Award Semifinalist
Lombardi Award Semifinalist
Walter Camp Player of the Year Semifinalist
All-SEC First Team (Coaches)
All-SEC Second Team (AP)
LB Keenan Pili
NFF Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
RB Dylan Sampson
SEC Offensive Player of the Year (AP, Coaches)
USA Today SEC Player of the Year
Maxwell Award Semifinalist
Doak Walker Award Semifinalist
All-SEC First Team (AP, Coaches)
OL Javontez Spraggins
All-SEC Third Team (Coaches)
KOS Josh Turbyville
All-SEC Third Team (Coaches)
Offensive Line
Joe Moore Award Semifinalist
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