STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University offensive guard Gabe Jackson received two birthday presents Thursday.
The junior from Amite County High School was named to the Outland Trophy Award watch list and was a preseason second-team pick to the All-Southeastern Conference team.
Jackson, who turned 21 Thursday, has started all 26 games he has participated in at left guard in the past two seasons. The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder was MSU’s only offensive lineman selected by league’s coaches.
MSU’s offensive line could have three new full-time starters, including both tackle positions, which makes it a question mark entering the 2012 season.
“It’s not like we’re starting at scratch this season with guys either in the short term or long term having experience at that position,” Jackson said in late March. “I have to be a leader for the younger guys, and that feels weird for me to say, but it’s got to happen.”
MSU defensive Josh Boyd joined Jackson on the Outland Trophy watch list. The senior from Philadelphia also was an All-SEC third-team selection. Boyd is entering his third year as a starter at defensive tackle, but it will be his first season without Fletcher Cox in a 4-3 scheme. Cox, who was selected 12th by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2012 NFL draft in April, occupied most of the attention inside the tackle box, which enabled Boyd to make 51 tackles and have four and a half sacks last season.
“It’s kind of odd because (Fletcher) was like my brother, but it’s going to take some time to get used to it,” Boyd said in late March. “(MSU defensive coordinator Chris Wilson) leans on me a lot, and I’m coming from a place that’s not used to being a vocal leader. I was always the quiet one and Fletcher did the talking.”
Banks continues to rack up preseason awards with first-team All-SEC selection
MSU senior cornerback Johnthan Banks said Wednesday it’s going to be harder this season to ignore the individual accolades than the first three years he has been in Starkville.
The job became a little tougher Thursday after as he was the only MSU player to receive All-SEC first-team honors. He also was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list. The trophy is given annually to college football’s top defensive player.
“It’s so hard not to pay attention to all the stuff coming at you, but I try to be humble and keep myself around my teammates,” Banks said Wednesday. “My honors and whatever in the preseason ain’t going to determine what makes our season. I’m looking at this team to be one of the top teams in the country, and I’m just going to keep working hard and not listen to none of that.”
Banks had 71 tackles and five interceptions in 2011. He likely will be selected today to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list. That trophy goes to college football’s best defensive back.
With one more interception this season, Banks will take sole possession of second place on the MSU’s all-time interceptions list. He is four behind Walt Harris for the career record in that category.
“I’m looking forward to breaking the record, (and) if I don’t, I’m going to be pretty disappointed,” Banks said. “But if I don’t I hope I at least get one pick, that will move me up to second and I won’t feel too bad being behind a guy that played in the NFL, what, 15 years? That’s an honor.”
Harris played at MSU from 1992-95. He was twice named first-team All-SEC, and was named second-team All-America by United Press International as a senior. He played with the NFL’s Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins, and San Francisco 49ers from 1996-2008 before he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in 2009.
Campbell, Sawyer named to coaches’ All-SEC Squad
University of Mississippi senior Tyler Campbell and junior Charles Sawyer were named to the third team All-SEC team, while the University of Alabama placed junior offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, senior center Barrett Jones, junior inside linebacker C.J. Mosley, and senior ILB Nico Johnson on the first-team All-SEC teams for offense and defense.
Junior running back Eddie Lacy, senior OL Chance Warmack, senior defensive lineman Jesse Williams, and senior defensive back Robert Lester were named second-team All-SEC, and helped Alabama match LSU with a league-leading 11 players named to the team.
Junior quarterback A.J. McCarron, senior tight end Michael Williams, of Pickens County High School in Reform, Ala., and junior DB Dee Milliner were Alabama’s representatives on the third team.
LSU had a league-high seven players named to the first team, three on the second team, and one on the third team. Alabama had four players selected to the first team, four on the second team, and three on the third team.
For Ole Miss, Campbell was chosen to the third team as a punter, while Sawyer joined him on the coaches’ third team as a defensive back.
This is the ninth straight year of the SEC Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team. The team is announced each year in advance of the SEC Football Media Days, which will be next Tuesday through Thursday at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala.
Nine first-team preseason selections were on last year’s first-team coaches All-SEC post-season team: Jones (Alabama); OL Alex Hurst (LSU), QB Tyler Wilson (Arkansas), DL Sam Montgomery (LSU), DL Corey Lemonier (Auburn), LB Jarvis Jones (Georgia), DB Tyrann Mathieu (LSU), DB Bacarri Rambo (Georgia), and PK Caleb Sturgis (Florida).
The All-SEC first-team squad had 12 seniors and 16 underclassmen, including 14 juniors and two sophomores. The second-team had 17 seniors, 10 juniors and one sophomore. The third-team had 16 seniors, 12 juniors and three sophomores.
Staff Reports were included in this report.
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