HOOVER, Ala. — Nick Chubb got some mad respect from the SEC media on Friday as they voted the junior tailback to the preseason first-team All-SEC team despite the fact he’s coming off major knee surgery and his status for early-season games remains uncertain.
Chubb was one of two Georgia players to make the first-team squad, voted on by attendees here at SEC Football Media Days this week. Senior tackle Greg Pyke also was placed on the first team.
Center Brandon Kublanow, safety Dominick Sanders and outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter all got second-team mention. Isaiah McKenzie was placed on the third team as an all-purpose player.
Chubb rushed for 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman and had 747 yards and eight scores through five games last season before he was lost for the year to a knee injury on the first play from scrimmage against Tennessee last October. Chubb had surgery to repair three torn ligaments on Oct. 23 last fall and has been rehabilitating ever since.
Coach Kirby Smart said during media days he expects Chubb to practice “without limitations” when preseason camp opens in early August. He will be held out of contact initially, however.
The full All-SEC team:
2016 PRESEASON MEDIA DAYS ALL-SEC TEAM
(Total points earned in parenthesis)(331 total voters)
OFFENSE
First-Team
QB Chad Kelly, Ole Miss (321)
RB Leonard Fournette, LSU (329)
RB Nick Chubb, Georgia (308)
WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama (318)
WR Christian Kirk, Texas A&M (223)
TE O.J. Howard, Alabama (294)
OL Cam Robinson, Alabama (315)
OL Dan Skipper, Arkansas (228)
OL Greg Pyke, Georgia (171)
OL Alex Kozan, Auburn (165)
C Ethan Pocic, LSU (188)
Second-Team
QB Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee (313)
RB Jalen Hurd, Tennessee (278)
RB Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt (151)
WR Malachi Dupre, LSU (167)
WR Fred Ross, Mississippi State (139)
TE Evan Engram, Ole Miss (214)
OL Martez Ivey, Florida (152)
OL William Clapp, LSU (143)
OL David Sharpe, Florida (138)
OL Alphonse Taylor, Alabama (137)
C Brandon Kublanow, Georgia (121)
Third-Team
QB Brandon Harris, LSU (25)
RB Stanley “Boom” Williams, Kentucky (60)
RB Jovon Robinson, Auburn (55)
WR Ricky Seals-Jones, Texas A&M (78)
WR Drew Morgan, Arkansas (49)
TE Jeremy Sprinkle, Arkansas (65)
OL Avery Gennesy, Texas A&M (120)
OL Jashon Robertson, Tennessee (119)
OL Braden Smith, Auburn (118)
OL Javon Patterson, Ole Miss (113)
C Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama (101)
DEFENSE
First-Team
DL Jonathan Allen, Alabama (301)
DL Myles Garrett, Texas A&M (286)
DL Carl Lawson, Auburn (253)
DL Derek Barnett, Tennessee (171)
LB Reuben Foster, Alabama (265)
LB Kendell Beckwith, LSU (231)
LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee (223)
DB Eddie Jackson, Alabama (293)
DB Jalen Tabor, Florida (249)
DB Tre’Davious White, LSU (221)
DB Cameron Sutton, Tennessee (213)
Second-Team
DL Montravius Adams, Auburn (167)
DL Bryan Cox, Florida (105)
DL Davon Godchaux, LSU (105)
DL Charles Harris, Missouri (103)
LB Tim Williams, Alabama (196)
LB Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt (178)
LB Jarrad Davis, Florida (160)
DB Jamal Adams, LSU (193)
DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama (188)
DB Tony Conner, Ole Miss (146)
DB Dominick Sanders, Georgia (145)
Third-Team
DL Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss (102)
DL Deatrich Wise, Arkansas (95)
DL Cece Jefferson, Florida (85)
DL A.J. Jefferson, Mississippi State (84)
LB Lorenzo Carter, Georgia (92)
LB Richie Brown, Mississippi State (84)
LB Arden Key, LSU (76)
DB Marcus Maye, Florida (139)
DB Marlon Humphrey, Alabama (120)
DB Johnathan Ford, Auburn (105)
DB Armani Watts, Texas A&M (74)
SPECIALISTS
First-Team
P JK Scott, Alabama (252)
PK Daniel Carlson, Auburn (198)
RS Christian Kirk, Texas A&M (214)
AP Christian Kirk, Texas A&M (240)
Second-Team
P Johnny Townsend, Florida (124)
PK Adam Griffith, Alabama (174)
RS Evan Berry, Tennessee (163)
AP Alvin Kamara, Tennessee (152)
Third-Team
P Trevor Daniel, Tennessee (97)
PK Elliott Fry, South Carolina (91)
RS Isaiah McKenzie, Georgia (100)
AP Isaiah McKenzie, Georgia (112)
NOTES:
- The top vote-getters in 2016 were Leonard Fournette (LSU), Chad Kelly (Ole Miss) and Calvin Ridley (Alabama).
- Since 2000, Arkansas’ Darren McFadden (Arkansas) is the only unanimous selection to the SEC Media Days First Team at his position, collecting all possible votes that year.
- Alabama had the most first-team selections this season with seven. Since 1992, the most players on a first-team is nine by Alabama in 2011, followed by eight by Alabama (2010) and Florida (2009).