Fourteen Tigers on All-SEC team

• Advocate staff report
• Published: Jul 22, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — With green players at quarterback, questions abound as to where LSU will finish in the Southeastern Conference race this season.

The SEC’s football coaches have little question about the Tigers’ overall talent level, though.

For the second straight season, LSU has the most selections of any school on the preseason coaches All-SEC team.

Fourteen Tigers were named first-, second- and third-team selections on this year’s All-SEC squad, which was released Monday by the conference office.

LSU has four players on the first team and five each on the second and third teams. The Tiger first-teamers are four seniors: offensive lineman Herman Johnson, defensive end Tyson Jackson, linebacker Darry Beckwith and place-kicker Colt David.

LSU’s second-teamers are junior tight end Richard Dickson, junior offensive tackle Ciron Black, senior center Brett Helms, senior wide receiver Demetrius Byrd and junior defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois.

On the third team are junior wide receiver Brandon LaFell, junior tailback Keiland Williams, senior defensive end Kirston Pittman, sophomore safety Chad Jones and junior return specialist Trindon Holliday.

Florida is the only other SEC team in double-figure selections with 10, though five of those are first-teamers. Georgia has nine selections overall, followed by Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina with eight each and Tennessee with seven.

Eleven of the SEC’s 12 teams have first-team selections, and every school is represented on the squad overall.

The coaches’ team is released each year in advance of SEC Football Media Days, which runs Wednesday through Friday in Hoover, Ala. The media All-SEC selections and preseason conference predictions will be announced Friday.

LSU coach Les Miles, Helms and Jackson will be in Hoover on Wednesday for the first session of media days.

The Tigers open the season Aug. 30 in Tiger Stadium against Appalachian State.

A first-team postseason All-SEC pick in 2007, Johnson started all 14 games for LSU at left guard last season. Jackson started all 14 games at left end as a junior, collecting 36 tackles that included 3‰ sacks.

Beckwith was a second-team All-SEC pick as a junior, finishing fifth on the team with 65 tackles and an interception in 12 games. David was a first-teams selection in 2007, making 26 of 33 field-goal attempts and all 63 extra-point tries while also scoring a touchdown on a fake field goal against South Carolina.

There are six unanimous first-team selections to the squad. The group includes of offensive linemen Andre Smith of Alabama, Jonathan Luigs of Arkansas, Ole Miss’ Michael Oher and Tennessee’s Anthony Parker. Other unanimous choices are Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno, Ole Miss defensive lineman Greg Hardy and Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes.

Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players, so unanimous choices appear on 11 ballots.

Oher, Luigs and Mississippi State defensive back Derek Pegues are the only repeat first-teamers from the 2007 preseason coaches’ team.

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2008 SEC COACHES PRE-SEASON ALL-SEC FOOTBALL TEAM
(#-Ties / *-Unanimous Selection) (Coaches could not vote for themselves or their own players)
FIRST-TEAM -- OFFENSE
Pos.	Name	School	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Hometown
TE	Cornelius Ingram	Florida	6-4	223	Sr.	Hawthorne, Fla.
OL	*Andre Smith	Alabama	6-5	340	Jr.	Birmingham, Ala.
OL	*Michael Oher	Ole Miss	6-5	318	Sr.	Memphis, Tenn.
OL	*Anthony Parker	Tennessee	6-3	305	Sr.	Jonesboro, Ga.
OL	Herman Johnson	LSU	6-7	351	Sr.	Olla
C	*Jonathan Luigs	Arkansas	6-4	314	Sr.	Little Rock, Ark.
WR	Percy Harvin	Florida	5-11	178	Jr.	Virginia Beach, Va.
WR	Kenny McKinley	South Carolina	6-0	182	Sr.	Mableton, Ga.
QB	Tim Tebow	Florida	6-3	232	Jr.	Jacksonville, Fla.
RB	*Knowshon Moreno	Georgia	5-11	207	So.	Belford, N.J.
RB	Arian Foster	Tennessee	6-1	215	Sr.	San Diego, Calif.
SECOND-TEAM -- OFFENSE
Pos.	Name	School	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Hometown
TE	Richard Dickson	LSU	6-3	237	Jr.	Ocean Springs, Miss.
OL	Ciron Black	LSU	6-5	314	Jr.	Tyler, Texas
OL	Tyronne Green	Auburn	6-2	307	Sr.	Pensacola, Fla.
OL	#Ramon Foster	Tennessee	6-6	325	Sr.	Henning, Tenn.
OL	#Lee Ziemba	Auburn	6-8	288	So.	Rogers, Ark.
OL	#Mitch Petrus	Arkansas	6-4	305	Sr.	Carlisle, Ark.
OL	#Garry Williams	Kentucky	6-3	300	Sr.	Louisville, Ky.
C	#Antoine Caldwell	Alabama	6-3	292	Sr.	Montgomery, Ala.
C	#Brett Helms	LSU	6-2	283	Sr.	Stuttgart, Ark.
WR	Demetrius Byrd	LSU	6-2	195	Sr.	Miami, Fla.
WR	Mohamed Massaquoi	Georgia	6-2	198	Sr.	Charlotte, N.C.
QB	Matthew Stafford	Georgia	6-3	237	Jr.	Dallas, Texas
RB	Anthony Dixon	Mississippi State	6-1	240	Jr.	Jackson, Miss.
RB	Ben Tate	Auburn	5-11	215	Jr.	Newark, Md.
THIRD-TEAM -- OFFENSE
Pos.	Name	School	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Hometown
TE	Jared Cook	South Carolina	6-5	242	Jr.	Suwanee, Ga.
OL	Phil Trautwein	Florida	6-6	301	Sr.	Voorhees, N.J.
OL	Jim Tartt	Florida	6-3	300	Sr.	Sochoppy, Fla.
OL	John Jerry	Ole Miss	6-5	350	Jr.	Batesville, Miss.
OL	Anthony Strauder	Mississippi State	6-3	290	Sr.	Natchez, Miss.
C	Josh McNeil	Tennessee	6-4	280	Jr.	Collins, Miss.
WR	Lucas Taylor	Tennessee	6-0	185	Sr.	Carencro
WR	Brandon LaFell	LSU	6-3	194	Jr.	Houston, Texas
QB	John Parker Wilson	Alabama	6-2	213	Sr.	Hoover, Ala.
RB	Keiland Williams	LSU	5-11	223	Jr.	Lafayette
RB	Terry Grant	Alabama	5-10	188	So.	Lumberton, Miss.
FIRST-TEAM -- DEFENSE
Pos.	Name	School	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Hometown
DL	*Greg Hardy	Ole Miss	6-4	265	Jr.	Millington, Tenn.
DL	Sen'Derrick Marks	Auburn	6-1	288	Jr.	Mobile, Ala.
DL	Tyson Jackson	LSU	6-5	292	Sr.	Edgard
LB	*Brandon Spikes	Florida	6-3	245	Jr.	Shelby, N.C.
LB	Rico McCoy	Tennessee	6-1	215	Jr.	Washington, D.C.
LB	Darry Beckwith	LSU	6-1	232	Sr.	Baton Rouge
LB	Dannell Ellerbe	Georgia	6-1	232	Sr.	Hamlet, N.C.
DB	Eric Berry	Tennessee	5-11	195	So.	Fairburn, Ga.
DB	Derek Pegues	Mississippi State	5-10	196	Sr.	Batesville, Miss.
DB	#Rashad Johnson	Alabama	6-0	187	Sr.	Sulligent, Ala.
DB	#Captain Munnerlyn	South Carolina	5-9	185	Jr.	Mobile, Ala.
DB	#D.J. Moore	Vanderbilt	5-10	182	Jr.	Spartanburg, S.C.
SECOND-TEAM -- DEFENSE
Pos.	Name	School	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Hometown
DL	Ricky Jean-Francois	LSU	6-3	281	Jr.	Miami, Fla.
DL	Geno Atkins	Georgia	6-1	290	Jr.	Pembroke Pines, Fla.
DL	#Jeremy Jarmon	Kentucky	6-3	277	Jr.	Collierville, Tenn.
DL	#Peria Jerry	Ole Miss	6-2	290	Sr.	Batesville, Miss.
LB	Jasper Brinkley	South Carolina	6-2	275	Sr.	Thomson, Ga.
LB	Rolando McClain	Alabama	6-4	255	So.	Decatur, Ala.
LB	Eric Norwood	South Carolina	6-1	270	Jr.	Acworth, Ga.
LB	#Tray Blackmon	Auburn	6-2	220	Jr.	LaGrange, Ga.
LB	#Jamar Chaney	Mississippi State	6-1	236	Sr.	Fort Pierce, Fla.
DB	Emanuel Cook	South Carolina	5-10	214	Jr.	Riviera Beach, Fla.
DB	Asher Allen	Georgia	5-10	198	Jr.	Tucker, Ga.
DB	Trevard Lindley	Kentucky	6-0	175	Jr.	Hiram, Ga.
DB	Jerraud Powers	Auburn	5-9	188	Jr.	Decatur, Ala.
THIRD-TEAM -- DEFENSE
Pos.	Name	School	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Hometown
DL	Antonio Coleman	Auburn	6-2	250	Jr.	Mobile, Ala.
DL	#Antwain Robinson	Arkansas	6-2	258	Sr.	Little Rock, Ark.
DL	#Kirston Pittman	LSU	6-4	254	Sr.	Garyville
DL	#Jeff Owens	Georgia	6-3	298	Sr.	Sunrise, Fla.
LB	Rennie Curran	Georgia	5-11	220	So.	Snellville, Ga.
LB	Micah Johnson	Kentucky	6-2	250	Jr.	Ft. Campbell, Ky.
LB	Braxton Kelley	Kentucky	6-0	230	Sr.	LaGrange, Ga.
DB	#Reshard Langford	Vanderbilt	6-2	208	Sr.	Tanner, Ala.
DB	#Chad Jones	LSU	6-3	222	So.	Baton Rouge
DB	#Major Wright	Florida	6-0	194	So.	Miramar, Fla.
DB	#Joe Haden	Florida	5-11	180	So.	Ft. Washington, Md.
DB	#Wondy Pierre-Louis	Florida	6-0	182	Jr.	Naples, Fla.
FIRST-TEAM -- SPECIAL TEAMS
Pos.	Name	School	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Hometown
PK	Colt David	LSU	5-9	175	Sr.	Grapevine, Texas
P	Ryan Shoemaker	Auburn	6-0	192	So.	Birmingham, Ala.
RS	Brandon James	Florida	5-6	179	Jr.	St. Augustine, Fla.
SECOND-TEAM -- SPECIAL TEAMS
Pos.	Name	School	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Hometown
PK	Ryan Succop	South Carolina	6-3	224	Sr.	Hickory, N.C.
P	Ryan Succop	South Carolina	6-3	224	Sr.	Hickory, N.C.
RS	Javier Arenas	Alabama	5-9	193	Jr.	Tampa, Fla.
THIRD-TEAM -- SPECIAL TEAMS
Pos.	Name	School	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Hometown
PK	Leigh Tiffin	Alabama	6-1	198	Jr.	Muscle Shoals, Ala.
P	Brian Mimbs	Georgia	5-11	205	Sr.	Dublin, Ga.
RS	Trindon Holliday	LSU	5-5	159	Jr.	Zachary