BATON ROUGE — LSU placed a league-best 12 players on the All-Southeastern Conference pre-season team, including five first-team selections, the league office announced on Thursday.
The team was voted on by the league’s head coaches and featured a first, second, and third-team for offense, defense and special teams. Coaches could not vote for players on their own team.
LSU’s 12 all-SEC selections represented one more than Arkansas, who featured 11 players on the teams. Auburn was next with eight players selected to one of the three teams.
In addition, LSU’s five first-team selections ranked as the highest total in the league, ahead of Tennessee and Vanderbilt, who each had three first-team picks.
Heading the first-team offense for the Tigers were a pair of seniors in offensive lineman Will Arnold and wide receiver Early Doucet. Defensively, the Tigers placed three players on the first unit ? defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, linebacker Ali Highsmith and defensive back Chevis Jackson.
Other preseason all-conference selections for the Tigers include: center Brett Helms on the second team offense; defensive end Tyson Jackson, linebacker Darry Beckwith and defensive back Jonathan Zenon on the second team defense; offensive linemen Ciron Black and Herman Johnson on the third-team offense; and safety Craig Steltz on the third-team defense.
LSU, along with the league’s 11 other members, will participate in SEC Media Days beginning next Wednesday in Hoover, Ala. LSU coach Les Miles, along with Dorsey and Doucet, will meet with members of the media on Friday, July 27 in the final session of the three-day event.
The Tigers then report to campus on Friday, Aug. 3 as they begin their third season under Miles. LSU’s first practice will take place on Saturday, Aug. 4 and they open the season on Thursday, Aug. 30 against Mississippi State in Starkville.
LSU returns 15 starters from last year’s team that posted an 11-2 overall mark and finished the year ranked No. 3 in the nation. In two years under Miles, the Tigers have won 22 games and finished ranked among the top five teams in the country both times.
2007 SEC COACHES PRE-SEASON ALL-SEC FOOTBALL TEAM
(*-Ties / # – Unanimous vote ? Coaches cannot vote for their own student-athletes, unanimous is listed first-team on 11 ballots.)
Pos.
Name
School
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
Hometown
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
TE
Jacob Tamme
Kentucky
6-5
240
Sr.
Danville, Ky.
OL
Will Arnold
LSU
6-4
319
Sr.
Gloster, Miss.
OL
Michael Oher
Ole Miss
6-5
325
Jr.
Memphis, Tenn.
OL
Drew Miller
Florida
6-5
297
Sr.
Sarasota, Fla.
OL
Chris Williams
Vanderbilt
6-6
320
Sr.
Glynn, La.
C
Jonathan Luigs
Arkansas
6-4
307
Jr.
Little Rock, Ark.
WR
Earl Bennett
Vanderbilt
6-1
202
Jr.
Birmingham, Ala.
WR
Early Doucet
LSU
6-0
207
Sr.
St. Martinville, La.
QB
Andre’ Woodson
Kentucky
6-5
230
Sr.
Radcliff, Ky.
#RB
Darren McFadden
Arkansas
6-2
215
Jr.
Little Rock, Ark.
RB
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Ole Miss
5-11
225
Sr.
New Orleans, La.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
TE
Andy Boyd
South Carolina
6-4
267
Sr.
Concord, N.C.
OL
Phil Trautwein
Florida
6-6
298
Sr.
Voorhees, N.J.
OL
Robert Felton
Arkansas
6-4
328
Sr.
Houston, Texas
OL
Andre Smith
Alabama
6-4
348
So.
Birmingham, Ala.
OL
Brian Stamper
Vanderbilt
6-4
300
Sr.
Windermere, Fla.
*C
Antoine Caldwell
Alabama
6-4
288
Jr.
Montgomery, Ala.
*C
Brett Helms
LSU
6-2
283
Jr.
Stuttgart, Ark.
WR
Marcus Monk
Arkansas
6-6
220
Sr.
Lepanto, Ark.
WR
Keenan Burton
Kentucky
6-2
195
Sr.
Louisville, Ky.
QB
Erik Ainge
Tennessee
6-6
220
Sr.
Hillsboro, Ore.
RB
Felix Jones
Arkansas
6-0
207
Jr.
Tulsa, Okla.
RB
LaMarcus Coker
Tennessee
5-11
205
So.
Antioch, Tenn.
THIRD-TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
TE
Ben Cleveland
Arkansas
6-4
250
So.
Springdale, Ark.
OL
Ciron Black
LSU
6-5
314
So.
Tyler, Texas
OL
King Dunlap
Auburn
6-8
312
Sr.
Brentwood, Tenn.
OL
Anthony Parker
Tennessee
6-3
305
Jr.
Jonesboro, Ga.
OL
Herman Johnson
LSU
6-7
351
Jr.
Denton, Texas
*C
Royce Blackledge
Mississippi St.
6-4
293
Sr.
Sandersville, Miss.
*C
Fernando Velasco
Georgia
6-4
328
Sr.
Wrens, Ga.
WR
Percy Harvin
Florida
5-11
181
So.
Virginia Beach, Va.
WR
Andre Caldwell
Florida
6-0
198
Sr.
Tampa, Fla.
QB
Chris Nicksion
Vanderbilt
6-1
210
Jr.
Brundidge, Ala.
*RB
Brad Lester
Auburn
5-11
194
Jr.
Lilburn, Ga.
*RB
Cory Boyd
South Carolina
6-1
214
Sr.
Orange, N.J.
*RB
Rafael Little
Kentucky
5-10
195
Sr.
Anderson, S.C.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE
DL
Glenn Dorsey
LSU
6-2
299
Sr.
Gonzales, La.
DL
Quentin Groves
Auburn
6-3
254
Sr.
Greenville, Miss.
DL
Derrick Harvey
Florida
6-4
245
Jr.
Greenbelt, Md.
LB
Ali Highsmith
LSU
6-1
226
Sr.
Miami, Fla.
LB
Jonathan Goff
Vanderbilt
6-4
235
Sr.
Lynn, Mass.
LB
Jasper Brinkley
South Carolina
6-2
262
Sr.
Thomson, Ga.
LB
Jerod Mayo
Tennessee
6-2
230
Jr.
Hampton, Va.
DB
Simeon Castille
Alabama
6-1
189
Sr.
Birmingham, Ala.
DB
Jonathan Hefney
Tennessee
5-9
185
Sr.
Rock Hill, S.C.
DB
Chevis Jackson
LSU
6-0
190
Sr.
Mobile, Ala.
DB
Derek Pegues
Mississippi St.
5-10
196
Jr.
Batesville, Miss.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE
DL
Titus Brown
Mississippi St.
6-3
250
Sr.
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
DL
Tyson Jackson
LSU
6-5
292
Jr.
Edgard, La.
DL
Antwain Robinson
Arkansas
6-2
255
Jr.
Little Rock, Ark.
LB
Wesley Woodyard
Kentucky
6-1
212
Sr.
LaGrange, Ga.
LB
Prince Hall
Alabama
5-11
255
So.
Moreno Valley, Calif.
LB
Darry Beckwith
LSU
6-1
232
Jr.
Baton Rouge, La.
LB
Brandon Miller
Georgia
6-4
257
Sr.
Colquitt, Ga.
DB
Tony Joiner
Florida
5-11
217
Sr.
Haines City, Fla.
DB
Jonathan Zenon
LSU
6-0
176
Sr.
Breaux Bridge, La.
DB
Jonathan Wilhite
Auburn
5-11
185
Sr.
Monroe, La.
DB
Kelin Johnson
Georgia
6-1
194
Sr.
Daytona Beach, Fla.
THIRD-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE
DL
Wallace Gilberry
Alabama
6-4
264
Sr.
Bay Minette, Ala.
DL
Josh Thompson
Auburn
6-0
301
Sr.
Statesboro, Ga.
*DL
Casper Brinkley
South Carolina
6-2
257
Sr.
Thomson, Ga.
*DL
Marcus Harrison
Arkansas
6-3
307
Sr.
Little Rock, Ark.
LB
Tray Blackmon
Auburn
6-0
223
So.
LaGrange, Ga.
LB
Weston Dacus
Arkansas
6-2
230
Sr.
Searcy, Ark.
LB
Jamar Chaney
Mississippi St.
6-1
236
Jr.
Fort Pierce, Fla.
LB
Freddie Fairchild
Arkansas
6-3
220
So.
Little Rock, Ark.
DB
Craig Steltz
LSU
6-2
204
Sr.
New Orleans, La.
DB
Eric Brock
Auburn
6-1
209
Sr.
Alexander City, Ala.
*DB
Patrick Lee
Auburn
6-0
201
Sr.
Miami, Fla.
*DB
Jamarca Sanford
Ole Miss
5-10
200
Jr.
Batesville, Miss.
*DB
Matt Hewitt
Arkansas
6-3
215
Sr.
Englewood, N.J.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — SPECIAL TEAMS
PK
Brandon Coutu
Georgia
6-0
200
Sr.
Lawrenceville, Ga.
P
Britton Colquitt
Tennessee
6-3
205
Jr.
Knoxville, Tenn.
RS
Mikey Henderson
Georgia
5-10
150
Sr.
Buford, Ga.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — SPECIAL TEAMS
PK
Ryan Succop
South Carolina
6-2
213
Jr.
Hickory, N.C.
P
Ryan Succop
South Carolina
6-2
213
Jr.
Hickory, N.C.
RS
Felix Jones
Arkansas
6-0
207
Jr.
Tulsa, Okla.
THIRD-TEAM ALL-SEC — SPECIAL TEAMS
PK
Jamie Christensen
Alabama
6-0
183
Sr.
Norcross, Ga.
P
None
RS
Rafael Little
Kentucky
5-10
195
Sr.
Anderson, S.C.