BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Seven members of the LSU football team earned spots on the Coaches’ All-Southeastern Conference team, including a league-high five first team selections, the SEC office announced Tuesday.
Junior running back Stevan Ridley, senior defensive tackle Drake Nevis and senior linebacker Kelvin Sheppard received first team honors, and junior cornerback/return specialist Patrick Peterson was named to the All-SEC first team as a cornerback and return specialist.
Senior offensive lineman Joseph Barksdale, senior placekicker Josh Jasper and sophomore cornerback Morris Claiborne were second-team members.
LSU has now placed 20 players on the Coaches’ All-SEC first team since 2005, and the Tigers have had 36 players recognized on the first and second teams since head coach Les Miles‘ first year.
Ridley, a native of Natchez, Miss., became the 13th LSU player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season as he tallied 1,042 yards, and he is tied for fifth in LSU history with 14 rushing touchdowns in a single season. Ridley was named to the Associated Press All-SEC second team on Monday.
Nevis, a member of the AP All-SEC first team, led LSU with 13 tackles for a loss and tied for the team lead with six sacks. The Marrero, La., native is fourth on the team with 56 tackles, and he also forced three fumbles, recovered one fumble, recorded a safety and tallied his first career interception.
Peterson picked off four passes and recorded six pass breakups to go along with 36 total tackles on defense, and he ranked second in the SEC in punt returns with a 17.9-yard average per return and second in kickoff returns with a 29.3-yard average. He also broke the school record for kickoff return yards in a single season with 851.
Peterson returned two punts for touchdowns – an 87-yard return against North Carolina and a 60-yard return versus West Virginia – and he ranked fourth in the conference with 116.9 all-purpose yards a game. Peterson was a Coaches’ second-team All-SEC selection in 2009 and a member of the AP All-SEC first team in 2010.
The unquestioned leader of the defense, Sheppard led the team for the second straight season and ranked third in the SEC in tackles with 108, and he recorded 11 tackles for a loss, four sacks and his second career interception against Alabama on Nov. 6. Sheppard was named an AP All-SEC first team member.
Barksdale, who also earned AP second-team All-SEC honors, started all 12 games at left tackle after taking over for All-SEC player Ciron Black, and he finished the season with 49 knockdown blocks in 779 snaps. He leads the team with 38 straight starts.
Jasper tied the school single-season record and tied for the national lead in field goals with 26, and he also set the school record with five field goals in one game against Mississippi State on Sept. 18. He led the SEC in scoring for kickers with an average of 9.1 points a game, and he also led the league with nine field goals beyond 40 yards. Jasper received AP All-SEC first team recognition.
In his first season as a starting corner, Claiborne led the team and ranked second in the SEC with 11 passes defended and third in the conference with five interceptions in 11 games. Claiborne was also a member of the AP All-SEC second team.
Nick Bell of Mississippi State was named honorary captain of the 2010 All-SEC squad.
The SEC individual award winners will be released on Wednesday and the SEC All-Freshman Team will be announced on Thursday.
2010 ALL-SEC FOOTBALL TEAM
(*-Ties) (Coaches could not vote for their own players)
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
TE D.J. Williams Arkansas 6-2 251 Sr. Little Rock, Ark.
OL Derek Sherrod Mississippi State (T) 6-6 305 Sr. Columbus, Miss.
OL Lee Ziemba Auburn 6-8 319 Sr. Rogers, Ark.
OL DeMarcus Love Arkansas (T) 6-5 315 Sr. Lancaster, Texas
*OL James Carpenter Alabama (T) 6-5 300 Sr. Augusta, Ga.
*OL Clint Boling Georgia (T) 6-5 315 Sr. Alpharetta, Ga.
C Ryan Pugh Auburn (C) 6-4 297 Sr. Hoover, Ala.
WR Alshon Jeffery South Carolina 6-4 233 So. St. Matthews, S.C.
WR Julio Jones Alabama 6-4 220 Jr. Foley, Ala.
QB Cam Newton Auburn 6-6 250 Jr. College Park, Ga.
RB Marcus Lattimore South Carolina 6-0 218 Fr. Duncan, S.C.
RB Stevan Ridley LSU 6-0 226 Jr. Natchez, Miss.
AP Randall Cobb Kentucky 5-11 186 Jr. Alcoa, Tenn.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
TE Orson Charles Georgia 6-3 240 So. Tampa, Fla.
OL Larry Warford Kentucky (G) 6-3 329 So. Richmond, Ky.
OL Barrett Jones Alabama (G) 6-4 301 So. Memphis, Tenn.
OL Garrett Chisolm South Carolina (G) 6-6 303 Sr. Charleston, S.C.
OL Joseph Barksdale LSU (T) 6-6 318 Sr. Detroit, Mich.
C William Vlachos Alabama (C) 6-1 289 Jr. Birmingham, Ala.
WR A.J. Green Georgia 6-4 212 Jr. Summerville, S.C.
WR Randall Cobb Kentucky 5-11 186 Jr. Alcoa, Tenn.
QB Ryan Mallett Arkansas 6-6 238 Jr. Texarkana, Ark.
RB Knile Davis Arkansas 6-0 220 So. Missouri City, Texas
RB Mark Ingram Alabama 5-10 215 Jr. Flint, Mich.
AP Trent Richardson Alabama 5-11 220 So. Pensacola, Fla.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE
DL Drake Nevis LSU 6-2 285 Sr. Marrero, La.
DL Marcell Dareus Alabama 6-4 306 Jr. Birmingham, Ala.
DL Nick Fairley Auburn 6-5 298 Jr. Mobile, Ala.
DL Pernell McPhee Mississippi State 6-4 285 Sr. Pahokee, Fla.
LB Danny Trevathan Kentucky 6-1 223 Jr. Leesburg, Fla.
LB Kelvin Sheppard LSU 6-3 240 Sr. Stone Mountain, Ga.
LB Justin Houston Georgia 6-3 258 Jr. Statesboro, Ga.
DB Patrick Peterson LSU (CB) 6-1 222 Jr. Pompano Beach, Fla.
DB Mark Barron Alabama (S) 6-2 210 Jr. Mobile, Ala.
DB Ahmad Black Florida (S) 5-9 190 Sr. Lakeland, Fla.
DB Stephon Gilmore South Carolina (CB) 6-1 189 So. Rock Hill, S.C.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE
DL Jake Bequette Arkansas 6-5 271 Jr. Little Rock, Ark.
DL Cliff Matthews South Carolina 6-4 268 Sr. Cheraw, S.C.
DL Devin Taylor South Carolina 6-7 249 So. Beaufort, S.C.
DL Jerrell Powe Ole Miss 6-2 320 Sr. Waynesboro, Miss.
LB Dont’a Hightower Alabama 6-4 260 So. Lewisburg, Tenn.
LB Chris White Mississippi State 6-4 245 Sr. Vancleave, Miss.
*LB Chris Marve Vanderbilt 6-0 235 Jr. Memphis, Tenn.
*LB Jerry Franklin Arkansas 6-1 241 Jr. Marion, Ark.
DB Robert Lester Alabama (S) 6-2 206 So. Foley, Ala.
DB Janoris Jenkins Florida (CB) 5-11 184 Jr. Pahokee, Fla.
DB Casey Hayward Vanderbilt 5-11 188 Jr. Perry, Ga.
*DB Janzen Jackson Tennessee 6-0 187 So. Lake Charles, La.
*DB Dre Kirkpatrick Alabama (CB) 6-3 190 So. Gadsden, Ala.
*DB Morris Claiborne LSU (CB) 6-0 177 So. Shreveport, La.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Blair Walsh Georgia 5-10 183 Jr. Boca Raton, Fla.
P Chas Henry Florida 6-3 215 Sr. Dallas, Ga.
RS Patrick Peterson LSU 6-1 222 Jr. Pompano Beach, Fla.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Josh Jasper LSU 5-11 171 Sr. Memphis, Tenn.
P Drew Butler Georgia 6-2 210 Jr. Duluth, Ga.
RS Trent Richardson Alabama 5-11 220 So. Pensacola, Fla.
HONORARY CAPTAIN
DE Nick Bell Mississippi State 6-3 265 So. Bessemer, Ala.