BATON ROUGE – Three LSU defenders – BJ Ojulari, Harold Perkins and Mekhi Wingo – have been selected to the Associated Press All-SEC Team, the organization announced on Monday.
Ojulari and Perkins were both named to the first team, while Mingo was a second-team selection.
Perkins, a true freshman linebacker from New Orleans, led the Tigers in both sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (11.5). He finished third on the team in tackles with 69. He tied for team-high honors with 13 quarterback hurries.
In a win over Arkansas, Perkins had three sacks and forced a pair of fumbles in the 13-10 victory. Perkins set a career-high with 10 tackles, including 1.5 for losses, and a fumble recovery against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.
Twice the SEC Defensive Player of the Week, Perkins becomes only the third true freshman in LSU history to be named first-team AP All-SEC. Perkins joins cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (2019) and running back Dalton Hilliard (1982) as the only true freshmen in LSU history to earn first-team AP All-SEC honors.
Ojulari, a junior defensive end from Marietta, Ga., racked up 58 tackles, including 8.5 for losses and 5.5 sacks for the SEC Western Division Champion Tigers. Ojulari, who was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week twice in 2022, added 13 quarterback hurries.
Wingo, who joined the Tigers this year after earning Freshman All-SEC honors last season at Missouri, earned a spot on the second-team as a defensive tackle. Wingo started LSU’s final 12 games and recorded 44 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. He was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in LSU’s win over Ole Miss.
LSU (9-4) closes out its first year under head coach Brian Kelly on Jan. 2 when the Tigers face Purdue in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
2022 AP All-SEC Teams
FIRST TEAM
Offense
WR — u-Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee, 6-0, 185, Jr., Irmo, South Carolina
WR — Dominic Lovett, Missouri, 5-10, 185, So., East St. Louis, Illinois
T — Broderick Jones, Georgia, 6-4, 310, So., Lithonia, Georgia
T — Darnell Wright, Tennessee, 6-6, 335, Sr., Huntington, West Virginia
G — O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida, 6-5, 347, Jr., Greensburg, Louisiana
G — Emil Ekiyor Jr., Alabama, 6-3, 307, Sr., Indianapolis
C — Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas, 6-4, 313, Sr., Tulsa, Oklahoma
TE — u-Brock Bowers, Georgia, 6-4, 230, So., Napa, California
QB — Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, 6-4, 218, Sr., Greensboro, North Carolina
RB — u-Quinshon Judkins, Mississippi, 5-11, 210, Fr., Pike Road, Alabama
RB — u-Raheim Sanders, Arkansas, 6-2, 227, So., Rockledge, Florida
PK — Jack Podlesny, Georgia, 6-1, 180, Jr., St. Simons Island, Georgia
AP — Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State, 5-10, 185, Jr., Philadelphia, Mississippi
Defense
DE — BJ Ojulari, LSU, 6-3, 250, Jr., Marietta, Georgia
DE — Isaiah McGuire, Missouri, 6-4, 274, Jr., Tulsa, Oklahoma
DT — Jalen Carter, Georgia, 6-3, 300, Jr., Apopka, Florida
DT — Byron Young, Alabama, 6-3, 292, Sr., Laurel, Mississippi
LB — u-Will Anderson, Jr., 6-4, 243, Jr., Hampton, Georgia
LB — Drew Sanders, Arkansas, 6-5, 233, Jr., Denton, Texas
LB — Harold Perkins Jr., LSU, 6-2, 220, Fr., New Orleans
CB — Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State, 6-0, 180, Jr., Grenada, Mississippi
CB — Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama, 6-1, 188, So., Birmingham, Alabama
S — Christopher Smith, Georgia, 5-11, 195, Sr., Atlanta
S — Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M, 6-3, 195, Jr., East St. Louis, Illinois
P — Kai Kroeger, South Carolina, 6-4, 207, Jr., Lake Forest, Illinois
SECOND TEAM
Offense
WR — Antwane Wells Jr., South Carolina, 6-1, 207, Jr., Richmond, Virginia
WR — Will Sheppard, Vanderbilt, 6-3, 200, Jr., Mandeville, Louisiana
T — Dalton Wagner, Arkansas, 6-9, 331, Sr., Spring Grove, Illinois
T — Javon Foster, Missouri, 6-5, 319, Sr., Detroit, Michigan
G — Beaux Limmer, Arkansas, 6-5, 302, Jr., Tyler, Texas
G — Ethan White, Florida, 6-4, 331, Jr., Clearwater, Florida
C — Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia, 6-4, 310, So., New Orleans
TE — Darnell Washington, Georgia, 6-7, 270, Jr., Las Vegas, Nevada
QB — Bryce Young, Alabama, 6-0, 194, Jr., Pasadena, California
RB — Devon Achane, Texas A&M, 5-9, 185, Jr., Missouri City, Texas
RB — Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama, 5-11, 200, Jr., Dalton, Georgia
PK — Will Reichard, Alabama, 6-1, 190, Sr., Hoover, Alabama
AP — Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama, 5-11, 200, Jr., Dalton, Georgia
Defense
DE — Derick Hall, Auburn, 6-3, 256, Sr., Gulfport, Mississippi
DE — Byron Young, Tennessee, 6-3, 245, Sr., Georgetown, South Carolina
DT — Mekhi Wingo, LSU, 6-0, 295, So., St. Louis, Missouri
DT — Deone Walker, Kentucky, 6-6, 330, Kentucky, Fr., Detroit, Michigan
LB — Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia, 6-1, 245, So., Hyattsville, Maryland
LB — Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State, 6-2, 240, Sr., Maplesville, Alabama
LB — Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri, 6-2, 221, Jr., Shelby, North Carolina
CB — Kelee Ringo, Georgia, 6-2, 210, So., Tacoma, Washington
CB — D.J. James, Auburn, 6-1, 174, Jr., Mobile, Alabama
S — Jordan Battle, Alabama, 6-1, 206, Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida
S — Brian Branch, Alabama, 6-0, 193, Jr., Fayetteville, Georgia
P — Nik Constantinou, Texas A&M, 6-3, 225, Jr., Melbourne, Australia
Offensive player of the year: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
Defensive player of the year: u-Will Anderson Jr., LB, Alabama
Coach of the year: Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Newcomer of the year: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss
u – indicates unanimous selections
AP All-SEC Voting Panel: Kayla Anderson, WKRN-TV, Nashville, Tennessee; John Clay, Lexington Herald Leader; David Cloninger, Post and Courier; Adam Cole, Opelika-Auburn News; Robbie Faulk, 247Sports/Starkville Daily News; Garland Gillen, Fox 8 (WVUE-TV), New Orleans; Stephen Hargis, Chattanooga Times Free Press; Michael Katz, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal; Nick Kelly, The Tuscaloosa News; Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star; David Matter, St. Louis Post Dispatch; Tom Murphy, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Ben Portnoy, The State, Columbia, S.C.; Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel; Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald.