8 Alabama football players named to Coaches All-SEC team
Award season continued for Alabama football. Eight Crimson Tide players were named to the Coaches All-SEC first team and two more were recognized as second-team honorees. Alabama was second behind Georgia’s 11 for total selections.
Coaches All-SEC first team: offensive tackle JC Latham; defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe; linebacker Dallas Turner; defensive backs Kool-Aid McKinstry; defensive backs Caleb Downs and Terrion Arnold tied; placekicker Will Reichard; long snapper Kneeland Hibbett.
AP All-SEC second team: offensive lineman Tyler Booker; punter James Burnip; kickoff specialist Will Reichard.
McKinstry was an All-SEC cornerback in 2022. He’s followed up with another great season with 25 tackles and six pass breakups. Reichard became the NCAA points leader in Atlanta with a field goal. He was a second-team selection last year.
Nick Saban brought home his ninth SEC Championship with UA last weekend, dethroning Georgia by ending the Bulldogs’ 29-game winnings streak. The Tide advanced to the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl against Michigan.
Individual SEC award winners will be released Wednesday and the All-Freshman team a day later. Downs, who’s started every game and leads Alabama with 99 tackles, is a near-lock for the latter. He was also named the SEC Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press on Monday. Turner, with his career-high eight sacks, is a finalist for The Bdnarik Award for the nation’s best defender.
Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].