Redshirt Sophomore Jabari Zuniga registered four quarterback hits and two tackles-for-loss against Georgia in 2016
#SECMD17: SEC Preseason Picks and Awards Announced
Friday, July 14, 2017 | Football
The selections were made by those in attendance at the conference's annual week-long media days.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A day after the conclusion of the 2017 Southeastern Conference Media Days, the University of Florida football team was selected to finish second in the SEC's Eastern Division this season, while tying for fourth in voting for the SEC champion.
Individually, UF had nine players selected to the All-SEC Team on Friday. The list of nine Gators was comprised of two first-team members, four second-team honorees and three third-team selections.
The selections were voted on by those in attendance at the conference's annual week-long event, the unofficial start of the new football season each summer.
Florida Selected to Finish Second in SEC East
The Gators were picked to finish runner-up in the SEC Eastern Division with 96 first-place votes and 1,526 total points, ranking behind Georgia, who was predicted to finish first in the division with 1,572 points and 138 first-place votes.
UF enters 2017 as a two-time defending Eastern Division champion, posting a 13-3 record in SEC play over the past two seasons. The Gators have also beaten rival the Bulldogs three-straight times dating back to 2014.
Alabama was tabbed to win the SEC Western Division with 225 first-place votes and 1,683 points. The Crimson Tide were also picked to win their fourth-straight SEC title, collecting 217 points in the voting process.
Just six times since 1992, and four times in the past 20 seasons, the predicted champion at SEC Media Days proceeded to win the SEC Championship. Media in attendance have correctly predicted the eventual champion two of the last three seasons.
EASTERN DIVISION (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
School Points
Georgia (138) 1572
Florida (96) 1526
Tennessee (3) 998
South Carolina (5) 897
Kentucky 869
Vanderbilt 554
Missouri 388
WESTERN DIVISION (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
School Points
Alabama (225) 1683
Auburn (13) 1329
LSU (4) 1262
Arkansas (1) 796
Texas A&M 722
Mississippi State 633
Ole Miss 379
SEC CHAMPION
School Points
Alabama 217
Auburn 11
Georgia 6
Florida 3
LSU 3
South Carolina 1
Vanderbilt 1
Arkansas 1
Gators Place Nine on Preseason All-SEC List
Florida's two first-team members were senior cornerback Duke Dawson and junior offensive lineman Martez Ivey, while the four second-teamers were wide receiver Antonio Callaway, defensive lineman Cece Jefferson, punter Johnny Townsend and place kicker Eddy Piniero. Garnering third-team All-SEC accolades was tight end DeAndre Goolsby, defensive lineman Jabari Zuniga and safety Marcell Harris.
Callaway also tabbed as a third-team honoree as a return specialist.
Dawson, a second-team Pro Football Focus All-SEC as a junior, played in 12 games last season played and started seven at nickel corner. The Cross City, Fla. native recorded one interception (returned for a touchdown) in 2016 and a team-high seven pass breakups. Overall, Dawson totaled 24 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and one forced fumble last fall. The African American studies major enters his senior campaign with 48 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles and two interceptions, which were both returned for touchdowns.
Ivey, a social and behavioral sciences major, played in all 13 games last season, making 12 starts. He earned Second Team All-SEC accolades by the league's Coaches and the AP, while garnering Third Team All-SEC honors by Athlon sports.
Callaway, a Third Team All-SEC wide receiver selection in 2016, garnered a spot on the watch list after leading the team in All-Purpose yards with 1,068. He achieved a feat last season that no Florida player ever had and that was scoring a rushing, receiving, passing, punt return and kickoff return touchdown in a career. The Miami, Fla. native has recorded 89 total catches during his first two seasons in Gainesville; only Jabar Gaffney (138) and Percy Harvin (93) caught more in their first two seasons at UF since 1996. In addition, Callaway eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards during Florida's game at Tennessee a year ago making him the third-fastest player in program history to accomplish that milestone, doing so in just 17 games.
In the return game, Callaway's two-punt return touchdowns in 2015 and his kickoff return TD in 2016 makes him one of four players in Florida history with three or more kickoff/punt return touchdowns.
Jefferson, a junior majoring in social and behavior sciences, is a rising star who has played in 26 of the 27 games over the past two years including making six starts last season as a sophomore. Overall, the Glen St. Mary, Fla. native recorded 30 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks and five quarterback hurries last season. For his efforts as a rookie in 2015, Jefferson was named to the SEC Coaches All-Freshman Team, PFF All-Freshman Second Team. He enters his junior campaign with 59 tackles, 15 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and seven quarterback hurries.
Townsend, a graduate student earning his Master of Science in Management, garnered First Team All-America honors by CBS Sports and Second Team All-America accolades by Fox Sports last season. He was one of 10 finalists for the Ray Guy Award in 2016 as well after ranking first in the nation with a 47.9 yard average on 64 punts. After recording 29 punts of 50+ yards and 27 punts inside the 20 yard line, he was tabbed as a First Team All-SEC performer by ESPN and Gridiron Now.
Pineiro, a criminology major, gathered Second Team All-SEC honors by Pro Football Focus and Athlon Sports. He finished his sophomore season with an 84.0 field goals made percentage by hitting 21 of his 25 attempts. Pineiro made 11 field goals of 40-plus yards, including two in the Outback Bowl. The Miami, Fla. native booted two 54-yard field goals last season, tying for sixth-longest in the history of UF Football. He tied for third in the nation, making 1.85 field goals per game and finished first on the Gators in points scored with 95.
Goolsby, an anthropology major, played in all 13 games last season and garnered 10 starts. The Derby, Kan. native recorded 342 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 38 catches last season. He ranked tied for first on the Gators in TD receptions and third in total catches. Those numbers were good enough to land him on the Mackey Award Midseason Watch List. Goolsby enters his senior season with 34 games played, 55 receptions, 619 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.
Zuniga, a redshirt sophomore majoring in social and behavior sciences, is played in all 13 games last season and recorded three starts. Overall, the Marietta, Ga. native recorded 25 tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, a team-best 5.0 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. In his collegiate debut against UMass, Zuniga totaled four tackles, two tackles-for-loss and two sacks. For his efforts as a rookie in 2016, Zuniga garnered Coaches' Second Team All-SEC honors.
Harris, a redshirt senior majoring in African American studies, played in all 13 games last season and started in eight at safety. The Orlando, Fla. product began the season splitting playing time with classmate Nick Washington at safety, but finished the season as one of Florida's leaders and its leading tackler. Overall for the season, Harris totaled 73 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, one sack, two interceptions, one pass breakup, one quarterback hurry, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In addition, he scored the first touchdown of his career on special teams at FSU on a fumbled punt.
OFFENSE (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
First-Team
Second-Team
Third-Team
DEFENSE (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
First-Team
Second-Team
Third-Team
SPECIALISTS (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
First-Team
Second-Team
Third-Team
2017 Season Opener
The 2017 AdvoCare Classic kicks off the college football season with a marquee cross-sectional matchup between the Florida Gators and Michigan Wolverines, which will be played on Saturday, Sept. 2, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
It will be the first-ever regular season meeting between the two programs.
UF will be making its first-ever appearance in the AdvoCare Classic and will be playing its first-ever game at AT&T Stadium. Meanwhile, UM will make its second appearance in the series and, for the second time, will face an SEC foe. Michigan also opened the 2012 season in what was then known as the Cowboys Classic, falling to eventual national champion Alabama 41-14 before a crowd of 90,413, the largest crowd to ever see a college football game in AT&T Stadium.
This contest marks the ninth overall game in the AdvoCare Classic series and the third SEC vs. Big Ten matchup. The SEC is undefeated in such games, with Alabama defeating Michigan 41-14 in 2012 and Wisconsin 35-17 in 2015. The SEC is 5-0 overall in AdvoCare Classic games with victories in five of the series' past six games.
In addition, the winner of the AdvoCare Classic game in each of the past three years has advanced to the College Football Playoff.
2017 Season Tickets
Tickets start at $380 per seat plus a Gators Boosters contribution bonus, which ranks seventh among Southeastern Conference schools. Contribution levels for this fall remain the same for the fourth-straight year.
2017 Mini-Plan Tickets
Fans can choose two games from two different plan options, both featuring one Southeastern Conference matchup and one non-conference matchup.
There are limited quantities available of the mini-plans, and they are priced as follows:
Orange Plan
Follow the Gator Ticket Office on twitter at @GatorsTix for all the latest information on Gator tickets.
Individually, UF had nine players selected to the All-SEC Team on Friday. The list of nine Gators was comprised of two first-team members, four second-team honorees and three third-team selections.
The selections were voted on by those in attendance at the conference's annual week-long event, the unofficial start of the new football season each summer.
Florida Selected to Finish Second in SEC East
The Gators were picked to finish runner-up in the SEC Eastern Division with 96 first-place votes and 1,526 total points, ranking behind Georgia, who was predicted to finish first in the division with 1,572 points and 138 first-place votes.
UF enters 2017 as a two-time defending Eastern Division champion, posting a 13-3 record in SEC play over the past two seasons. The Gators have also beaten rival the Bulldogs three-straight times dating back to 2014.
Alabama was tabbed to win the SEC Western Division with 225 first-place votes and 1,683 points. The Crimson Tide were also picked to win their fourth-straight SEC title, collecting 217 points in the voting process.
Just six times since 1992, and four times in the past 20 seasons, the predicted champion at SEC Media Days proceeded to win the SEC Championship. Media in attendance have correctly predicted the eventual champion two of the last three seasons.
EASTERN DIVISION (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
School Points
Georgia (138) 1572
Florida (96) 1526
Tennessee (3) 998
South Carolina (5) 897
Kentucky 869
Vanderbilt 554
Missouri 388
WESTERN DIVISION (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
School Points
Alabama (225) 1683
Auburn (13) 1329
LSU (4) 1262
Arkansas (1) 796
Texas A&M 722
Mississippi State 633
Ole Miss 379
SEC CHAMPION
School Points
Alabama 217
Auburn 11
Georgia 6
Florida 3
LSU 3
South Carolina 1
Vanderbilt 1
Arkansas 1
Gators Place Nine on Preseason All-SEC List
Florida's two first-team members were senior cornerback Duke Dawson and junior offensive lineman Martez Ivey, while the four second-teamers were wide receiver Antonio Callaway, defensive lineman Cece Jefferson, punter Johnny Townsend and place kicker Eddy Piniero. Garnering third-team All-SEC accolades was tight end DeAndre Goolsby, defensive lineman Jabari Zuniga and safety Marcell Harris.
Callaway also tabbed as a third-team honoree as a return specialist.
Dawson, a second-team Pro Football Focus All-SEC as a junior, played in 12 games last season played and started seven at nickel corner. The Cross City, Fla. native recorded one interception (returned for a touchdown) in 2016 and a team-high seven pass breakups. Overall, Dawson totaled 24 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and one forced fumble last fall. The African American studies major enters his senior campaign with 48 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles and two interceptions, which were both returned for touchdowns.
- Dawson Tabbed for Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
- Dawson Named to Bednarik Award Watch List
- Dawson Selected to Nagurski Award Watch List
Ivey, a social and behavioral sciences major, played in all 13 games last season, making 12 starts. He earned Second Team All-SEC accolades by the league's Coaches and the AP, while garnering Third Team All-SEC honors by Athlon sports.
Callaway, a Third Team All-SEC wide receiver selection in 2016, garnered a spot on the watch list after leading the team in All-Purpose yards with 1,068. He achieved a feat last season that no Florida player ever had and that was scoring a rushing, receiving, passing, punt return and kickoff return touchdown in a career. The Miami, Fla. native has recorded 89 total catches during his first two seasons in Gainesville; only Jabar Gaffney (138) and Percy Harvin (93) caught more in their first two seasons at UF since 1996. In addition, Callaway eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards during Florida's game at Tennessee a year ago making him the third-fastest player in program history to accomplish that milestone, doing so in just 17 games.
In the return game, Callaway's two-punt return touchdowns in 2015 and his kickoff return TD in 2016 makes him one of four players in Florida history with three or more kickoff/punt return touchdowns.
Jefferson, a junior majoring in social and behavior sciences, is a rising star who has played in 26 of the 27 games over the past two years including making six starts last season as a sophomore. Overall, the Glen St. Mary, Fla. native recorded 30 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks and five quarterback hurries last season. For his efforts as a rookie in 2015, Jefferson was named to the SEC Coaches All-Freshman Team, PFF All-Freshman Second Team. He enters his junior campaign with 59 tackles, 15 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and seven quarterback hurries.
Townsend, a graduate student earning his Master of Science in Management, garnered First Team All-America honors by CBS Sports and Second Team All-America accolades by Fox Sports last season. He was one of 10 finalists for the Ray Guy Award in 2016 as well after ranking first in the nation with a 47.9 yard average on 64 punts. After recording 29 punts of 50+ yards and 27 punts inside the 20 yard line, he was tabbed as a First Team All-SEC performer by ESPN and Gridiron Now.
Pineiro, a criminology major, gathered Second Team All-SEC honors by Pro Football Focus and Athlon Sports. He finished his sophomore season with an 84.0 field goals made percentage by hitting 21 of his 25 attempts. Pineiro made 11 field goals of 40-plus yards, including two in the Outback Bowl. The Miami, Fla. native booted two 54-yard field goals last season, tying for sixth-longest in the history of UF Football. He tied for third in the nation, making 1.85 field goals per game and finished first on the Gators in points scored with 95.
Goolsby, an anthropology major, played in all 13 games last season and garnered 10 starts. The Derby, Kan. native recorded 342 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 38 catches last season. He ranked tied for first on the Gators in TD receptions and third in total catches. Those numbers were good enough to land him on the Mackey Award Midseason Watch List. Goolsby enters his senior season with 34 games played, 55 receptions, 619 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.
Zuniga, a redshirt sophomore majoring in social and behavior sciences, is played in all 13 games last season and recorded three starts. Overall, the Marietta, Ga. native recorded 25 tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, a team-best 5.0 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. In his collegiate debut against UMass, Zuniga totaled four tackles, two tackles-for-loss and two sacks. For his efforts as a rookie in 2016, Zuniga garnered Coaches' Second Team All-SEC honors.
Harris, a redshirt senior majoring in African American studies, played in all 13 games last season and started in eight at safety. The Orlando, Fla. product began the season splitting playing time with classmate Nick Washington at safety, but finished the season as one of Florida's leaders and its leading tackler. Overall for the season, Harris totaled 73 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, one sack, two interceptions, one pass breakup, one quarterback hurry, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In addition, he scored the first touchdown of his career on special teams at FSU on a fumbled punt.
OFFENSE (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
First-Team
- QB Jalen Hurts, Alabama (196)
- RB Derrius Guice, LSU (223)
- RB Nick Chubb, Georgia (211)
- WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama (232)
- WR Christian Kirk, Texas A&M (197)
- TE Isaac Nauta, Georgia (134)
- OL Braden Smith, Auburn (201)
- OL Martez Ivey, Florida (198)
- OL Jonah Williams, Alabama (187)
- OL Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama (174)
- C Frank Ragnow, Arkansas (174)
Second-Team
- QB Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State (121)
- RB Bo Scarbrough, Alabama (151)
- RB Kamryn Pettway, Auburn (141)
- WR Antonio Callaway, Florida (152)
- WR J'Mon Moore, Missouri (91)
- TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina (115)
- OL Isaiah Wynn, Georgia (116)
- OL Jashon Robertson, Tennessee (108)
- OL K.J. Malone, LSU (101)
- OL Martinas Rankin, Mississippi State (101)
- C Bradley Bozeman, Alabama (155)
Third-Team
- QB Austin Allen, Arkansas (102)
- RB Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt (105)
- RB Sony Michel, Georgia (30)
- WR Deebo Samuel, South Carolina (64)
- WR Jauan Jennings, Tennessee (42)
- TE DeAndre Goolsby, Florida (76)
- OL Lester Cotton, Alabama (96)
- OL Greg Little, Ole Miss (94)
- OL Javon Patterson, Ole Miss (87)
- OL Koda Martin, Texas A&M (69)
- C Will Clapp, LSU (66)
DEFENSE (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
First-Team
- DL Da'Ron Payne, Alabama (196)
- DL Da'Shawn Hand, Alabama (180)
- DL Trenton Thompson, Georgia (172)
- DL Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss (159)
- LB Arden Key, LSU (191)
- LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama (180)
- LB Roquan Smith, Georgia (157)
- DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama (232)
- DB Ronnie Harrison, Alabama (156)
- DB Armani Watts, Texas A&M (137)
- DB Duke Dawson, Florida (137)
Second-Team
- DL Cece Jefferson, Florida (151)
- DL Marlon Davidson, Auburn (120)
- DL Christian LaCouture, LSU (107)
- DL Denzil Ware, Kentucky (78)
- LB Shaun Dion Hamilton, Alabama (156)
- LB Skai Moore, South Carolina (128)
- LB Tre' Williams, Auburn (103)
- DB Tray Matthews, Auburn (126)
- DB Donte Jackson, LSU (123)
- DB Carlton Davis, Auburn (109)
- DB Dominick Sanders, Georgia (109)
Third-Team
- DL Marcell Frazier, Missouri (77)
- DL Jabari Zuniga, Florida (76)
- DL Dontavius Russell, Auburn (70)
- DL Rashard Lawrence, LSU (54)
- LB Jordan Jones, Kentucky (91)
- LB Lorenzo Carter, Georgia (82)
- LB Oren Burks, Vanderbilt (58)
- DB Anthony Averett, Alabama (104)
- DB Marcell Harris, Florida (83)
- DB Mike Edwards, Kentucky (71)
- DB Tony Brown, Alabama (62)
SPECIALISTS (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
First-Team
- P JK Scott, Alabama (222)
- PK Daniel Carlson, Auburn (218)
- RS Christian Kirk, Texas A&M (176)
- AP Christian Kirk, Texas A&M (161)
Second-Team
- P Johnny Townsend, Florida (99)
- PK Eddy Piniero, Florida (106)
- RS Evan Berry, Tennssee (117)
- AP Derrius Guice, LSU (133)
Third-Team
- P Trevor Daniel, Tennessee (58)
- PK Gary Wunderlich, Ole Miss (94)
- RS Antonio Callaway, Florida (84)
- AP Kerryon Johnson, Auburn (66)
2017 Season Opener
The 2017 AdvoCare Classic kicks off the college football season with a marquee cross-sectional matchup between the Florida Gators and Michigan Wolverines, which will be played on Saturday, Sept. 2, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
It will be the first-ever regular season meeting between the two programs.
UF will be making its first-ever appearance in the AdvoCare Classic and will be playing its first-ever game at AT&T Stadium. Meanwhile, UM will make its second appearance in the series and, for the second time, will face an SEC foe. Michigan also opened the 2012 season in what was then known as the Cowboys Classic, falling to eventual national champion Alabama 41-14 before a crowd of 90,413, the largest crowd to ever see a college football game in AT&T Stadium.
This contest marks the ninth overall game in the AdvoCare Classic series and the third SEC vs. Big Ten matchup. The SEC is undefeated in such games, with Alabama defeating Michigan 41-14 in 2012 and Wisconsin 35-17 in 2015. The SEC is 5-0 overall in AdvoCare Classic games with victories in five of the series' past six games.
In addition, the winner of the AdvoCare Classic game in each of the past three years has advanced to the College Football Playoff.
2017 Season Tickets
Tickets start at $380 per seat plus a Gators Boosters contribution bonus, which ranks seventh among Southeastern Conference schools. Contribution levels for this fall remain the same for the fourth-straight year.
2017 Mini-Plan Tickets
Fans can choose two games from two different plan options, both featuring one Southeastern Conference matchup and one non-conference matchup.
There are limited quantities available of the mini-plans, and they are priced as follows:
Orange Plan
- Games included:
- Vanderbilt and Northern Colorado or UAB ($65)
- Games included:
- Tennessee and Northern Colorado or UAB ($90)
Follow the Gator Ticket Office on twitter at @GatorsTix for all the latest information on Gator tickets.
Players Mentioned
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