Florida Gators

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference announced the 2019 Preseason Coaches' All-SEC Football Team on Thursday, as defensive back CJ Henderson was named First Team Preseason All-SEC while five other Gators received second team recognition. Nine schools had at least one First Team All-SEC representative, including a conference-best nine from Alabama.
 
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
 
Alabama placed a league-leading 16 representatives on the 2019 Preseason Coaches' All-SEC Football Team. Georgia was second with 10 representatives, while Auburn and LSU each had nine.
 
CJ Henderson was the lone first team selection for the Gators, while running back Lamical Perine, defensive lineman Jabari Zuniga, linebacker David Reese II, punter Tommy Townsend, and kicker Evan McPherson were all named to the second team.  
Henderson appeared in and started all 13 games throughout the season for the Gators, regarded as one of the top cornerbacks in the entire country after totaling 38 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, three sacks, and two interceptions. The Miami, Fla. native also tallied a team-high seven pass breakups and two forced fumbles en route to garnering Coaches All-SEC Second Team accolades following the season.
   
Perine appeared in all 13 contests and recorded one start last season, leading the team with 134 carries, 826 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He additionally caught 13 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown, as he ranked first on the Gators in total yards (996) and second in scoring (48). Perine, a native of Mobile, Ala., was one of three players (Jordan Scarlett, Feleipe Franks) who scored at least five rushing touchdowns in 2018, marking the first time Florida has accomplished the feat since 2010.
 
Zuniga appeared in and started all 13 games a season ago for the Gators as he totaled 45 total tackles, 11.0 tackles-for-loss, 6.5 sacks and four quarterback hurries. The Marietta, Ga. native earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors last fall following Florida's win vs. Colorado State after he posted a career-best 2.5 sacks, five tackles and a QB hurry. Reese II, despite missing the first three games of the season due to an ankle injury he sustained during fall camp, finished second on the team in tackles (77) and also recorded 2.5 tackles-for-loss and one fumble recovery in 2018. The senior linebacker led the Gators with 11 tackles in their win over LSU and was named to the Bednarik Award & Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch lists during the season for his efforts.  
Townsend finished the 2018 season averaging 45.4 yards per punt, as he totaled 2,315 yards on 51 punts. The Orlando, Fla. native booted 14 punts of over 50 yards and registered 24 punts inside of the 20-yard line. Against LSU, he recorded a career-long 71-yard punt, which was the seventh-longest punt in Florida football history. The redshirt senior also recorded an 18-yard gain on a fake punt in Florida's comeback win over Vanderbilt en route to being named Second Team All-SEC by Athlon Sports and being a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award. Townsend was also named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
   
McPherson went 17-for-19 (89.5%) on field goals and ranked tied for sixth nationally and led all freshmen in field goal percentage in 2018. Among kickers with at least 15 attempts, he ranked tied for fifth nationally and went a perfect 3-for-4 on kicks 40 yards or longer and a perfect 11-for-11 on kicks between 20 and 29 yards. McPherson was the Gators' primary kickoff specialist, netting 64.1 yards per kickoff and had a touchback percentage of 55%, while leading the Gators in scoring with 101 points. One of the 20 Lou Groza Award semifinalists, the Fort Payne, Ala. native was also named a True Freshman All-American by 247Sports.
 
The SEC begins its 2019 season Saturday, Aug. 24 when Florida takes on Miami at 7 p.m. ET in Orlando.
 
 
2019 Preseason Coaches All-SEC Football Team (* - ties)
 
First Team Preseason All-SEC
 
OFFENSE
TE      Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri
 
OL       Andrew Thomas, Georgia
            Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
            Jedrick Wills Jr., Alabama*
            Tre'Vour Wallace-Simms, Missouri*
            Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn*
 
C                     Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU
 
WR                  Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
                        Kalija Lipscomb, Vanderbilt
 
QB      Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
 
RB       D'Andre Swift, Georgia
Najee Harris, Alabama
       
AP                   Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
 
DEFENSE
DL       Raekwon Davis, Alabama
Derrick Brown, Auburn
Rashard Lawrence, LSU
Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
 
LB                   Dylan Moses, Alabama
            Erroll Thompson, Mississippi State
            Cale Garrett, Missouri
 
DB       C.J. Henderson, Florida
            Grant Delpit, LSU
            J.R. Reed, Georgia
            Trevon Diggs, Alabama*
            Kristian Fulton, LSU*
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK                   Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia
    
P                      Braden Mann, Texas A&M
 
RS        Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
 
Second Team Preseason All-SEC
 
OFFENSE
TE       Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt
 
OL                   Damien Lewis, LSU
            Logan Stenberg, Kentucky
            Solomon Kindley, Georgia
            Isaiah Wilson, Georgia
 
C          Darryl Williams, Mississippi State
 
WR      Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
Bryan Edwards, South Carolina
 
QB                  Jake Fromm, Georgia
 
RB                   Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt
                        Lamical Perine, Florida
 
AP                   Lynn Bowden, Kentucky
 
DEFENSE
DL                   Jabari Zuniga, Florida
Marlon Davidson, Auburn
            Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
            Nick Coe, Auburn
 
LB                   Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
            De'Jon Harris, Arkansas
            David Reese II, Florida
 
DB      Xavier McKinney, Alabama
            Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
            DeMarkus Acy, Missouri
            Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK                   Evan McPherson, Florida
 
P          Tommy Townsend, Florida
 
RS       Jashaun Corbin, Texas A&M*
            Marquez Callaway, Tennessee*
 
Third Team Preseason All-SEC
 
OFFENSE
TE                   Charlie Woerner, Georgia
 
OL                   Yasir Durant, Missouri
            Ben Cleveland, Georgia
            Matt Womack, Alabama
            Marquel Harrell, Auburn*
            Mike Horton, Auburn*
       
C         Drake Jackson, Kentucky
 
WR      Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
            Lynn Bowden, Kentucky*
            Justin Jefferson, LSU*
 
QB                  Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
 
RB                   Larry Rountree, Missouri
                        Kylin Hill, Mississippi State
     
AP       Jashaun Corbin, Texas A&M
 
DEFENSE
DL                   McTelvin Agim, Arkansas
            Chauncey Rivers, Mississippi State
            Tyler Clark, Georgia
            LaBryan Ray, Alabama*
            Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt*
            Jordan Elliott, Missouri*
 
LB       Michael Divinity, LSU
            T.J. Brunson, South Carolina*
            Darrell Taylor, Tennessee*
            Jacob Phillips, LSU*
 
DB                  Daniel Thomas, Auburn
            Nigel Warrior, Tennessee
            Shyheim Carter, Alabama
            Kamren Curl, Arkansas*
            Jaycee Horn, South Carolina*
            Javaris Davis, Auburn*
           
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK                   Tucker McCann, Missouri*
            Anders Carlson, Auburn*
 
P                      Zach Von Rosenberg, LSU
 
RS       Lynn Bowden, Kentucky