COLOMBIA – Kevin Harris did not have to post an incredulous tweet on Wednesday.
The day after being dismissed by SEC coaches when he was demoted to the second All-SEC team, Harris was awarded an All-SEC honor from the first team by the Associated Press. Harris, who led the SEC in yard races in 10 games and is only behind Alabama’s Najee Harris now (Harris has played another game), was ranked behind Najee Harris and Texas A&M’s Isaiah Spiller on Tuesday.
“Dangggg,” Harris tweeted after the coaches’ selections.
Harris had an outside chance to become the first Gamecock to lead the SEC in fast yards, but he will not catch up, after the Gamecocks had to withdraw from the Gasparilla Bowl due to COVID-19 problems. The SEC makes no distinction between the run totals for the regular season and the postseason (a season is a season, no matter how many games it contains), so Najee Harris would always have at least two or probably three more games to complete her totals.
Kevin Harris ran for 1,138 yards this season, the fifth best total in the program’s history. He scored 15 touchdowns.
Buck’s pass-rusher, JJ Enagbare, was the only other Gamecock on the AP list, earning second-team honors. Enagbare tied for the SEC lead in forced bags and fumbles.
Enagbare was a first team choice by the coaches, while Harris and cornerback Jaycee Horn made the second team. Linebacker Mo Kaba and punter Kai Kroeger were part of the freshman team.
The 2020 AP All-SEC team, selected by a panel of 18 sports writers and announcers who regularly cover the league, with name, school, height, weight, class and hometown. (“U-” denotes unanimous selection):
FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB – Mac Jones, Alabama, 6-3, 214, RJr., Jacksonville, Florida.
RB – u-Najee Harris, Alabama, 6-2, 230, Sr., Antioch, California.
RB – Kevin Harris, South Carolina, 5-10, 225, So., Hinesville, Georgia.
T – u-Alex Leatherwood, Alabama, 6-6, 312, Sr., Pensacola, Florida.
T – Darian Kinnard, Kentucky, 6-5, 345, Jr., Knoxville, Tennessee.
C – Landon Dickerson, Alabama, 6-6, 325, RSr., Hickory, North Carolina.
G – Trey Smith, Tennessee, 6-6, 330, Sr., Jackson, Tennessee.
G – Ben Cleveland, Georgia, 6-6, 335, Sr., Taccoa, Georgia.
TE – u-Kyle Pitts, Florida, 6-4, 225, Jr., Philadelphia.
WR – u-DeVonta Smith, Alabama, 6-1, 175, Sr, Amite, Louisiana.
WR – Elijah Moore, Mississippi, 5-9, 184, Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
All-Purpose – Kadarius Toney, 5-11, 194, Sr., Mobile, Alabama.
K – Anders Carlsen, Auburn, 6-5, 215, Jr., Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Defense
DE – Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt, 6-6, 276, Sr., Irving, Texas.
DE – Trajan Jeffcoat, Missouri, 6-3, 265, RSo., Irmo, South Carolina.
DT – Christian Barmore, Alabama, 6-5, 310, RSo., Philadelphia.
DT – Bobby Brown III, Texas A&M, 6-4, 325, Jr., Arlington, Texas.
LB – Nick Bolton, Missouri, 6-2, 232, Jr., Frisco, Texas.
LB – Grant Morgan, Arkansas, 5-11, 222, RSr., Greenwood, Arkansas.
LB – Monty Rice, Georgia, 6-1, 235, Sr., Huntsville, Alabama.
CB – Patrick Surtain II, Alabama, 6-2, 202, Jr., Plantation, Florida.
CB – Erik Stokes, Georgia, 6-1, 185, Jr., Covington, Georgia.
S – Richard LeCounte, Georgia, 5-11, 190, Sr., Riceboro, Georgia.
S – Jalen Catalon, Arkansas, 5-10, 189, RFr., Mansfield, Texas.
P – Jake Camarda, Georgia, 6-2, 180, Jr., Norcross, Georgia.
SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB – Kyle Trask, Florida, 6-5, 240, Sr., Manvel, Texas.
RB – Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M, 6-1, 225, So., Spring, Texas.
RB – Tank Bigsby, Auburn, 6-0, 204, Fr., LaGrange, Georgia.
T – Landon Young, Kentucky, 6-7, 321, Sr., Lexington, Kentucky.
T – Carson Green, Texas A&M, 6-6, 320, Sr., Southlake, Texas.
G – Kenyon Green, Texas A&M, 6-4, 325, So., Humble, Texas.
G – Deonte Brown, Alabama, 6-4, 350, RSr., Decatur, Alabama.
C – Drake Jackson, Kentucky, 6-2, 292, Sr., Versailles, Kentucky.
TE – Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M, 6-5, 265, So., Dickinson, Texas.
WR – Treylon Burks, Arkansas, 6-3, 232, So., Warren, Arkansas.
WR – Kadarius Toney, Florida, 5-11, 194, Senior, Mobile, Alabama.
All-Purpose – Jerrion Ealy, Mississippi, 5-8, 190, So., Walnut Grove, Mississippi.
K – Cade York, LSU, 6-1, 198, So., McKinney, Texas.
Defense
DE – Ali Gaye, LSU, 6-6, 262, Jr., Lynnwood, Washington.
DE – Brenton Cox Jr., Florida, 6-4, 249, Jr., Lithonia, Georgia.
DT – JJ Enagbare, South Carolina, 6-4, 270, Jr., Atlanta.
DT – Jonathan Marshall, Arkansas, 6-3, 317, RSr., Shepherd, Texas.
LB – Azeez Ojulari, Georgia, 6-3, 240, RSo., Marietta, Georgia.
LB – Willie Anderson Jr., Alabama, 6-4, 235, Fr., Hampton, Georgia.
LB – Henry To’o To’o, Tennessee, 6-2, 225, So., Sacramento, California.
CB – Kaiir Elam, Florida, 6-2, 194, So., Riviera Beach, Florida.
CB – Eli Ricks, LSU, 6-2, 196, Fr., Rancho Cucamonga, California.
S – Smoke Munday, Auburn, 6-2, 196, Jr., Atlanta.
S – Malachi Moore, Alabama, 6-0, 182, Fr., Trussville, Alabama.
P – Max Duffy, Kentucky, 6-1, 190, Sr., Perth, Australia.
Coach of the year – Nick Saban, Alabama.
Offensive player of the year – DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama.
Defensive player of the year – Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama.
Newbie of the year – Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn.