Shane Beamer and Kyle Kennard Earn All-SEC Honors

Alex Joyce | 5 Hours Ago

Nov 30, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer talk after the game at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, the Associated Press (AP) announced Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer as the Southeastern Conference's Coach of the Year and Kyle Kennard as the Defensive Player of the Year.

Beamer enjoyed the best year of his young Gamecocks' tenure. After finishing 5-7 in 2023, Beamer would help lead South Carolina to nine wins in the regular season for the first time since 2013, including back to back road wins over Clemson.

Kennard transferred from Georgia Tech to the Gamecocks this past offseason and has enjoyed the best year of his career. He would finish the year with 11.5 sacks (1st in the SEC), 28 total tackles, including 16 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. On Monday, Kennard was announced the winner of the Nagurski Award, going to the nation's best defender.

The AP also announced their All-SEC teams which featured several Gamecocks, including Kyle Kennard (First team), Nick Emmanwori (First Team), TJ Sanders (Second Team), and Raheim Sanders (Second team).See below for the complete list.

AP All-SEC Teams:

First Team Offense:

QB — Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, 6-2, 225, Sr., Kaysville, Utah
u_RB — Dylan Sampson, Tennessee, 5-11, 201, Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
RB — Jarquez Hunter, Auburn, 5-10, 209, Jr., Philadelphia, Mississippi
WR — Tre Harris, Ole Miss, 6-3, 210, Sr., Lafayette, Louisiana
WR — Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas, 6-4, 202, R-Sr., Dallas, Texas
TE — Gunnar Helm, Texas, 6-5, 250, Sr., Englewood, Colorado
u-OT — Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, 6-4, 320, Jr., Humble, Texas
OT — Will Campbell, LSU, 6-6, 323, Jr., Monroe, Louisiana
OG — Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-5, 325, Jr., New Haven, Connecticut
OG — Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6, 320, Sr., Rome, Georgia
C — Jake Slaughter, Florida, 6-5, 308, R-Jr., Sparr, Florida
PK — Alex Raynor, Kentucky, 6-0, 185, Sr., Kennesaw, Georgia
All-purpose — Barion Brown, Kentucky, 6-1, 18-2, Nashville, Tennessee

First Team Defense:

DE — Kyle Kennard, South Carolina, 6-5, 254, R-Sr., Atlanta
DE — Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss, 6-4, 255, Sr., Austin, Texas
DT — Walter Nolen, Ole Miss, 6-3, 305, Jr., Powell, Tennessee
DT — Alfred Collins, Texas, 6-5, 320, Sr., Bastrop, Texas
LB — Anthony Hill Jr., Texas, 6-3, 235, So., Denton, Texas
LB — Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, 6-4, 243, Sr., Windermere, Florida
LB — Whit Weeks, LSU, 6-2, 228, So., Watkinsville, Georgia
u-CB — Jahdae Barron, Texas, 5-11, 200, Sr., Austin, Texas
CB — Jermod McCoy, Tennessee, 6-0, 193, So., Whitehouse, Texas
S — Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-1, 205, Jr., Jefferson, Georgia
S — Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Jr., Irmo, South Carolina
P — Jesse Mirko, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 222, grad, Fremantle, Western Australia

Second Team Offense:

QB — Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt, 6-0, 207, grad, Albuquerque, N.M.
RB — Raheim Sanders, South Carolina, 6-0, 230, Sr., Rockledge, Florida
RB — Ja’Quinden Jackson, Arkansas, 6-2, 233, R-Sr., Dallas
WR — Ryan Williams, Alabama, 6-0, 175, Fr., Mobile, Alabama
WR — (tie) KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Auburn, 6-1, 182, Sr., Norfolk, Virginia; Kyren Lacy, LSU, 6-2, 213, R-Sr., Thibodaux, Louisiana
TE — Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 235, Grad., Denton, Texas
OT — Emery Jones, LSU, 6-6, 315, Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
OT — Armand Membou, Missouri, 6-3, 314, Jr., Lee’s Summitt, Missouri
OG — Dylan Fairchild, Georgia, 6-5, 315, R-Jr., Cumming, Georgia
OG — Cam’Ron Johnson, Missouri, 6-3, 310, Grad, Houston
C — Cooper Mays, Tennessee, 6-4, 310, Sr., Kingston, Tennessee
PK — Peyton Woodring, Georgia, 5-10, 185, So., Lafayette, Louisiana
All-purpose — Davon Booth, Mississippi State, 5-10, 205, Sr., North Las Vegas, Nevada

Second Team All Defense:

DE — James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, 6-5, 243, Jr., Charlotte, North Carolina
DE — (tie) Nic Scourton, Texas A&M 6-4, 285, Jr., Bryan, Texas; Landon Jackson, Arkansas, 6-7, 280, Sr., Texarkana, Texas
DT — TJ Sanders, South Carolina, 6-4, 290, Jr., Marlon, South Carolina
DT — Deone Walker, Kentucky, 6-6, 345, Jr., Detroit, Michigan
LB — Jalon Walker, Georgia, 6-2, 245, Jr., Salisbury, North Carolina
LB — Jihaad Campbell, Alabama, 6-3, 244, Jr., Erial, New Jersey
LB — Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss, 6-1, 235, Jr., Cordele, Georgia
CB — Trey Amos, Ole Miss, 6-1, 190, Sr., New Iberia, Louisiana
CB — Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky, 6-1, 186, Jr., West Bloomfield, Michigan
S — Malachi Moore, Alabama, 6-0, 201, Grad, Trussville, Alabama
S — Andrew Mukuba, Texas, 6-0, 190, Sr., Austin, Texas
P — Brett Thorson, Georgia, 6-2, 235, Jr., Melbourne, Australia

Coach of the Year — Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Offensive Player of the Year — Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Defensive Player of the Year — Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
Newcomer of the Year -- Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

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