LSU Lands 11 Players on SEC Coaches' Preseason All-SEC Teams: Fan's Take

The LSU Tigers have 11 players on the SEC Coaches' Preseason All-SEC Teams. The Tigers had the most first-team selections with seven and were tied with Alabama for most selections overall with 11.

Each of the 14 SEC coaches participated in voting for players on first, second and third teams for offense, defense and special teams. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team's players. The Coaches' All-SEC team is in its ninth season and is selected each year before SEC Media Days.

LSU had right tackle Alex Hurst on first-team offense. On first-team defense, the Tigers had defensive ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo, cornerback Tyrann Mathieu and safety Eric Reid. On first-team special teams were punter Brad Wing and return specialist Tyrann Mathieu. Left tackle Chris Faulk and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. were on the second-team offense. Kicker Drew Alleman made the second-team special teams and running back Spencer Ware was on the third-team offense.

Overall, I can't say that I'm too upset with the makeup of the SEC teams as an LSU fan. As great as Tiger fans might want quarterback Zach Mettenberger to be, he's unproven and can't be considered among the top SEC quarterbacks yet. Still, there might be two LSU players to make a case for who didn't make one of the three teams.

Looking over the list of the three teams, one offensive omission that could be seen as a snub is that center P.J. Lonergan didn't make any of the teams. The three centers who made the teams were Alabama's Barrett Jones, South Carolina's T.J. Johnson and Arkansas' Travis Swanson. Obviously, Les Miles was not allowed to vote for Lonergan. Jones, Johnson, Lonergan and Swanson all made the watch list for the Rimington Trophy for best center. I would say Jones is likely the best center in college football. Where Lonergan falls among the other centers in the SEC is harder to say but I'd include him on the third team. Perhaps if he had played every game last season without injury, the coaches would have thought to include him as well.

The defensive player who might have been included is defensive tackle Bennie Logan. While the teams are biased against defensive tackles, Logan's 2011 numbers are very solid: 57 tackles (6.5 for loss), three sacks and a forced fumble. What is more important than his stats is the attention he draws which allows Montgomery and Mingo to be so effective.

As an LSU fan, I'm proud to see our players get preseason accolades from the media and now the SEC coaches.

More from Patrick Johnston:

Chris Faulk, Alex Hurst, Bennie Logan named to 2012 Outland Trophy watch list

Tyrann Mathieu, Barkevious Mingo, Sam Montgomery, Eric Reid on 2012 Nagurski Watch List

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