Quartet Earns All-SEC Honors
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Four key contributors to the Arkansas offense that led the SEC in scoring at 34.4 points per game in league play earned postseason honors on Tuesday, as the league announced its All-SEC first and second teams voted on by the conference head coaches. Senior offensive lineman Sebastian Tretola and junior tight end Hunter Henry earned All-SEC first team status, marking the 10th time in program history that a pair of Razorbacks have landed on the coaches’ first team.
Junior running back Alex Collins and junior offensive lineman Dan Skipper were named to the All-SEC second team, giving Arkansas the second-most All-SEC selections on offense. Tretola and Henry are the 36th and 37th players in Arkansas history, respectively, to earn All-SEC first team status from the head coaches.
One of three finalists for the 2015 John Mackey Award, Henry’s All-SEC honor is the second of his career from the conference head coaches following second team props in 2014. Henry was named a USA TODAY All-America first team choice earlier in the day and enters Arkansas’ Liberty Bowl appearance first among all FBS tight ends in receiving yards (647), first down receptions (32) and plays of 15+ yards (19). The Little Rock native also leads SEC tight ends with 46 receptions and two 100-yard games, while he became just the eighth tight end in league history with 100 career receptions while playing in the SEC.
Tretola’s first team selection and Skipper’s second team status make Arkansas one of three teams to land multiple offensive lineman on the All-SEC teams. Arkansas’ starting left guard over the last 23 games, Tretola has graded over 80 percent in 10 of 12 contests this season, while earning SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Oct. 5. Over his 25 career games at Arkansas, Tretola has allowed a half-sack to help the Razorbacks lead the SEC in the fewest sacks allowed each of his two seasons.
Prior to the season, Skipper made the move from left tackle to right tackle, starting all 12 games there while extending his consecutive starts streak to 33 over his three seasons. Skipper has graded out over 80 percent in a team-high 11 games and was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Nov. 16 following Arkansas’ win at then-No. 9 LSU.
Tretola and Skipper are a big part of an Arkansas offensive line that helped pave the way for a league-best six 200-yard rushing games in SEC action while not allowing a sack in five of 12 games, including a league-low 12 on the year. Arkansas’ ability to control the line of scrimmage helped it lead the SEC in scoring in conference games at 34.4 points. Over its final four games of the regular season against SEC opponents, Arkansas averaged 40.5 points with 22 touchdowns (11 rushing & 11 passing).
The primary beneficiary in the running game of Arkansas’ dominant offensive line, Collins joined Arkansas great Darren McFadden and Georgia legend Herschel Walker as the only three players in SEC history to start their careers with three straight 1,000 yard seasons. A semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, Collins’ nine 100-yard rushing games are tied for the SEC lead and just one off of McFadden’s program record of 10 set in 2007. Collins’ 1,392 rushing yards are the third-most in Arkansas single-season history while his 17 touchdowns are tied for second just two off the record of 19 set in 1969. Out of Collins’ nine 100-yard rushing games, six came in SEC play
ALL-SEC FIRST TEAM
Offense
TE – Hunter Henry (Arkansas)
OL – Sebastian Tretola (Arkansas), Vadal Alexander (LSU), Cam Robinson (Alabama), John Theus (Georgia)
C – Ryan Kelly (Alabama)
WR – Laquon Treadwell (Ole Miss), Fred Ross (Mississippi State), Pharoh Cooper (South Carolina)
QB – Dak Prescott (Mississippi State)
RB – Derrick Henry (Alabama), Leonard Fournette (LSU)
AP – Pharoh Cooper (South Carolina)
Defense
DL – Myles Garrett (Texas A&M), Jonathan Allen (Alabama), Jonathan Bullard (Florida), A’Shawn Robinson (Alabama)
LB – Kentrell Brothers (Missouri), Reggie Ragland (Alabama), Zach Cunningham (Vanderbilt)
DB – Vernon Hargreaves III (Florida), Eddie Jackson (Alabama), Jalen Tabor (Florida), Trae Elston (Ole Miss)
Special Teams
PK – Daniel Carlson (Auburn)
P – Drew Kaser (Texas A&M)
RS – Evan Berry (Tennessee)
ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM
Offense
TE – Evan Engram (Ole Miss)
OL – Dominick Jackson (Alabama), Shon Coleman (Auburn), Dan Skipper (Arkansas), Germain Ifedi (Texas A&M)
C – Ethan Pocic (LSU)
WR – Calvin Ridley (Alabama), Christian Kirk (Texas A&M), De’Runnya Wilson (Mississippi State)
QB – Chad Kelly (Ole Miss)
RB – Alex Collins (Arkansas), Jalen Hurd (Tennessee)
AP – Christian Kirk (Texas A&M)
Defense
DL – Robert Nkemdiche (Ole Miss), Marquis Haynes (Ole Miss), Charles Harris (Missouri), Derek Barnett (Tennessee)
LB – Leonard Floyd (Georgia), Antonio Morrison (Florida), Skai Moore (South Carolina)
DB – Mike Hilton, Ole Miss), Dominick Sanders, Georgia), Tre’Davious White (LSU), Jamal Adams (LSU)
Special Teams
PK – Taylor Bertolet (Texas A&M), Adam Griffith (Alabama)
P – Johnny Townsend (Florida)
RS – Christian Kirk (Texas A&M)
