Three Gamecocks Named to Steele's All-SEC Teams
Dec. 13, 2017
Three University of South Carolina football players were named to Phil Steele’s 2017 postseason All-SEC teams, it was announced today. Hayden Hurst was a first-team selection, while Skai Moore earned second-team accolades and D.J. Wonnum was listed with the third-team unit by the national publication.
Hurst, a 6-5, 250-pounder from Jacksonville, Fla., led all SEC tight ends with 41 receptions and 518 receiving yards during the 2017 regular season. The junior scored a pair of touchdowns through the air, finding the end zone in Carolina’s victories over Missouri and Arkansas, and he also scored his first career rushing touchdown in the win over Mizzou. Hurst enters the postseason as Carolina’s career leader among tight ends with 97 receptions and is second with 1,240 receiving yards. He was previously named a first-team All-SEC performer by both the Associated Press and the league’s coaches.
Moore, a 6-2, 218-pound senior, leads the Gamecocks and ranks 11th in the conference with 88 total tackles, including 59 solo stops. The Cooper City, Fla. native finished with double-digit tackles three times in 2017, including a career-high 15-tackle effort against Clemson, and he is poised to finish his Gamecock career as just the 15th player in Football Bowl Subdivision history to lead a team in tackles in four different seasons. A dominant player against both the run and the pass, Moore also logged three interceptions to tie for Carolina’s career interception record with 14. Moore was a previously named a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches, was a second-team selection by the A.P., and was named second-team All-America by College Sports Madness.
Wonnum, a 6-4, 251-pounder from Stone Mountain, Ga., collected 52 tackles, fourth on the squad, while playing the Buck position. He ranks third in the SEC with a team-leading 13.0 tackles for loss and ranks 13th in the league with a team-high 6.0 sacks. The true sophomore was twice named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performances in wins over Arkansas and Tennessee.
Hurst, Moore, Wonnum and the rest of the Gamecocks (8-4) will face Michigan (8-4) on Monday, Jan. 1, in the Outback Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET in Tampa, Fla., and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
