Eight Gamecocks Earn Spots on Steele's Preseason All-SEC Squads

Eight University of South Carolina football players were recognized as 2019 preseason All-SEC selections, according to The Phil Steele College Football Preview, it was announced today. In addition, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw was recognized as a third-team preseason All-American by the national publication.
 
Kinlaw, a 6-6, 302-pound senior from Charleston, S.C., was the lone Gamecock to be named to the first-team All-SEC unit. The All-America candidate was a co-winner of the Joe Morrison Award with T.J. Brunson last season, which goes to the team’s MVP on defense. He was credited with 38 stops in 2018, including 10.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

The Gamecocks had three players, wide receiver Bryan Edwards, defensive end D.J. Wonnum, and linebacker T.J. Brunson, earn second team recognition by the national publication.
 
Edwards, a 6-3, 215-pound senior from Conway, S.C., caught 55 passes for 846 yards a season ago, and has 163 career receptions for 2,229 yards. He is among the school’s all-time career leaders in receptions (5th), receiving yards (6th), and receiving touchdowns (t9th) with 16.

Wonnum, a 6-5, 255-pound senior from Stone Mountain, Ga., plays the Buck position for Carolina. He is healthy again after injuries derailed much of his 2018 campaign. He was selected as a team captain in 2017 after a very productive season in which he logged 57 tackles including 13.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks.

Brunson, a 6-1, 235-pound senior from Columbia, was the team’s leading tackler in 2018 with 106 stops. Selected as one of four team captains last season, A starter in every game over the past two seasons, Brunson has registered 206 career tackles, including 15.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks.
 
A quartet of Gamecocks were recognized on Steele’s fourth-team All-SEC squad, including wide receiver Shi Smith, offensive lineman Donell Stanley, cornerback Jaycee Horn and punter Joseph Charlton.
 
Smith, a 5-10, 186-pound junior from Union, S.C., hauled in 45 passes a season ago for 673 yards and four touchdowns. In his first two seasons for the Garnet & Black, he has amassed 1,082 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

A leader on the offensive line, Stanley returns for his sixth year of eligibility. The 6-3, 322-pounder from Floydale, S.C. has appeared in 38 games for the Garnet & Black, making 26 starts including 12 at center, 10 at left guard and four at right guard.

Horn, a 6-1, 200-pound sophomore defensive back from Alpharetta, Ga., earned Freshman All-SEC accolades by the league’s coaches last season after making 10 starts. Horn shared the Most Productive Player Award for the defense with Brunson a year ago while playing both cornerback and nickel.
 
Charlton, a 6-5, 193-pounder from Columbia, earned a spot on the All-SEC second team as selected by the league’s coaches following the 2018 season. As a junior, Charlton set the school record by averaging 44.8-yards per punt, and is averaging a school-record 44.1 yards per punt throughout his career.
 
The Gamecocks will open the 2019 campaign in Charlotte on August 31 against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Game time is set for 3:30 pm ET and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.