Preseason All-Americans
By Danny Bishop
FOOTBALL
Two Dawgs named First Team All-Americans highlight a group of Georgia players featured in Phil Steele’s 2012 College Football Preview edition.
Both junior OLB Jarvis Jones and senior FS Bacarri Rambo have been named preseason First Team All-Americans, making them two of only 28 players nationwide named to the squad.
Jones was an unanimous First Team All-American following the 2011 season after the Columbus native led the Southeastern Conference in both sacks (13.5) and tackles for loss (19.5) in his first season playing for the Dawgs.
Rambo, a native of Donalsonville, was a 2011 Associated Press All-American thanks to registering the second-most interceptions in the country (eight) and tallying 55 tackles. He returned those picks 157 yards, which ranked fourth nationally and third all-time in school history for a single season.
Phil Steele also named senior nose tackle John Jenkins a preseason Second Team All-American. Jenkins shared time with junior Kwame Geathers during Jenkins’ first season with the Dawgs, starting seven of 14 games in 2011 and finishing with 28 tackles, including three sacks, to go with an interception.
The publication also picked four All-SEC teams, which featured eight Dawg defenders. Jenkins, Jones and Rambo were all picked as First Team selections while on offense, junior quarterback Aaron Murray, sophomore tailback Isaiah Crowell and senior receiver Tavarres King were named as All-SEC Second Team selections.
Senior defensive end Abry Jones, junior ILB Alec Ogletree and senior CB Sanders Commings were also included on the All-SEC Third Team as senior ILB Michael Gilliard and senior CB Branden Smith were named to the All-SEC Fourth Team.
The Dawgs kick off the season versus Buffalo in Athens on September 1st.