Treadwell, Elston headline 7 Rebels on coaches All-SEC
Published 11:59 am Wednesday, December 9, 2015
With a 2015 regular season that included nine wins, a second-place finish in the Southeastern Conference’s Western division, historic victories and numerous school records broken, the Ole Miss football team landed seven Rebels on All-SEC teams, as voted on by the league’s 14 head coaches.
Senior Trae Elston and junior Laquon Treadwell earned first team All-SEC honors, while five Rebels found a spot on the All-SEC second team: Evan Engram, Marquis Haynes, Mike Hilton, Chad Kelly and Robert Nkemdiche.
The seven All-SEC selections are tied for the most by an Ole Miss football team since the league coaches started handing out postseason awards in 1984. The SEC coaches also voted seven Ole Miss players onto the 1992 All-SEC teams. Ole Miss has seen an increased presence on the coaches’ All-SEC teams in recent years, adding three to its total each season since Cody Prewitt was the lone honoree in 2013.
After the coaches predicted Elston to be an All-SEC third teamer prior to the season, the senior defensive back overachieved to earn first-team accolades. The Oxford, Alabama, native recorded four interceptions this season and returned two of them for touchdowns. Elston’s 16 passes defended rank second among all SEC players, while his four interceptions rank fifth. Elston is the third Ole Miss defensive back to be named first team All-SEC over the past two seasons, joining 2014 Rebels Senquez Golson and Prewitt.
Treadwell, a Biletnikoff Award finalist, has had a record-breaking 2015 season. The Crete, Illinois, native has bounced back after his 2014 campaign was cut four games short due to a gruesome leg injury. Through 12 games, Treadwell has hauled in 76 catches for 1,082 yards and eight touchdowns, all team highs. Treadwell leads all SEC receivers with 90.2 yards per outing and ranks second with 6.3 catches per game, ranking 21st and 22nd in the nation, respectively. He ranks third in the Southeastern Conference in receiving touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass in a program-record six straight games.