Two Ole Miss Rebels garnered All-Southeastern Conference distinction from the league’s 14 head coaches for their 2019 performances, the SEC office announced Tuesday.

Senior Benito Jones earned second team honors on the defensive line, while true freshman Jerrion Ealy hauled in second team accolades as a return specialist.

Jones, who just wrapped up his senior campaign for the Rebels, appeared in all 12 games in 2019, with 10 starts. He leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally with 23 defensive stops at the nose tackle position.

The Waynesboro, Mississippi, native is tied for 10^th in the SEC in tackles for loss (10.0) and No. 12 in sacks (5.5). Jones was an anchor in the middle for an Ole Miss defensive unit that helped limit three straight opponents to under 70 yards rushing for the first time in 20 seasons. He wrapped up his Ole Miss campaign ninth all-time in tackles for loss (31.0) in 48 career games played.

Ealy, a true freshman from Walnut Grove, Mississippi, currently leads the SEC in kick return average, with 24.4 yards per return. He tallied his first career touchdown with a 94-yard kickoff return in Week 3 vs. Southeastern Louisiana. Ealy registered a PFF elusive rating of 145.1, the second-highest by any freshman in the country.

Ealy ranks second in the SEC and No. 5 nationally in all-purpose yardage per game amongst freshmen (100.9 ypg). He rushed for 722 yards in his true freshman campaign, the second-most rushing yards by an Ole Miss freshman in school history. His six rushing and eight total touchdowns also ranked second on Ole Miss’ freshman single season record book.

 

Via Brad Sheffield / Ole Miss Athletics