Alabama Wins Five of Seven SEC Football Yearly Awards

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WCBI/SEC) — Southeastern Conference champion Alabama claimed five of the SEC’s seven individual football awards as voted on by the league’s head coaches, it was announced Wednesday.

Alabama’s Jalen Hurts was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year, while teammate Jonathan Allen was named Defensive Player of the Year. Auburn’s Daniel Carlson was voted Special Teams Player of the Year and Arkansas’ Brooks Ellis was selected as Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Alabama’s Cam Robinson was named winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, while Alabama coach Nick Saban was named SEC Coach of the Year.

This is the second consecutive season in which the Crimson Tide claimed both the offensive and defensive player of the year awards.

Hurts has started the last 12 games for Alabama and has helped lead his team to a 13-0 record. He has thrown for 2,563 yards and 21 touchdowns this season, while rushing for 841 yards and 12 scores. The Crimson Tide leads the SEC in scoring offense and total offensive yards.

Allen has been a key component of a unit ranked No. 1 in total defense, rushing defense and scoring defense. He leads the team with 15 quarterback hurries and is tied for the team lead in sacks. Allen is ranked second on the school’s all-time career sacks list.

Carlson is the SEC’s leader in scoring and has connected on 26-of-30 field goal attempts this season. He tied an SEC record with six field goals made in Auburn’s win over LSU earlier this season. Carlson is a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, which honors the nation’s best kicker.

Ellis became the first Arkansas football student-athlete to earn Academic All-America honors twice in a career. He carries a 3.82 GPA in pre-professional exercise science and was named a National Scholar-Athlete and one of 12 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy. Ellis has registered a team-best 78 tackles and a team-leading 7.0 tackles for loss this season.

Robinson has started all 13 games for the Crimson Tide and has helped pave the way for a rushing attack ranked second in the SEC with 245 yards per game. The Alabama offensive line is among three finalists for the Joe Moore Award, given to the top offensive line in college football.

Saban led Alabama to its 26th SEC title and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Now in his 10th season in Tuscaloosa, Saban has guided Alabama to double-digit victories for the ninth consecutive year. The Crimson Tide enters the College Football Playoff on a 25-game winning streak.

Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

The SEC All-Freshman Team will be announced Thursday.

2016 SEC Football Awards

Offensive Player of the Year
Jalen Hurts, Alabama

Defensive Player of the Year
Jonathan Allen, Alabama

Special Teams Player of the Year
Daniel Carlson, Auburn

Freshman of the Year
Jalen Hurts, Alabama

Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Brooks Ellis, Arkansas

Jacobs Blocking Trophy
Cam Robinson, Alabama

Coach of the Year
Nick Saban, Alabama