Mississippi State football players earn All-SEC honors

MISSISSIPPI STATE ATHLETICS- Mississippi State sophomore offensive tackle Charles Cross was tabbed as a first team selection while sophomore cornerback Emmanuel Forbes garnered second team honors.

Cross protected the blindside for the conference’s leading passer Will Rogers in all 12 games during the regular season. The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder from Laurel, Mississippi received the second-highest blocking grade (86.7) in the SEC by an offensive tackle by Pro Football Focus (PFF) and only allowed two sacks in 919 snaps this season.

Cross was the first Bulldog offensive tackle to be tabbed to the Coaches’ All-SEC first team since Martinas Rankin in 2017. He was also picked as an All-SEC first teamer by PFF, received the Hull Trophy and was a 2020 Freshman All-SEC selection by the coaches. The Hull Trophy is presented annually to the top collegiate offensive lineman in Mississippi.

Forbes finished the regular season leading the team with three interceptions and was tied for fourth with 53 tackles. The 6-foot, 180-pounder from Grenada, Mississippi also added 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, five pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Forbes’ eight career interceptions are tied for the second-most in the SEC and his three career pick-6’s are knotted for the national lead and is the only underclassman among that group. He is the first MSU corner selected as an All-SEC performer by the coaches since Darius Slay in 2012 and was also named a Freshman All-SEC performer by the coaches last season.