Junior Cameron Dantzler earned his second preseason All-American honor with a fourth-team spot from Phil Steele.
Dantzler Tabbed Preseason All-American by Phil Steele; Six Named Preseason All-SEC
June 24, 2019 | Football
by Taylor Shirey, Assistant Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – One of the top returning cornerbacks in the Southeastern Conference, junior Cameron Dantzler collected preseason All-America honors from Phil Steele and highlighted a group of six Mississippi State Bulldogs tabbed to the publication's All-SEC Team.
Dantzler earned fourth-team honors from Phil Steele after being named to Lindy's Sports Preseason All-America Second Team earlier this month.
Below is the complete list of Bulldogs who were named to Phil Steele's Preseason All-SEC Teams:
Arguably the top returning SEC cornerback, Dantzler ranked second in the conference last season among corners with a 41.1 passer rating allowed, according to Pro Football Focus, and was one of only four SEC cornerbacks that did not allow a touchdown (min. 345 coverage snaps played). The Louisiana product also had a pair of interceptions and led the Bulldogs in passes defended (11).
One of the top offensive linemen in the nation, Williams was named offensive team captain following the spring game and moved from left guard to center during spring drills to replace second-round draft pick and All-American Elgton Jenkins. The Bessemer, Alabama, native allowed only one sack, three QB hits, and five hurries for just nine total pressures in 2018, according to PFF. He was the No. 5 overall graded guard in the SEC by PFF last season (71.1) and had the No. 5 best pass blocking grade (82.9).
Hill rushed for 734 yards and four touchdowns on 117 attempts last season. The elusive, bruising running back started all 11 games he played in, and his top performance came in a road win at Kansas State, where he ran for 211 yards and accounted for three scores. Hill also produced 100-yard rushing games in wins against No. 8 Auburn (126) and Ole Miss (108) and finished with a 116.1 elusive rating, per PFF, which ranked fourth in the conference among running backs.
Rivers played in all 13 games in 2018 and had impressive numbers on one of the best defensive lines in college football. He made 24 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two and 2.5 sacks. The Stone Mountain, Georgia, native recorded an impressive 19 pressures across 339 snaps played, according to PFF.
Thompson, State's defensive team captain for the upcoming season, was a leader on the top defense in the nation and a second-team All-SEC selection last year. He totaled 87 tackles and was the only SEC linebacker with at least 85 tackles and multiple interceptions in 2018. The Florence, Alabama, native was in a class of his own in coverage among SEC linebackers last season with a 56.2 passer rating allowed, according to PFF (min. 200 coverage snaps), and he tied for third in total pressures (19).
Using his lightning speed to wreak havoc in coverage, Gay played in all 13 games as a sophomore and earned a starting role midway through the season. The Starkville product collected 48 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and a fumble recovery. Targeted 20 times, Gay reeled in two interceptions and forced a pass breakup. He allowed just 5.3 yards per reception, earning a 90.6 coverage grade from PFF.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU football on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB."
STARKVILLE – One of the top returning cornerbacks in the Southeastern Conference, junior Cameron Dantzler collected preseason All-America honors from Phil Steele and highlighted a group of six Mississippi State Bulldogs tabbed to the publication's All-SEC Team.
Dantzler earned fourth-team honors from Phil Steele after being named to Lindy's Sports Preseason All-America Second Team earlier this month.
Below is the complete list of Bulldogs who were named to Phil Steele's Preseason All-SEC Teams:
- Cameron Dantzler (Second-Team Defense)
- Darryl Williams (Second-Team Offense)
- Kylin Hill (Third-Team Offense)
- Chauncey Rivers (Third-Team Defense)
- Erroll Thompson (Third-Team Defense)
- Willie Gay Jr. (Third-Team Defense)
Arguably the top returning SEC cornerback, Dantzler ranked second in the conference last season among corners with a 41.1 passer rating allowed, according to Pro Football Focus, and was one of only four SEC cornerbacks that did not allow a touchdown (min. 345 coverage snaps played). The Louisiana product also had a pair of interceptions and led the Bulldogs in passes defended (11).
One of the top offensive linemen in the nation, Williams was named offensive team captain following the spring game and moved from left guard to center during spring drills to replace second-round draft pick and All-American Elgton Jenkins. The Bessemer, Alabama, native allowed only one sack, three QB hits, and five hurries for just nine total pressures in 2018, according to PFF. He was the No. 5 overall graded guard in the SEC by PFF last season (71.1) and had the No. 5 best pass blocking grade (82.9).
Hill rushed for 734 yards and four touchdowns on 117 attempts last season. The elusive, bruising running back started all 11 games he played in, and his top performance came in a road win at Kansas State, where he ran for 211 yards and accounted for three scores. Hill also produced 100-yard rushing games in wins against No. 8 Auburn (126) and Ole Miss (108) and finished with a 116.1 elusive rating, per PFF, which ranked fourth in the conference among running backs.
Rivers played in all 13 games in 2018 and had impressive numbers on one of the best defensive lines in college football. He made 24 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two and 2.5 sacks. The Stone Mountain, Georgia, native recorded an impressive 19 pressures across 339 snaps played, according to PFF.
Thompson, State's defensive team captain for the upcoming season, was a leader on the top defense in the nation and a second-team All-SEC selection last year. He totaled 87 tackles and was the only SEC linebacker with at least 85 tackles and multiple interceptions in 2018. The Florence, Alabama, native was in a class of his own in coverage among SEC linebackers last season with a 56.2 passer rating allowed, according to PFF (min. 200 coverage snaps), and he tied for third in total pressures (19).
Using his lightning speed to wreak havoc in coverage, Gay played in all 13 games as a sophomore and earned a starting role midway through the season. The Starkville product collected 48 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and a fumble recovery. Targeted 20 times, Gay reeled in two interceptions and forced a pass breakup. He allowed just 5.3 yards per reception, earning a 90.6 coverage grade from PFF.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU football on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB."
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