By Southern Pigskin Staff
SouthernPigskin.com

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The Mid-Season All-Southern Pigskin Team, consisting of players from the ACC, SEC and Sun Belt.

The best players from the Southern Pigskin.com FBS coverage area: ACC, SEC, Sun Belt

Mid-Season All-Southern Pigskin: Offense
QB: Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina — The single-season record for passer rating, held by Mac Jones, is 203.06; leading the nation in completion percentage (79.8%), yards per attempt (13.6) and passer rating, McCall is currently at 234.28.

RB: Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky — Rodriguez has at least 99 rushing yards in each of the Wildcats’ five FBS games, ranks in the national top five in rushing yards and is averaging 6.4 yards per carry in leading Kentucky to a historic start.

RB: Mataeo Durant, Duke — Tied for second nationally with 131.83 rushing yards per game, Durant opened the season with 255 yards and three touchdowns. He already has nine scores and has at least 100 yards in four straight outings.

WR: Kayshon Boutte, LSU — Unfortunately out for the remainder of the season due to a leg injury, Boutte, who opened the season with three scores at UCLA, is tied for the national lead with nine touchdown receptions.

WR: Josh Downs, North Carolina — Downs is tied for third in the country with 741 receiving yards and has scored in every game this season. He topped the 200-yard mark with two touchdowns against Virginia.

WR: Jordan Addison, Pittsburgh — Addison, who has at least five catches in each game this season, is tied for the national lead with nine touchdown receptions and is averaging over 18 yards per catch.

TE: Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina — Likely’s last game was a historic one: eight receptions, for 232 yards and four touchdowns, a 99-yard catch included. He now has 13 catches for 327 yards and six scores in his past two contests.

OT: Ikem Ekwonu, NC State — Already a two-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week this season, Ekwonu has continued his excellent play from last year. He helped set a physical tone in the Wolfpack’s win over Clemson.

OG: Luke Fortner, Kentucky — Offensive line play has been the foundation for much of the Wildcats’ rise and Fortner, a two-time SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, has had a heralded start along the offensive front.

C: Kingsley Eguakun, Florida — Eguakun has starred in the trenches as the Gators lead the Power Five with 273.67 rushing yards per game and rank tied for fourth nationally with just three total sacks allowed.

OG: Zion Johnson, Boston College — A versatile, veteran anchor for the Eagles who has played both guard and tackle during his career, Johnson has helped Boston College rank third in the ACC with 35.6 points per game.

OT: Evan Neal, Alabama — The Crimson Tide continue to put up impressive numbers offensively, with Bryce Young arguably being the Heisman Trophy favorite. Neal, literally and physically, at 6’7”, 350, is a big reason why.

Mid-Season All-Southern Pigskin: Defense
DE: Jermaine Johnson, Florida State — A Georgia-transfer, Johnson is tied for second in all of college football with 6.5 sacks, adding four more quarterback hurries, in remaking the pass-rush for the Seminoles.

DL: Jordan Davis, Georgia — The most-dominant force in the game is the 6’6”, 340-pound Davis. He is the starting point for a group that ranks number one in the country in scoring defense, total defense, pass defense and redzone defense.

DL: Jalen Carter, Georgia — Part of an absolutely overwhelming front seven for the Bulldogs, Carter even switched to fullback against Arkansas and promptly blocked three Razorbacks on a touchdown run.

BAN: Javon Solomon, Troy — Solomon has consistently been all over the field this season, leading the nation and a great group of linebackers for the Trojans with 12 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and an interception.

EDGE: Will Anderson, Alabama — After seven sacks as a true freshman, Anderson has only offered more of the same for an encore, already with eleven tackles for loss, three sacks and four quarterback hurries.

LB: Nakobe Dean, Georgia — The next great linebacker for the Bulldogs, Dean, with 3.5 sacks and an interception, can do-it-all. His relentless sideline-to-sideline play is part of what makes Georgia so effective.

LB: Damone Clark, LSU — Clark ranks second in all of college football and tops the Power Five with 68 total tackles, including four tackles for loss. The steady senior defender also leads the P5 with 42 solo stops.

CB: Jermaine Waller, Virginia Tech — No player in the country has more interceptions than the now-healthy Waller, with four. He dramatically returned his latest pick back for a touchdown against Notre Dame.

CB: Andrew Booth, Clemson — In addition to being a number one cover corner for one of the best defenses in college football, Booth may also be the best open-field tackling cornerback in the country.

CB: Derion Kendrick, Georgia — The Clemson-transfer has made a major impact right away in Athens. There simply have not been many passes thrown Kendrick’s way, helping the Bulldogs lead the nation in pass defense.

S: Jalen Catalon, Arkansas — College football is learning more about both the Razorbacks and Catalon, who had two interceptions in the season-opening win over. He also has 46 total tackles, four pass deflections.

S: Jaylan Foster, South Carolina — A former walk-on, Foster has become a leading name for the Gamecocks. He had two interceptions against Georgia and is tied for the Power Five lead amongst defensive backs with 52 tackles.

Mid-Season All-Southern Pigskin: Special Teams
K: Nick Sciba, Wake Forest — Simply put, Sciba is one of the best kickers in college football history. He has made an NCAA record 34 consecutive field goals and has made 90.1% of his overall attempts, also an FBS record.

P: Nik Constantinou, Texas A&M — Constantinou is averaging over 47.2 yards per punt, which leads the SEC. Even more impressively, he has downed 13 kicks inside the 20-yard line, giving the Aggies a field position boost.

KR: Jameson Williams, Alabama — In addition to being one of the best receivers in the country, Williams already has two kickoff returns for touchdown, both against Southern Miss, and is averaging 41.67 yards per attempt.

PR: Tavion Robinson, Virginia Tech — Robinson, also a productive receiver for the Hokies, has an ACC-best 150 punt return yards and returned a punt back 60 yards for a touchdown against Richmond.

AP: Sean Tucker, Syracuse — Tucker leads all of college football with 995 all-purpose yards and 165.8 yards per game. In addition to compiling nearly 800 rushing yards, Tucker has over 200 yards receiving.

Mid-Season Southern Pigskin Superlatives
Offensive Player of the Year — Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year — Jordan Davis, Georgia
Coach of the Year — Mark Stoops, Kentucky