Tag: Preseason All-Americans

Florida special teamers named Phil Steele Preseason All-Americans

The Gators have one of the best punting games in the country, and it’s earning some preseason All-American nods.

Florida punter [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag] and long snapper [autotag]Rocco Underwood[/autotag] made the Phil Steele Preseason All-American list, according to the publication on Monday.

Underwood made the third team and Crawshaw was named to the fourth team.

Crawshaw is coming off an AP All-SEC Second Team Selection in 2023, his third as the Gators’ starting punter. He owns the program record of 46.7 average yards per punt in a career, through a minimum of 90 punts.

He also set the single-season program record with 48.9 average yards over his 42 attempts last year. Over 131 career punt attempts, Crawshaw has placed 51 inside the 20-yard line and booted 55 beyond 50 yards. Pro Football Focus ranked him 12th among punters last season with an 80.4 rating.

Underwood has been Florida’s primary long snapper for the past two seasons, although he made his debut in 2021 against UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl before redshirting.

He played over 100 snaps last year, earning a career-low 49.7 rating from PFF as a special teamer, but he was elite in 2022 at 74.9. The team presented him with one of eight Unsung Hero Awards at the end of the season banquet.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Two Gators named Preseason All-Americans by D1Baseball

Two Florida Gators made it onto D1Baseball’s 2024 Preseason All-America teams, two-way star Jac Caglianone and closer Brandon Neely.

Florida baseball two-way star Jac Caglianone and right-handed pitcher Brandon Neely were named preseason All-Americans by D1Baseball on Monday.

Caglianone landed on the First Team as a utility player since he hits and pitches. The left-handed slugger set the BBCOR-era record for home runs with 33 in 2023 and drove in 90 runs. He’ll be at the heart of Florida’s lineup every night and start games on the mound for the Gators on Sundays this year.

Neely, who is returning as the Gators’ closer this year, lands on the Second Team. He notched 13 saves in 2023, the most among all preseason All-Americans. Neely appeared 34 times for Florida last year, making him one of the more high-usage closers in the country. Not to mention, he routinely came out for multi-inning saves.

The Gators begin the season at home on Friday, February 16 against the St. John’s Red Storm. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET at Condron Family Ballpark.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Two LSU baseball players receive Preseason All-American honors from Perfect Game

LSU lost some key pieces, but the cupboard is far from bare entering 2024.

Two LSU baseball players have been named to the Preseason All-American Team by Perfect Game. Both of them are juniors and both of them are transfers.

Third baseman [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] and starting pitcher [autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag] are the two Tigers that have earned preseason All-American honors from Perfect Game.

Tommy Tanks transferred to LSU after breaking the single-season home run record as a Freshman at NC State. Last season, White had a .374 batting average with 24 doubles, 24 homers and 105 RBI. He was the cleanup hitter in a lineup that was one of the most productive lineups in the country.

Holman transferred to the bayou after spending two years at Alabama. Last season, Holman was the Ace pitcher for the Crimson Tide. He finished the season with a 7-4 record and a 3.67 ERA in 81 innings.

If the Tigers want to defend their national championship, these two guys will play a pivotal role in the team’s success.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

LSU women’s basketball’s Angel Reese named to Preseason AP All-America Team

Angel Reese was a unanimous First Team All-American last season.

The Associated Press has announced the preseason All-American team heading into the 2023-24 season, and it should come as no surprise that star LSU forward [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] made the list.

Reese was a unanimous First Team All-American last season, earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors while leading the Tigers to their first national title in program history.

Reese, who joined the team last offseason as a transfer from Maryland, emerged as one of the best players in the entire country. She led the SEC in both points and rebounds, and her 34 double-doubles on the season (including 23 consecutive to begin the season) marked an NCAA record.

LSU enters the season as the No. 1 team in both polls, and Reese is a major reason why coach Kim Mulkey’s team is the favorite to repeat.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Golfweek’s 2023-24 preseason men’s college golf All-Americans

Here’s a look at the Golfweek’s 2023-24 preseason men’s college golf All-Americans. 

The 2023-24 college golf season is upon us, which has our minds looking ahead to the postseason awards.

Sure, the summer just ended, but it’s never too early to look ahead.

Highlighting Golfweek’s 2023-24 preseason men’s college golf All-Americans is no other than Nick Dunlap, the sophomore at Alabama who lit the amateur golf scene on fire this summer with his numerous victories, none bigger than his triumph in the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club outside of Denver. Dunlap earned second-team All-America honors last season, where he had one win at the Linger Longer Invitational and posted the second-lowest single-season stroke average in school history at 70.35.

Here’s a look at the Golfweek’s 2023-24 preseason men’s college golf All-Americans.

Golfweek’s 2023-24 preseason women’s college golf All-Americans

Here’s a look at the Golfweek’s 2023-24 preseason women’s college golf All-Americans. 

The 2023-24 college golf season is upon us, which has our minds looking ahead to the postseason awards.

Sure, the summer just ended, but it’s never too early to look ahead.

Highlighting Golfweek’s 2023-24 preseason women’s college golf All-Americans is Megan Schofill, the graduate student from Auburn who captured the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. Runner-up twice at the SEC Championship during her career, Schofill finally got over the hump in the City of Angels, capturing the signature win of her career. Last season, Schofill was a second-team All-America selection.

Here’s a look at the Golfweek’s 2023-24 preseason women’s college golf All-Americans.

3 LSU players named AP Preseason All-Americans

Harold Perkins, Malik Nabers and Mekhi Wingo were all honored by the Associated Press.

LSU enters 2023 with a loaded roster. This team is the preseason No. 5 team for a reason, and the Tigers are generating real College Football Playoff hype.

While there are certainly some new faces from recruiting and the transfer portal who will make a big impact this fall, especially on defense, coach Brian Kelly’s team also returns much of its core from last year’s 10-4, SEC West-winning campaign.

Three of those returning players were named preseason All-Americans by the Associated Press. Linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] is featured on the First Team, while receiver [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and defensive tackle [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] appear on the Second Team.

Perkins is coming off a huge freshman season in 2022. He appeared in every game, making eight starts and leading the team in tackles for loss (13) and sacks (7.5). Those marks also ranked second and third in the SEC, respectively.

He primarily worked off the edge last fall, but he’ll see more responsibility as he moves to an inside linebacker role this season.

Nabers, meanwhile, is coming off a 1,000-yard sophomore season, finishing second in the SEC in receiving yards and leading the league in receptions. He was quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]’ top target last fall and should have a huge season if healthy in 2023.

Wingo was not even expected to make a major impact in 2022 as a transfer from Missouri, but he was thrust into the starting lineup after an injury to [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] on the first series of the season.

He ultimately earned All-SEC honors and will now be paired up with Smith as part of a talented interior to LSU’s defensive line.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Four Tigers land on Baseball America’s All-America teams

The Tigers’ roster is absolutely loaded in 2023.

The accolades continue to roll in for LSU baseball. This time, they come by way of Baseball America, which released its Preseason All-America teams this week with four Tigers making the list.

[autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] all made the First-Team while [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] made the Second-Team.

Crews and Morgan are two superstars for LSU that have been with the Tigers for a while. Both of them represented LSU on Team USA last year. Crews, a centerfielder who is projected as the No. 1 player in the 2023 MLB Draft, is the best college baseball player in the country, regardless of position.

Morgan is a wizard with his glove at first base.

White and Skenes are both transfers. White came to LSU from NC State where he broke the school record for most home runs in one season by a freshman. Skenes came to LSU from Air Force where he was a star on the mound and at the plate.

LSU starts the season on Feb. 17 at home against Western Michigan.

[mm-video type=video id=01g95xyvaaf7sc2r8wz2 playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g95xyvaaf7sc2r8wz2/01g95xyvaaf7sc2r8wz2-ef51b5048ea298e9e80d8f945de30f85.jpg]

[listicle id=63429]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

3 Tigers make D1Baseball’s preseason All-American team

Dylan Crews, Tommy White and Paul Skenes were all First Team selections.

D1Baseball.com recently released its preseason All-American teams and three LSU Tigers made it on the First Team: [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag].

Crews, regarded as the best player in college baseball, is listed as a First Team outfielder. Last season, Crews finished with a .349 batting average with 22 homers and 72 RBI. Crews is projected as the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft, but he has some unfinished business on the Bayou as he is trying to bring a championship back to LSU.

Now, for the new kids on the block. White is a star transfer from NC State. He is listed as a First Team All-American as a designated hitter. Last season, White finished with a .362 batting average with 27 homers and 74 RBI. White broke the NC State record for most homers in a single season by a freshman.

Skenes is listed as a utility player, that’s because Skenes is an anomaly. He can hit as well as pitch. Skenes was 10-3 as a starting pitcher with a 2.73 ERA and has a .312 batting average with 13 homers and 38 RBI.

The future looks bright on the Bayou for coach Jay Johnson and the Tigers. The season gets underway on Feb. 17 at Alex Box stadium vs.. Western Michigan.

[mm-video type=video id=01gr2wm3bjz1tzmp08th playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gr2wm3bjz1tzmp08th/01gr2wm3bjz1tzmp08th-94ecac2c303bf0527e447a0c1ca9e9f6.jpg]

[listicle id=63429]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Harold Perkins named a way-too-early preseason All-American for 2023 by ESPN

Perkins could be set to have a dominant season in 2023.

There were plenty of pleasant surprises for LSU during a 10-win run in 2022 that came out of nowhere, but perhaps nothing was more impressive than the play of true freshman linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag].

A top-five prospect coming out of high school, the former five-star was expected to develop into an elite player. But no one expected he would have the impact he did as a freshman.

He was LSU’s most disruptive edge defender, leading the team in sacks and tackles for loss, and his versatility allowed him to be used at the edge and off the ball — where he likely projects next season. For his efforts, he’s been named an early preseason All-American by ESPN’s Chris Low heading into 2023.

As one of the nation’s top freshman defenders a year ago, the 6-2, 220-pound Perkins will be an even better version of himself in 2023. He can make plays sideline to sideline, and with a year’s worth of experience in the SEC and a whole year in the offseason strength and conditioning program, he’s braced to become one of the most feared pass-rushers in college football. Perkins led LSU in tackles for loss (13), sacks (7.5), quarterback hurries (14) and forced fumbles (4).

Perkins was raw this season, but if he can develop a wider skill set, he has all the tools to be one of the most dominant players in college football. That could be the case as soon as this fall.

[mm-video type=video id=01gq6ggxfx33kgp0546z playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gq6ggxfx33kgp0546z/01gq6ggxfx33kgp0546z-d2aead9a153e0cba3aea759fc65febc0.jpg]

[listicle id=63659]

[listicle id=63787]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno