Florida Gators cornerback Kaiir Elam is on the Associated Press’ 2021 preseason All-American second team.
Elam is the only Gator on either of the AP’s teams as the program looks to replace its top stars from last year. He will lead a young secondary this season after proving to be reliable during a disastrous year for the unit in 2020.
This is the latest preseason honor for Elam after being named a Walter Camp 2021 preseason All-American and making the watchlists for the Jim Thorpe Award, Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Award. The Gators have never had a Nagurski or Bednarik Award winner and the last Jim Thorpe Award came for Florida in 1996 courtesy of Lawrence Wright. Elam was a semi-finalist for the Thorpe Award last year.
Elam started all 12 games for the Gators last year and finished with 39 tackles (29 solo), two interceptions, one fumble recovery and 11 pass breakups.
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Several SEC players made it on the AP preseason All-American teams. Alabama had six players make it: offensive tackle Evan Neal, linebacker Will Anderson Jr., guard Emil Ekiyor, and receivers John Metchie III and Christian Harris. The Gators face the Crimson Tide on September 18.
The Gators will face LSU on Oct. 16 and see a pair of preseason All-Americans, kicker Cade York and corner Derek Stingley. Georgia, which Florida plays two weeks later, has punter Jake Camarda make the first team and guard Jamaree Salyer join defensive tackle Jordan Davis on the second team.
The only other AP All-American Florida will have to look out for is Kentucky offensive tackle Darian Kinnard, who joins Elam as a sole representative of his school.
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