4 Hogs 1 st-team All-SEC

Ten selected on preseason teams

— Arkansas’ offensive skill talent should rival the best in the nation this season based on preseason All-SEC voting by the league’s coaches.

Quarterback Tyler Wilson, tailback Knile Davis and receiver Cobi Hamilton were named to the preseason All-SEC first team released Thursday, while kick returner Dennis Johnson was selected as the firstteam allpurpose player. Six other Razorbacks were included on the three-team list.

Arkansas’ 10 members on the All-SEC teams were only behind the 11 for Alabama and LSU, the Hogs’ SEC West rivals who played for the BCS national championship last season.

Second-team selections for the Razorbacks were tight end Chris Gragg, guard Alvin Bailey and linebacker Alonzo Highsmith. Center Travis Swanson, punter Dylan Breeding and kicker Zach Hocker were thirdteam selections.

Arkansas players have dotted the preseason watch lists for college football’s major awards, with Bailey and Swanson making the Outland Trophy watch list, given to the nation’s top interior lineman, that also was released Thursday.

Bailey and Swanson, both juniors, have started all 26 games of their college careers and provided blocking for two 3,000-yard passers in Ryan Mallett and Wilson the past two seasons. The interior veterans on the offensive line also helped pave the way for Davis’ 1,322-yard rushing season in 2010.

The Arkansas offense broke or tied 16 single-game or single-season records in 2011.

Wilson, last year’s firstteam All-SEC choice at quarterback, passed for an SEChigh 3,638 yards and threw 24 touchdowns.

Davis, a 2010 All-SEC pick, also rushed for 13 touchdowns in 2010 but missed last season with a broken ankle. Hamilton caught a career-best 34 passes for 542 yards and 4 touchdowns last season.

Davis, Hamilton and Wilson were included on the watch list earlier this week for the Maxwell Award, which is given to college football’s most outstanding player.

Johnson is the SEC leader among active players with 2,475 kickoff return yards, which also makes him the Arkansas record holder, and he is tied for fourth in the SEC with three career touchdowns on kickoff returns.

Gragg is the Hogs’ leading returning receiver with a career-high 41 receptions for 518 yards. The senior from Warren was named to the watch list for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end, this week.

Highsmith, who is coming off surgery for a partially torn tendon in his pectoral muscle, is the Hogs’ leading returning tackler with 80 tackles, including 4 1/2 sacks.

Hocker, who made the Lou Groza Award watch list this week, broke the Arkansas scoring record for kickers with 118 points last season. The Lou Groza Award is given to the nation’s top kicker.

Breeding led the SEC in punting average last season with an average of 45.3 yards per punt. He made the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the top punter, this week.

Sports, Pages 19 on 07/13/2012

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