COLUMBIA, S.C. (December 11, 2024) –University of South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer was selected as the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year and Edge rusher Kyle Kennard was tabbed SEC Defensive Player of the Year, highlighting the post-season award winners as selected by the Associated Press, it was announced today. Kennard and safety Nick Emmanwori earned spots on the AP’s first-team All-SEC unit, while running back Raheim Sanders and defensive tackle T.J. Sanders were named to the second team. Both Kennard and Emmanwori were named first-team All-SEC by the league’s 16 coaches on Tuesday, while Raheim Sanders was a second-team selection by the coaches. Beamer, who is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, put together his best season in 2024. The Gamecocks posted nine regular season wins, something that has been done just five times in school history. Carolina recorded a school-record four wins against ranked opponents, including three in consecutive weeks as part of a season-ending six-game winning streak. Beamer was the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Week following the Gamecocks’ upset win over Texas A&M. The Gamecocks will finish the season with their highest ranking since 2013. Kennard, a 6-5, 254-pound senior from Atlanta, Ga. who was named the Nagurski Trophy winner Monday night, posted 15.5 tackles for loss including 11.5 sacks during the 2024 season. Both marks led the Southeastern Conference, and his sack total ranked sixth in the nation. He was also credited with 10 quarterback hurries and forced three fumbles. Emmanwori, a 6-3, 227-pound junior from Irmo, S.C., led the Gamecocks with 83 tackles, 10th in the SEC this season, including 3.0 tackles for loss. He logged an SEC-leading four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, a 6-0, 230-pound senior from Rockledge, Fla., had a bounce-back season in 2024. A 2022 All-SEC first-team selection, Sanders was sidelined for much of the 2023 campaign. He led the Gamecocks in rushing in 2024, logging 183 carries for 881 yards, an average of 4.8 yards per carry, with 11 touchdowns. He added 27 receptions for 316 yards and two more scores. T.J. Sanders, a 6-4, 290-pound redshirt junior from Marion, S.C., was a stalwart for the Gamecocks on the defensive line. He was credited with 48 tackles including 7.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He logged a half-dozen quarterback hurries and broke up one pass. ___ First team offense QB — Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, 6-2, 225, Sr., Kaysville, Utah u_RB — Dylan Sampson, Tennessee, 5-11, 201, Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana RB — Jarquez Hunter, Auburn, 5-10, 209, Jr., Philadelphia, Mississippi WR — Tre Harris, Ole Miss, 6-3, 210, Sr., Lafayette, Louisiana WR — Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas, 6-4, 202, R-Sr., Dallas, Texas TE — Gunnar Helm, Texas, 6-5, 250, Sr., Englewood, Colorado u-OT — Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, 6-4, 320, Jr., Humble, Texas OT — Will Campbell, LSU, 6-6, 323, Jr., Monroe, Louisiana OG — Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-5, 325, Jr., New Haven, Connecticut OG — Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6, 320, Sr., Rome, Georgia C — Jake Slaughter, Florida, 6-5, 308, R-Jr., Sparr, Florida PK — Alex Raynor, Kentucky, 6-0, 185, Sr., Kennesaw, Georgia All-purpose — Barion Brown, Kentucky, 6-1, 18-2, Nashville, Tennessee. ___  First team defense DE — Kyle Kennard, South Carolina, 6-5, 254, R-Sr., Atlanta DE — Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss, 6-4, 255, Sr., Austin, Texas DT — Walter Nolen, Ole Miss, 6-3, 305, Jr., Powell, Tennessee DT — Alfred Collins, Texas, 6-5, 320, Sr., Bastrop, Texas LB — Anthony Hill Jr., Texas, 6-3, 235, So., Denton, Texas LB — Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, 6-4, 243, Sr., Windermere, Florida LB — Whit Weeks, LSU, 6-2, 228, So., Watkinsville, Georgia u-CB — Jahdae Barron, Texas, 5-11, 200, Sr., Austin, Texas CB — Jermod McCoy, Tennessee, 6-0, 193, So., Whitehouse, Texas S — Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-1, 205, Jr., Jefferson, Georgia S — Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Jr., Irmo, South Carolina P — Jesse Mirko, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 222, grad, Fremantle, Western Australia ___ Second team offense QB — Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt, 6-0, 207, grad, Albuquerque, N.M. RB — Raheim Sanders, South Carolina, 6-0, 230, Sr., Rockledge, Florida RB — Ja’Quinden Jackson, Arkansas, 6-2, 233, R-Sr., Dallas WR — Ryan Williams, Alabama, 6-0, 175, Fr., Mobile, Alabama WR — (tie) KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Auburn, 6-1, 182, Sr., Norfolk, Virginia; Kyren Lacy, LSU, 6-2, 213, R-Sr., Thibodaux, Louisiana TE — Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 235, Grad., Denton, Texas OT — Emery Jones, LSU, 6-6, 315, Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana OT — Armand Membou, Missouri, 6-3, 314, Jr., Lee’s Summitt, Missouri OG — Dylan Fairchild, Georgia, 6-5, 315, R-Jr., Cumming, Georgia OG — Cam’Ron Johnson, Missouri, 6-3, 310, Grad, Houston C — Cooper Mays, Tennessee, 6-4, 310, Sr., Kingston, Tennessee PK — Peyton Woodring, Georgia, 5-10, 185, So., Lafayette, Louisiana All-purpose — Davon Booth, Mississippi State, 5-10, 205, Sr., North Las Vegas, Nevada ___ Second team defense DE — James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, 6-5, 243, Jr., Charlotte, North Carolina DE — (tie) Nic Scourton, Texas A&M 6-4, 285, Jr., Bryan, Texas; Landon Jackson, Arkansas, 6-7, 280, Sr., Texarkana, Texas DT — TJ Sanders, South Carolina, 6-4, 290, Jr., Marion, South Carolina DT — Deone Walker, Kentucky, 6-6, 345, Jr., Detroit, Michigan LB — Jalon Walker, Georgia, 6-2, 245, Jr., Salisbury, North Carolina LB — Jihaad Campbell, Alabama, 6-3, 244, Jr., Erial, New Jersey LB — Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss, 6-1, 235, Jr., Cordele, Georgia CB — Trey Amos, Ole Miss, 6-1, 190, Sr., New Iberia, Louisiana CB — Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky, 6-1, 186, Jr., West Bloomfield, Michigan S — Malachi Moore, Alabama, 6-0, 201, Grad, Trussville, Alabama S — Andrew Mukuba, Texas, 6-0, 190, Sr., Austin, Texas P — Brett Thorson, Georgia, 6-2, 235, Jr., Melbourne, Australia ___ Coach of the Year — Shane Beamer, South Carolina Offensive Player of the Year — Dylan Sampson, Tennessee Defensive Player of the Year — Kyle Kennard, South Carolina Newcomer of the Year — Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt Categories: Local Sports, South Carolina Sports, Sports, USC Gamecocks