Mizzou’s Drew Lock chosen first-team all-SEC quarterback
The rewards and distinctions continue to add up for Drew Lock, Missouri’s junior quarterback from Lee’s Summit.
On Monday, the Associated Press announced Lock as its 2017 first team All-Southeastern Conference quarterback. It was the first time Lock made the AP’s All-SEC team. The three-year starter did not even make the conference’s all-freshman team when he took over for Maty Mauk in 2015.
Three other Tigers made the second team: senior wideout J’Mon Moore, senior defensive end Marcell Frazier and true freshman tight end Albert Okwuegbunam.
Okwuegbunam leads Missouri with 11 touchdown catches, including two in the Tigers’ most recent game against Arkansas. Those two pushed him past Jeremy Maclin’s freshman program record of nine, and they also helped Lock break the program (39) and SEC (40) record for single-season touchdown passes. Lock leads the country with 43 touchdown passes, and he has thrown for 3,695 yards. He is also second in the nation in yards per completion with 16.5.
All of that has made him a possible candidate to leave school a year early for the NFL.
“He’s thrown more touchdown passes than anyone in the history of the SEC unless I’m wrong,” coach Barry Odom said after that win over Arkansas. “It’s kind of a big deal. I’m really glad he’s our quarterback.”
Mizzou’s coaches have said Lock is playing the best football of his career. During the Tigers’ six-game winning streak, he has thrown 26 touchdowns to just five interceptions.
Prior to Lock, Missouri had never had a quarterback on the AP’s All-SEC teams since joining the conference in 2012.
“If I was an NFL GM, if I was an NFL coach, the two guys I would want to coach are Sam Darnold and Drew Lock,” former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer told The Star about Lock and Darnold, Southern California’s sophomore quarterback.
Dilfer worked with Lock as an instructor when the quarterback was in high school and attended the prestigious Elite 11 camp: “They’re going to love his talent,” he said.
Four players are the most Mizzou has had on an AP All-SEC team since 2014, the last time the Tigers’ went to the SEC championship game.
This is the second consecutive year Moore has earned second-team honors. He has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the second consecutive year and has also caught 10 touchdowns this season.
The Tigers’ defense has struggled this year, but Frazier, a senior from Portland, Ore., who came to Missouri as a junior-college transfer, is tied for the conference lead in tackles for loss with 13 1/2 , including seven sacks.
Missouri will play the Texas Longhorns in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 in Houston.
Aaron Reiss: 816-234-4042, @aaronjreiss
2017 Associated Press All-SEC football team
Offensive player of the year: Kerryon Johnson, Auburn
Defensive player of the year: Roquan Smith, Georgia
Coach of the year: Kirby Smart, Georgia
Newcomers of the year: Jake Fromm, Georgia, and Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
First-team offense
WR – A.J. Brown, Ole Miss, 6-1, 225, So.
WR – Calvin Ridley, Alabama, 6-1, 190. Jr.
T – Jonah Williams, Alabama, 6-5, 301, So.
T – Isaiah Wynn, Georgia, 6-2, 302, Sr.
G – Braden Smith, Auburn, 6-6, 303, Sr.
G – Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama, 6-4, 303, Jr.
C – Bradley Bozeman, Alabama, 6-5, 314, Sr.
C – Will Clapp, LSU, 6-5, 309, Jr.
TE – Hayden Hurst, South Carolina, 6-5, 250, Jr.
QB – Drew Lock, Missouri, 6-4, 225, Jr.
RB – Kerryon Johnson, Auburn, 6-0, 212, Jr.
RB – Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky, 5-11, 223, So.
PK – Daniel Carlson, Auburn, 6-4, 223, Sr.
All-Purpose – Christian Kirk, Texas A&M, 5-11, 200, Jr.
First-team defense
DE – Jeff Holland, Auburn, 6-2, 249, Jr.
DE – Montez Sweat, Mississippi State, 6-6, 241, Jr.
DT – Da’Ron Payne, Alabama, 6-2, 308, Jr.
DT – Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State, 6-4, 307, So.
LB – Roquan Smith, Georgia, 6-1, 225, Jr.
LB – Devin White, LSU, 6-1, 255, So.
LB – Rashaan Evans, Alabama, 6-3, 234, Sr.
LB – Arden Key, LSU, 6-6, 255, Jr.
CB – Andraez Williams, LSU, 6-2, 175, Fr.
CB – Armani Watts, Texas A&M, 5-11, 200, Sr.
S – Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama, 6-1, 202, Jr.
S – Ronnie Harrison, Alabama, 6-3, 214, Jr.
P – Johnny Townsend, Florida, 6-1, 211, Sr.
Second-team offense
WR – J’Mon Moore, Missouri, 6-3, 205, Sr.
WR – Christian Kirk, Texas A&M, 5-11, 200, Jr.
T – Martinas Rankin, Mississippi State, 6-5, 305, Sr.
T – Martez Ivey, Florida, 6-5, 305, Jr.
G – Trey Smith, Tennessee, 6-6, 320, Fr.
G – Greg Little, Ole Miss, 6-6, 325, So.
C – Frank Ragnow, Arkansas, 6-5, 317, Sr.
TE – Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri, 6-5, 260, Fr.
QB – Jarrett Stidham, Auburn, 6-3, 214, So.
RB – Nick Chubb, Georgia, 5-10, 225, Sr.
RB – Derrius Guice, LSU, 5-11, 212, Jr.
PK – Eddy Pineiro, Florida, 6-0, 173, Jr.
All-Purpose – Mecole Hardman, Georgia, 5-11, 183, So.
All-Purpose – D.J. Chark, LSU, 6-3, 187, Sr.
Second-team defense
DE – Marcell Frazier, Missouri, 6-5, 265, Sr.
DE – Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss, 6-3, 230, Sr.
DE – Dante Sawyer, South Carolina, 6-3, 275, Sr.
DT – Taven Bryan, Florida,
DT – Raekwon Davis, Alabama, 6-7, 306, So.
DT – Breeland Speaks, Ole Miss, 6-3, 285, Jr.
LB – Josh Allen, Kentucky, 6-5, 230, Jr.
LB – Lorenzo Carter, Georgia, 6-6, 243, Sr.
LB – De’Jon Harris, Arkansas, 6-0, 242, So.
LB – Skai Moore, South Carolina, 6-2 218, Sr.
LB – Charles Wright, Vanderbilt, 6-3, 240, Jr.
CB – Duke Dawson, Florida, 5-10, 208, Sr.
CB – Levi Wallace, Alabama, 6-0, 183, Sr.
CB – Carlton Davis, Auburn, 6-1, 203, Jr.
CB – CJ Henderson, Florida, 6-1, 182, Fr.
S – J.R. Reed, Georgia, 6-1, 194, So.
P – JK Scott, Alabama, 6-6, 204, Sr.
This story was originally published December 4, 2017 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Mizzou’s Drew Lock chosen first-team all-SEC quarterback."