Gamecocks picked to finish fourth in SEC East; Kinlaw, Edwards honored

The South Carolina Gamecocks have been picked by the conference media to finish fourth in the SEC’s Eastern division.

The poll, released Friday afternoon, has defending champion Georgia atop the East. Following the Dawgs are Florida, Missouri, the Gamecocks, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt.

On the Western side of things, Alabama (of course) leads the pack, trailed by LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Arkansas.

The media overwhelmingly chose the Crimson Tide to repeat as SEC champions.

South Carolina also landed two players on the preseason All-SEC lists. Senior defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw earned a spot on the second team, while senior wide receiver Bryan Edwards grabbed a third-team nod.

Kinlaw, who made the Bednarik Award watch list earlier this week for the nation’s best defensive player, has racked up 58 tackles, 12 for loss and including 4.5 sacks, across his two seasons for the Gamecocks. He’s also notched three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and blocked two field goals.

Edwards, who is on the Biletnikoff Award watch list for the best wide receiver in the country, is poised to make an assault on South Carolina’s record books this season. He currently stands fifth in receptions (163), sixth in receiving yards (2,229) and is tied for ninth in receiving touchdowns (16).