Photo: Regina Rickert
Dupree, MacGinnis Tabbed First-Team All-SEC by League Coaches
Bud Dupree and Austin MacGinnis named first-team All-SEC by league coaches
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Another day, another set of honors for University of Kentucky senior defensive end Bud Dupree and redshirt freshman kicker Austin MacGinnis, who have been named first-team All-Southeastern Conference selections by league coaches, it was announced Tuesday.
Dupree was named a first-team defensive lineman, joining Missouri’s Shane Ray, Mississippi State’s Preston Smith and Florida’s Dante Fowler on the 11-member defense. MacGinnis was the lone placekicker on the first team and one of three specialists, along with Alabama punter JK Scott and Missouri return specialist Marcus Murphy.
The UK stars are the first to earn All-SEC first-team nods from league coaches since linebacker Danny Trevathan accomplished the task in 2010. Dupree is the first UK defensive lineman to earn the honor since Corey Peters in 2009, while MacGinnis is the first UK kicker to ever earn the honor from league coaches. Kentucky’s two first-team selections is its most since Trevathan and Randall Cobb earned the honors in 2010.
Both Dupree and MacGinnis were also named first-team All-SEC on Monday by The Associated Press.
A native of Irwinton, Ga., Dupree led all SEC defensive linemen with 74 total tackles. He led the Wildcats with 12.5 tackles for loss, including 7.5 quarterback sacks, ranking among the SEC leaders in both categories. Dupree was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after intercepting a pass and returning it for the game-winning touchdown vs. South Carolina and was chosen National Defensive Lineman of the Week and SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week following the season finale at Louisville.
Dupree completed a decorated career in 2014. A projected first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by ESPN, CBSsports.com, Scout.com and Yahoo.com, Dupree charted the second-most sacks in UK career history (23.5), the most among current SEC players. He finished his career with 247 tackles, 38 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and five passes defended. Dupree, who has accepted an offer to play in the 2015 Senior Bowl, was named second-team All-SEC as a junior by the AP and Phil Steele’s College Football.
A native of Wedowee, Ala., MacGinnis set five school records in his collegiate debut season, totaling 21 field goals, the most in Kentucky history. He had the most field goals in the SEC this season, also leading all NCAA freshmen. MacGinnis finished with a school-record 104 points – equaling the SEC lead – and is one of only five kickers in the nation with three field goals of 50+ yards.
MacGinnis, who made a UK record 41 extra-point tries without a miss in 2014, set another school mark with the longest field goal in school history, a 54-yard boot at Tennessee. MacGinnis, who earned national placekicker of the week from the College Football Performance Awards after making four field goals at No. 22 Louisville, also set a school record with 25 touchbacks on kickoffs in 2014.
For more on the Kentucky football team, follow @UKFootball or @UKCoachStoops on Twitter, or like Kentucky Football on Facebook.
All-SEC First Team – Offense
TE – Evan Engram, Ole Miss
OL – Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M; La’el Collins, LSU; Arie Kouandjio, Alabama; A.J. Cann, South Carolina
C – Reese Dismukes, Auburn
WR – Amari Cooper, Alabama; Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina
QB – Dak Prescott, Mississippi State
RB – Nick Chubb, Georgia; Cameron Artis-Payne, Auburn
AP – Marcus Murphy, Missouri
All-SEC First Team – Defense
DL – Shane Ray, Missouri; Preston Smith, Miss. State; Dante Fowler, Florida; Bud Dupree, Kentucky
LB – Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State; Martrell Spaight, Arkansas; Trey DePriest, Arkansas
DB – Landon Collins, Alabama; Senquez Golson, Ole Miss; Vernon Hargreaves, Florida; Cody Prewitt, Ole Miss
All-SEC First Team – Special Teams
PK – Austin MacGinnis, Kentucky
P – JK Scott, Alabama
RS – Marcus Murphy, Missouri
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