ATHENS, Ga. — A number of Georgia football players have earned Phil Steele All-America and All-Southeastern Conference honors while another has been included as a semifinalist for the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year Award.

 

Georgia graduate safety J.R. Reed (Frisco, Texas) and junior left tackle Andrew Thomas (Lithonia, Ga.) have both been named to the Phil Steele All-America First Team while junior tailback D’Andre Swift (Philadelphia, Pa.) and graduate place-kicker Rodrigo Blankenship (Marietta, Ga.) were included as Third Team All-Americans.  In addition, redshirt sophomore tackle Isaiah Wilson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was on the All-America Fourth Team.

 

Phil Steele also included eight Bulldogs on his All-SEC teams.  Swift, Thomas, Reed and Blankenship were named to the First Team; Wilson and senior defensive lineman Tyler Clark (Americus, Ga.) were named to the Second Team; and sophomore center Trey Hill (Warner Robins, Ga.) and junior inside linebacker Monty Rice (Huntsville, Ala.) were named to the Third Team.

 

The FWAA also announced its seven semifinalists for the Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year Award, which recognizes the most outstanding freshman player in the FBS ranks.  Redshirt freshman outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari (Marietta, Ga.) was included on the list after tallying a team-high 4.5 sacks for a Bulldog defense that is ranked in the top five nationally in several categories.

 

Bulldog All-America Honors

Junior LT Andrew Thomas – *Associated Press (AP), *Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), *AFCA Coaches, *Sporting News, *Phil Steele, *Sports Illustrated, *Walter Camp, *CBS Sports, *ESPN, *Bleacher Report, ^USA Today, ^Pro Football Focus (PFF)

Graduate PK Rodrigo Blankenship – *USA Today, *AFCA Coaches, *Sports Illustrated, *Walter Camp, *Bleacher Report, *Pro Football Focus (PFF), ^Sporting News, ^Associated Press (AP)

Graduate S J.R. Reed – *Associated Press (AP), *Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), *Phil Steele, *Walter Camp, ^Sporting News, ^USA Today, ^Sports Illustrated, ^AFCA Coaches

Junior OG Solomon Kindley – ^Sports Illustrated

*First Team, ^Second Team

 

The No. 5 Bulldogs (11-2) will face No. 7 Baylor (11-2) in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2020, in New Orleans, La.  ESPN will televise the matchup at 8:45 p.m. ET.