LSU’s starting lineup for Southeastern Conference Media Days is now complete.
LSU’s session will be Thursday, the final day of this year’s activities.
Thursday will also be the day the media preseason All-SEC team and predicted order of finish will be released.
Media days begins Monday at the Hyatt Regency/Wynfrey Hotel in suburban Birmingham. Greg Sankey, in his first major public address as the SEC’s new commissioner, will kick off the week with a “state of the conference” address.
Tuesday’s lineup includes SEC Coordinator of Officials Steve Shaw, along with players and coaches from South Carolina, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Tennessee.
On Wednesday it’s Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri and Arkansas. Thursday along with LSU, it’s Georgia and Ole Miss.
Pocic on Rimington list
Ethan Pocic ended the spring penciled in as LSU’s starting left guard, but he made such an impression last season in his brief time at center he’s regarded as one of the nation’s best at that position going into 2015.
Among those also on the list are Louisiana Tech senior Kirby Wixson and South Alabama junior Joseph Scelfo, son of former Tulane coach Chris Scelfo.
Former LSU All-American Ben Wilkerson won the trophy in 2004.
Pocic (6-foot-7, 301 pounds) started 12 games last season (missing the UL-Monroe game because of injury), nine at right guard and three at center. He ended the year starting at center against Notre Dame in the Music City Bowl in place of the injured Elliott Porter.
In all, Pocic played 743 snaps in 2014, on the field for every offensive play in the Tigers’ final five games. He finished third on the team with 72.5 knockdown blocks.
Pocic joins three LSU teammates named to watch lists earlier this week.
Fournette was named to the Maxwell Award (best player) and Paul Hornung Award (best all-around athlete) watch lists. Beckwith and senior safety Jalen Mills were named to the Bednarik Award (best defensive player) watch list.
The watch list for the John Mackey Award (best tight end) was also released Wednesday, but no LSU nor Louisiana players were selected.
A string of major award watch lists, an early harbinger of the coming football season, continues through July 17. Thursday’s watch lists put the focus on special teams with the Lou Groza (place-kicker) and Ray Guy (punter) watch lists.
Recruiting news
Rashan Gary (6-4, 311), the nation’s consensus No. 1 prospect and a defensive tackle out of Paramus (New Jersey) Catholic, tells 24/7 Sports he will visit LSU July 18 during its lineman camp. … University High’s Dylan Moses, the nation’s No. 1 prospect for 2017, said at The Opening in Beaverton, Oregon, he may visit Texas the weekend Gary is in Baton Rouge, but that he remains firmly committed to the Tigers. The Opening is an elite football camp held each summer at Nike headquarters. … Five-star cornerback Savion Smith (6-1, 175) out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, is also at The Opening where he’s openly trying to help recruit for the Tigers. His recruiting efforts no doubt include IMG teammate Shavar Manuel (6-4, 290), a defensive end ranked No. 6 on the 24/7 Sports Top 247. Manuel is not in attendance at The Opening.
Follow Scott Rabalais on Twitter, @RabalaisAdv.
SEC media days invitees
Alabama (coach Nick Saban)
Reggie Ragland, Sr., LB
Kenyan Drake, Sr., RB
Ryan Kelly, Sr., OL
Arkansas (coach Bret Bielema)
Jonathan Williams, Sr., RB
Brandon Allen, Sr., QB
Keon Hatcher, Sr., WR
Auburn (coach Gus Malzahn)
Jeremy Johnson, Jr., QB
Jonathan Jones, Sr., DB
Kris Frost, Sr., LB
Florida (coach Jim McElwain)
Jonathan Bullard, Sr., DE
Brandon Powell, So., WR
Vernon Hargreaves III, Jr., DB
Georgia (coach Mark Richt)
Malcolm Mitchell, Sr., WR
John Theus, Sr., OT
Jordan Jenkins, Sr., OLB
Kentucky (coach Mark Stoops)
Melvin Lewis, Sr., NG
Jordan Swindle, Sr., OT
A.J. Stamps, Sr., S
LSU (coach Les Miles)
Leonard Fournette, So., RB
Vadal Alexander, Sr., OT
Kendell Beckwith, Jr., LB
Ole Miss (coach Hugh Freeze)
Evan Engram, Jr., TE
Mike Hilton, Sr., DB
C.J. Johnson, Sr., LB
Mississippi State (coach Dan Mullen)
Dak Prescott, Sr., QB
Taveze Calhoun, Sr., DB
Ryan Brown, Sr., DE
Missouri (coach Gary Pinkel)
Kenya Dennis, Sr., DB
Maty Mauk, Jr., QB
Evan Boehm, Sr., C
South Carolina (coach Steve Spurrier)
Elliott Fry, Jr., PK
Pharoh Cooper, Jr., WR
Skai Moore, Jr., LB
Tennessee (coach Butch Jones)
Joshua Dobbs, Jr., QB
Curt Maggitt, Sr., LB/DL
Cameron Sutton, Jr., DB
Texas A&M (coach Kevin Sumlin)
Mike Matthews, Sr., C
Germain Ifedi, Jr., OT
Julien Obioha, Sr., DL
Vanderbilt (coach Derek Mason)
Ralph Webb, So., RB
Nigel Bowden, So., LB
Spencer Pulley, Sr., C
LSU watch list tracker
Paul Hornung Award (best all-around athlete): Leonard Fournette, RB
Maxwell Award (player of the year): Leonard Fournette, RB
Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year): Kendell Beckwith, LB; Jalen Mills, S
Rimington Trophy (best center): Ethan Pocic
Remaining watch list schedule
Thursday: Lou Groza Award (best place-kicker), Ray Guy Award (best punter)
Friday: Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player of the year), Outland Trophy (best interior lineman)
Monday: Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back)
Tuesday: Butkus Award (best linebacker), Rotary Lombardi Award (lineman of the year)
July 15: Biletnikoff Award (best wide receiver), Wuerffel Trophy (community service, athletic and academic achievement)
July 16: Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback), Doak Walker Award (best running back)
July 17: Walter Camp Award (player of the year)