@MizzouFootball Lands Three on Freshman All-SEC Team
12/8/2016 2:00:00 PM | Football, #ShowMe18
Johnson (AP/RS), Mason (WR) and Perkins (DB) all make SEC Freshman Team
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football standouts Johnathon Johnson (Memphis, Tenn.), Dimetrios Mason (Loganville, Ga.) and Ronnell Perkins (St. Louis, Mo.) were selected to the Freshman All-SEC Team as voted on by the league's coaches, announced Thursday by the SEC office. Johnson earned a spot on the team at two positions – all purpose and return specialist – while Mason earned a nod at wide receiver and Perkins as a defensive back.
The freshman trio join Mizzou's Charles Harris (Kansas City, Mo.) and Aarion Penton (St. Louis, Mo.), who earned All-SEC honors on Tuesday, giving Mizzou five All-SEC honorees this season.
Johnson emerged as a dynamic playmaker in Mizzou's offense during his redshirt season, averaging 17.6 yards per touch while serving as a homerun threat receiving, rushing, punt returning and kick returning. His 435 yards through the air are the fourth-most ever by a Mizzou freshman and he also added a pair of scores through the air, both big plays of 87 and 67 yards. He also added 114 yards on just four rushes on the year and boasted Mizzou's only punt return TD on the season. Johnson was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 12 following a breakout performance against Eastern Michigan in which he hauled in a career-high five passes for 115 yards and a career long 87-yard TD reception. He also had two punt returns for 74 yards, including a 54-yard TD scamper for Mizzou's first punt return TD since 2014, in that game vs. EMU.
Mason teamed with Johnson to give Mizzou a pair of dynamic freshman receivers in 2016. He recorded 587 receiving yards, the most ever by a Mizzou true freshman and the second-most ever by any Mizzou freshman, trailing only All-American Jeremy Maclin who had 1,055 in 2007. Mason added three TD grabs and averaged 12.5 yards per catch and his 47 catches were also the most ever by a Mizzou true freshman. Additionally, Mason became the first Mizzou true freshman since 1999 with a 100-yard receiving game after hauling in eight passes for 120 yards against Delaware State (9/23). He finished the season with two 100-yard games.
Perkins emerged into a major playmaker in Mizzou's secondary, earning four starts while playing in all 12 games. He finished the season with 43 tackles (28 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a QB hurry. He closed his freshman season in a flurry, totaling 18 of his 43 tackles over the final two games, including 3.0 tackles for loss and a pass break-up. Against Tennessee (11/19), he racked up eight tackles before exploding for a career-high 10 while helping Mizzou's defense pitch a second-half shutout in a 17-point comeback win vs. Arkansas (11/25).
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