COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football had five players earn All-Southeastern Conference honors as Tuesday the league office announced its 2020 SEC Football Awards. Headlining the list of honorees was freshman QB Connor Bazelak (Dayton, Ohio), who took home co-Freshman of the Year and All-Freshman team honors, along with junior LB Nick Bolton (Frisco, Texas) and redshirt sophomore DL Trajan Jeffcoat (Columbia, S.C.), who each earned first-team honors. Senior RB Larry Rountree III (Raleigh, N.C.) earned second team recognition while freshman K Harrison Mevis (Warsaw, Ind.) joined Bazelak on the All-Freshman team.
With his top freshman nod, Bazelak becomes the first Tiger to earn offensive Freshman of the Year honors since Jeremy Maclin in 2007. Bazelak has shined since being inserted into the starting quarterback role for the Tigers in week three, as he has earned five wins in eight starts as Mizzou's field general. In his first game as lead signal caller, Bazelak led the Tigers to a 45-41 win over defending national champion LSU (Oct. 10) as he completed 29-of-34 passes for 406 yards and four TDs, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors. It marked the first of three freshman weekly honors for Bazelak, who also earned the honor against Vanderbilt (Nov. 28) after going 30-of-37 for 318 yards and Arkansas (Dec. 5) after throwing 32-of-49 for 380 yards. Bazelak's season mark of 2,366 yards ranks fourth in the league, while his completion percentage (67.3) and QB rating (132.05) rank sixth. All three marks rank first among SEC freshmen signal callers.
Bolton, a Butkus Award finalist and Jason Witten Man of the Year semifinalist, earned first-team honors for the second straight season. He becomes the first Tiger since Michael Egnew (TE, 2010-11) to earn back-to-back all-conference first-team honors and the first defensive player to do so since Sean Weatherspoon (LB, 2008-09). Bolton continues to impress on the field week-in and week-out, as his 67 solo tackles lead the conference while his 95 total tackles rank fifth. He also ranks among the SEC's Top-10 in tackles per game (9.5, seventh) and tackles-for-loss (8.0, 10th). He's also added 2.0 sacks, five pass break-ups and a fumble recovery on the season. He was named the FWAA Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week after Mizzou's win over LSU (Oct. 10) where he had 11 tackles (nine solo) and three pass break-ups. He was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after playing every snap of the Tigers win over Kentucky, recording seven tackles and 1.0 TFL. Bolton was named to the SEC Community Service Team on Dec. 16.
Jeffcoat earned first-team honors after a breakout season on the Tiger defensive line where he has produced 6.0 sacks, 18 tackles, seven QB hurries and one forced fumble. He's the first Tiger defensive lineman to earn all-conference first-team honors since Shane Ray in 2014. Jeffcoat's 6.0 sacks rank second in the SEC and are the most by a Tiger defensive end since Charles Harris recorded 9.0 in 2016. He has produced a sack in six of Mizzou's 10 games this season, including one against Arkansas (Dec. 5), where he had a career-high five tackles. He also forced a fumble in Mizzou's win over Vanderbilt (Nov. 28).
Rountree earned all-conference honors for the first time in his storied career as he has produced 972 rushing yards on 209 attempts with 14 TDs in his senior campaign to become the first Tiger running back to earn all-conference honors since Henry Josey in 2011. His 14 rushing TDs rank third in the SEC and seventh nationally, while his 972 rushing yards rank fourth in the SEC and 13th nationally. The Tiger tailback will go down as one of the most prolific rushers in school history, as he currently ranks second in career rushing yards (3,720), rushing TDs (40) and 100-yard games (14). Each mark is the best of any running back in school history, as he only trails dual-threat QB Brad Smith, who produced 4,289 yards for 45 TDs and 18 100-yard games. Five of Rountree's 100-yard performances have come this season, including a season-best 185 yards on 27 attempts and three TDs in Mizzou's win over Arkansas (Dec. 5).
Mevis earns all-freshman team honors after a highly impressive debut campaign in the Black & Gold. He was successful on 17-of-20 field goals for the Tigers and a perfect 28-of-28 on PATs. Mevis has been lethal from deep, as he has connected on 3-of-4 kicks from 50+ yards and is one of just four Tigers in program history to make three or more kicks of 50+ yards, joining Tom Whelihan (6, 1984-87), Jeff Jacke (4, 1988-92) and Tucker McCann (3, 2016-19). His 52-yard field goal vs. LSU (Oct. 10) was the longest by a Mizzou freshman in program history. Mevis matched a school record for a kicker with five field goals against Arkansas (Dec. 5), the most by any kicker nationally this season, and reset the school's record of scoring by a kicker with 20 of Mizzou's 50 points in a 50-48 win over the Razorbacks. Included in those five field goals was a walk-off, game-winning 32-yarder to send Mizzou to its fifth straight win over Arkansas and netted Mevis SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Mizzou Football is slated to face No. 15 Iowa in the Transperfect Music City Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 30. Kickoff from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN.
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