Four Ole Miss Rebels garnered preseason All-Southeastern Conference distinction from the league’s 14 head coaches, the SEC office announced Tuesday.
Matt Corral (QB) and Jerrion Ealy (RS, AP) both earned first-team accolades, while Mac Brown (P) earned second-team honors and Nick Broeker (OL) was named to the third team. Ealy also earned third-team recognition as a running back.
Corral, who is on the watch list for both the Maxwell Award and Davey O’Brien Award, returns after completing over 70 percent of his passes for 3,337 yards and 29 touchdowns last year in a 10-game season.
Corral, a preseason All-America selection, finished No. 5 in passing yards per game (333.7), No. 7 in passing TDs (29), No. 9 in passing efficiency (177.6) and No. 11 in passing yards per completion (14.5). The junior signal-caller is the returning SEC leader in eight separate categories. He also led the SEC with eight completions of 40 yards or more.
Ealy, who garnered first-team honors as both a return specialist and all-purpose player, also earned third-team accolades as a running back. Ealy led the Rebels in all rushing categories in 2020 with 147 carries for 745 yards and nine touchdowns. Ealy has also hauled in 15 catches for 155 yards and one touchdown.
The Walnut Grove, Mississippi, native ranked No. 25 in the FBS last season with 132.1 all-purpose yards per game. His 11 total touchdowns ranked No. 26. Ealy recently earned first-team preseason All-America honors from Phil Steele as an all-purpose player.
Brown, a three-year returning starter at punter and holder who is exercising his additional year of eligibility due to pandemic, totaled 27 punts on the year and averaged 46.6 yards per punt, including a long of 59 yards. The Wuerffel Trophy semifinalist posted 11 punts greater than 50 yards in 2020.
Broeker started all 10 games for the Rebels last season on the offensive line. Broeker, a native of Springfield, Illinois, held down the starting spot at left tackle all season. He allowed just two sacks in 432 pass blocks.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
