Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson has been named SEC Player of the Year but USA Today.

11 of 16 voters for the award picked Sampson as the player of the year. The 16 voters represent the 16 teams in the SEC with each school having one beat writer represented.

The Vols back was also a unanimous selection to the site's All-SEC squad.

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This season, Sampson recorded a league-high 1,485 rushing yards in 12 starts. He went for over 100 yards in every outing except two where he finished just shy against Oklahoma and didn't play down the stretch against UTEP.

He also scored in every game except the final win over Vanderbilt. This pushed his total to a school-record 22 rushing touchdowns.

The other two Vols to make the All-SEC team were defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. and defensive back Jermod McCoy.

Sampson was one of two unanimous selections alongside Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr.

Only 13 of the 16 SEC schools were represented with a nod to the All-SEC team. Missouri, Mississippi State and Texas A&M did not have a player make the list.

The coach of the year went to South Carolina's Shane Beamer who steered the Gamecocks to a 9-3 season. Newcomer of the year was split between Alabama freshman receiver Ryan Williams and Vanderbilt transfer Diego Pavia.

Finishing 10-2, Tennessee will now head to the first expanded College Football Playoffs. If the event started with the current rankings, the Vols would travel to play Ohio State in a game between the eight and nine seeds.

However, with conference championship games beginning on Friday night, more movement in the rankings could leave the Vols in a different spot.

The final and official bracket will be revealed on Sunday afternoon after the conclusion of the conference championship matchups.

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