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Auburn lands 6 players on coaches' preseason All-SEC teams; which Tigers will earn postseason honors?

Will any players not listed on the preseason all-conference teams garner the postseason award?

Todd Van Emst/Auburn University photo

The SEC announced its coaches' preseason All-SEC teams Thursday morning, and six Auburn Tigers made the cut.

Leading the way on the second team were running back Tre Mason, center Reese Dismukes, place kicker Cody Parkey and punter Steven Clark on the second team. Tight end C.J. Uzomah and defensive end Dee Ford earned third-team honors, rounding out the Tigers' representation. Auburn also had six players on the media's all-conference teams, released during SEC Media Days in July. Mason, Dismukes, Ford and Parkey were on the second team, and Clark and cornerback Chris Davis were third-team selections. Uzomah, who is on the Mackey Award preseason watch list, was left out.

With all the preseason selections announced, we can't help but wonder which Tigers could earn postseason All-SEC accolades. Obviously, the players above are candidates, but there are a few more who deserve mention, too.

Cameron Artis-Payne, RB

Artis-Payne figures to play a prominent role in the offense this season. Yes, Mason is the incumbent starter and technically the No. 1 back going into the opener against Washington State, but CAP would have to be listed as 1A. He's a little bit bigger than Mason, and while he doesn't have No. 21's top speed, he runs with authority -- particularly up the middle. The coaches have had nothing but good things to say about Artis-Payne since the beginning of spring practice, and anyone that watched him on A-Day saw a stud carrying the ball.

Justin Garrett, star (LB)

Garrett is another player who has been receiving rave reviews from Malzahn and his staff since the spring. He's a big hitter and fits in perfectly at the star position in Ellis Johnson's 4-2-5 defense. Obviously, there isn't a "star" listing on the All-SEC teams, but Garrett could find his way on as a linebacker. He's currently recovering from a sprained foot but, it shouldn't affect him too much during the season. As a player who can fly around the field, he figures to make a big impact in 2013, and even though he's not a true linebacker, it may be hard to leave him off the postseason teams.

Carl Lawson, DE

Auburn has three five-star true freshmen on the defensive line, and any one of them could become a significant contributor -- it wouldn't be a huge shock if they all end up on the freshman all-conference team. While Elijah Daniel and Montravius Adams should earn significant snaps before the season is over, Lawson is likely going to be the breakout player of the group. In fact, with Ford out of the opener due to a knee injury, there's a real chance Lawson could start in his first college game. Physically, he's terrifying, and he has all the raw talent of a consensus five-star prospect out of high school. It will probably take an injury or dumb off-field decision to keep him from becoming one of Auburn's defensive leaders in 2013.

Ricardo Louis, WR

Auburn has wide receivers on its roster. We know this. What we don't know is if any of them will step up and become a go-to target. If someone does, he may receive a bulk of the throws and have a chance to put up good numbers. Of the Tigers' receivers, Louis seems like the player most likely to become the top target. We've discussed his impressive size (6'2, 212) and raw talent (former four-star prospect) before, and after his solid performance in Auburn's most recent scrimmage, we're convinced he's the one. Some players have told reporters Louis has had the best fall camp of anyone, and that's good enough for us.

Nick Marshall, QB

Frankly, Marshall probably won't be listed on one of the official postseason All-SEC teams, but it has nothing to do with his ability or potential. The problem is that the coaches and media each only list three teams, and there are three top-notch SEC signal callers in Johnny Manziel, AJ McCarron and Aaron Murray. Any one of those guys could be the first-teamer, but it seems almost impossible that one of them could be left off at the end of the year. Although, if Manziel is suspended as a result of Autographgate, that will free up a spot that could go to Marshall if the JUCO transfer excels.

Which Tiger left off the preseason teams do you think is most likely to be there when the postseason teams are announced? Will it be one of the five listed above or someone else?

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