Tennessee football: Jeremy Banks on Butkus list illustrates how SEC writers overlooked him

It didn’t require a lot of explanation as to how ridiculous SEC writers naming Tennessee football linebacker Jeremy Banks third team All-SEC in their preseason preview was. The guy led all returning linebackers in tackles and solo tackles last year and was fourth in tackles for a loss.

However, the 2022 Dick Butkus Award Preseason Watch List helped to illustrate it. Banks was one of 51 players named to the watch list, and he was one of 12 SEC players on there. Given the fact that there were nine available All-SEC linebacker spots, it would seem hard for this list to expose the point.

On the other hand, four of the six linebackers ahead of Tennessee football’s veteran were left off the list. As a result, the picture becomes clearer, and Banks obviously should have been higher than third-team All-SEC to start the year.

Now, to be fair, the SEC’s list and the Butkus list are different. All-SEC teams consider edge rushers linebackers. But that’s ridiculous on its own, as two of the three second-team linebackers, Dallas Turner and Brenton Cox Jr., could be considered edge rushers. Will Anderson Jr., the best linebacker in the league, is also one.

That makes for three of the players left off the list, but again, the criteria for edge rushers is different, so if you’re going to put them at linebacker in your all-conference teams, not only should you have three linebackers, but no more than one should be occupied by an edge rusher. These All-SEC teams didn’t do that.

More importantly, there is one specific linebacker who was higher than Banks on the list and was left off the Butkus Award watch list, proving he had no business being in that spot. Nolan Smith of the Georgia Bulldogs was second team All-SEC.

Banks had more tackles, more solo tackles and more tackles for a loss than Smith did last year. The watch list saw that and considered Banks for its award but didn’t consider Smith. Somehow, SEC writers weren’t able to see it the same way.

Look, Banks isn’t the perfect linebacker. He’s got plenty he can work on going into this year, particularly in coverage. Still, he’s certainly proven a lot more than Smith at this point, and he belongs on the first or second team over Smith or at least one of the edge rushers.

A national award figuring that out over analysts with a conference who cover Banks more specifically should know that, but either way, Tennessee football is always disrespected in these honors. As a result, it’s no surprise what happened to Banks here.