Starkville – Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney, offensive guard Ben Beckwith and quarterback Dak Prescott earned All-America honors, numerous organizations announced this past week.

McKinney was named a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America, Sports Illustrated and ESPN.com, while also earning second-team honors from the Associated Press, the Walter Camp Football Foundation and Sporting News. The Tunica, Miss., native led No. 7 Mississippi State with 61 tackles in 12 regular-season starts. Recording 8.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, the first-team All-SEC member was the leader on a defense which finished the regular season ranked 10th nationally in scoring defense (19.4 points allowed per game).

Beckwith was placed on the Associated Press All-America third team, following a regular season where State finished top-20 nationally in total offense (9th, SEC-best 506.2 yards per game), scoring offense (14th, 37.2 points per game) and rushing offense (18th, 239.8 yards per game).

Prescott, MSU’s first national player of the year finalist, earned honorable mention All-America honors from Sports Illustrated after tallying 3,935 yards of total offense in leading State to its first 10-win regular season in school history. The 2014 Conerly Trophy winner broke 10 single-season school records, finishing November ranked fifth in the FBS in points responsible for (228) and sixth in total offense per game (327.9).

2014 Mississippi State Individual Honors

Dan Mullen • Head Coach 

• Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Finalist

• Maxwell Football Coach of the Year Finalist

• Associated Press SEC Coach of the Year

• AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year

Ben Beckwith • Sr. • OL 

• Burlsworth Trophy Finalist

• Third-Team All-American (Associated Press)

• First-Team All-SEC (Associated Press, ESPN.com)

• Second-Team All-SEC (Coaches)

• SEC Offensive Lineman of Week (at LSU; vs. Texas A&M; vs. Vanderbilt)

Richie Brown • So. • LB 

• Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Texas A&M)

• SEC Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Texas A&M)

Kaleb Eulls • Sr. • DL

• Senior Bowl invite

• SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week (at Kentucky)

 J.T. Gray • Fr. • LB 

• SEC All-Freshman Team (Coaches)

Jay Hughes • Sr. • S

• SEC Good Works Team

 Benardrick McKinney • Jr. • LB 

• Bednarik Award Semifinalist

• Butkus Award Semifinalist

• Lombardi Award Semifinalist

• First-Team All-American (ESPN.com, FWAA, SI.com)

• Second-Team All-American (Associated Press, Sporting News, Walter Camp)

• First-Team All-SEC (Coaches, ESPN.com)

• Second-Team All-SEC (Associated Press)

Dak Prescott • Jr. • QB 

• Heisman Trophy finished eighth in voting

• Maxwell Award Finalist

• Davey O’Brien Award Finalist

• Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Finalist

• Manning Award Finalist

• Conerly Trophy Winner

• Honorable Mention All-American (SI.com)

• First-Team All-SEC (AP, Coaches, ESPN.com)

• Manning Award Player of Week (vs. UAB, at LSU, vs. Texas A&M, vs. Auburn; vs. Vanderbilt)

• 24/7 Sports National Offensive Player of Week (at LSU)

• Athlon Sports Player of Week (at LSU, vs. A&M)

• Davey’O Brien Player of Week (at LSU, vs. A&M)

• Maxwell Award Player of Week (at LSU, vs. A&M)

• SEC Offensive Player of Week (vs. Auburn; vs. Vanderbilt)

• SEC Co-Offensive Player of Week (at LSU)

Josh Robinson • Jr. • RB 

• Second-Team All-SEC (AP, Coaches)

• SEC Co-Offensive Player of Week (at Kentucky)

 Preston Smith • Sr. • DE 

• Senior Bowl invite

• First-Team All-SEC (Coaches)

• Second-Team All-SEC (Associated Press)

• SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week (vs. Southern Miss, Week 1; vs. UAB, Week 2; at South Alabama, Week 3)

• Senior Bowl Player of Week (vs. Vanderbilt)

 Mississippi State FWAA All-Americans 

2014 – Benardrick McKinney, LB – First Team

2013 – Gabe Jackson, OL – Second Team

2012 – Johnthan Banks, DB – First Team

1981 – Johnnie Cooks, LB – First Team

1955 – Art Davis, Back – First Team

1954 – Hal Easterwood, C – First Team

1953 – Jackie Parker, Back – First Team

by Mississippi State Media Relations