Gamecock players garner more honors

A half-dozen South Carolina players were named Tuesday to the coaches' All-SEC teams, including three, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and running back Marcus Lattimore, to the first team. Guard Garrett Chisolm and defensive ends Cliff Matthews and Devin Taylor were second-team selections. Jeffery, Lattimore and Taylor were first-team selections Monday by the media. Lattimore, the talented freshman, was also named CBS Sports' national freshman of the year. He earned that honor, unanimously, over Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray and Wisconsin running back James White. Gilmore and Matthews, both part of the coaches' preseason All-SEC team, were intriguing selections considering neither have had consistently remarkable seasons. Matthews, a senior captain, was slowed most of the season by a restrictive shoulder brace. He had started to come on toward the end of the year. Even cornerbacks coach Lorenzo Ward has said Gilmore had an "up-and-down season," with several more down moments coming in this past Saturday's SEC title game loss to Auburn.