A pair of football Wildcats named to Coaches All-SEC Third Team

A pair of Kentucky football players has received significant preseason recognition.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Southeastern Conference announced all three of the Coaches All-SEC Teams ahead of the upcoming 2025 season. Graduate offensive lineman Joshua Braun and senior punter Aidan Laros were both tabbed to the Third Team as the Wildcats’ representatives. Laros was also named to the media’s preseason All-SEC Third Team, which was released in July.

Texas led all programs with 10 players making an All-SEC Team, followed by Florida with eight. Of the conference’s 16 schools, only four failed to have at least one player make the All-SEC First Team: Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Oklahoma. Georgia led the way with eight First Team members, while six schools had multiple First Team selections.

Braun transferred to UK after two seasons at Arkansas (making the All-SEC Second Team in 2023) and three at Florida. With 32 career starts under his belt, the 6-foot-6 offensive lineman will play a pivotal role in what is expected to be an improved offensive line room. He started all 12 games last season for the Razorbacks, which finished third in the SEC in rushing yards per game at 184.5.

Laros, a native of South Africa, was Kentucky’s primary punter for most of the 2024 season, averaging 45.4 yards per boot with a season-long 66-yard punt against Tennessee. He started his college career at Charlotte for two seasons before spending one at UT Martin, where he led the FCS in punting (47.3 yards per punt). Laros was a First Team FCS All-American before transferring to UK last offseason.

Kentucky is projected to finish 15th in the SEC this season, ranking ahead of only Mississippi State in the preseason poll. The Wildcats will open the schedule on Saturday, August 30, at 12:45 p.m. ET (SEC Network) against a tough Toledo team that is receiving votes in the first AP Poll. Kentucky is considered a 7.5-point favorite, per BetMGM, as we’re less than two weeks out from kickoff.

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