STARKVILLE — Mississippi State linebacker Nathaniel Watson added to his list of postseason accolades on Monday when he was named a third team selection on the Associated Press All-America team.

The news comes a week after he was named the SEC's top defender by the AP.

Watson led the conference with 137 tackles this season, which is the most by a player in the SEC since 2021 when LSU's Damone Clark matched that total. The last time an SEC player had more than 137 tackles was in 2015 when Kentrell Brothers had 152 for Missouri.

Watson was also the lone player in the SEC with 10 sacks this year.

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Nationally, Watson finished sixth in tackles and was tied for ninth in sacks. He also had an interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Watson was in his sixth and final season at Mississippi State after joining as a three-star prospect out of Maplesville, Alabama, in the 2018 signing class. He finished his career with 379 total tackles, ranking fourth in SEC history.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State football's Nathaniel Watson on AP All-America team