SEC Media Days 2021: Highlights, Comments and Reaction from Tuesday
July 20, 2021
SEC media days continued Tuesday with coaches and players from Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tennessee taking the stage.
The upcoming college football season will feature plenty of unknowns throughout the conference, with new coaches, new quarterbacks and reloaded rosters among them.
Of course, Georgia quarterback JT Daniels might have done the best job of summing up preseason expectations:
Scott Rabalais @RabalaisAdvJT Daniels on preseason predictions, which will likely have Georgia picked to win the SEC East:<br>"It's cool when they you're great. It's cool when they say you suck. It doesn't really matter." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SECMD21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SECMD21</a>
The quarterback and Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart do have high hopes for the year thanks to the talent on offense:
960 The Ref @960therefKirby 💬 "JT Daniels absolutely has the arm talent. But arm talent is not the No. 1 quality to being an elite quarterback. The decision making process, TD/INT ratio, using playmakers, JT has all those skillsets. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SECMD21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SECMD21</a>
Smart also got attention by saying he gets texts from Quavo, although defensive tackle Jordan Davis grinned as he poked fun at his coach:
Chris Breece @ChrisBreece.<a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgiaFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GeorgiaFootball</a> DT Jordan Davis pokes fun at his coach Kirby Smart for saying he has <a href="https://twitter.com/QuavoStuntin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@QuavoStuntin</a> phone number <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SECMD21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SECMD21</a> <a href="https://t.co/ua4SFNUVOI">pic.twitter.com/ua4SFNUVOI</a>
As for the advice Quavo wanted to pass along to the players regarding the NCAA's new NIL rules: "Don’t be thirsty. Be selective in what you do, selective in how you handle your branding."
Georgia once again enters the year with SEC championship and national title hopes. The first test will come in Week 1 against Clemson on Sept. 4.
It's a different situation for Tennessee, which is looking to bounce back from a 3-7 season.
Josh Heupel as head coach takes over after three years with UCF, and he already has a fan in receiver Velus Jones Jr.:
Emily Proud @emily_proudVelus Jones Jr. on Josh Heupel - “He has an amazing personality. He’s a real open guy. Coach Heupel really interacts with the players, he’s always around us. He’s very involved, he’s always around, you always see his face. I’m proud to go to war for that man this fall.” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vols?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Vols</a>
Heupel also believes he can turn things around for the Volunteers after a long stretch of mediocrity:
Rob Fischer @thefishnationJosh Heupel asked how and when <a href="https://twitter.com/Vol_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Vol_Football</a> can get back in the mix in the SEC East.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SECMediaDays?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SECMediaDays</a> coverage all week on <a href="https://twitter.com/grindcitymedia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@grindcitymedia</a> <a href="https://t.co/ekknLi8XRO">pic.twitter.com/ekknLi8XRO</a>
A major story for the team will be the competition at quarterback, which remains wide open heading into the season:
The Volunteers added experienced transfers in Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton, while Harrison Bailey appeared in six games for Tennessee last year.
It doesn't appear any one of these players has separated himself from the field.
Kentucky could also be led by an incoming transfer, with former Auburn player Joey Gatewood a top contender after a good spring:
Jordan D. Hill @JordanDavisHillMark Stoops on former Auburn quarterback Joey Gatewood, who is part of UK's QB battle this summer.<br><br>"Joey has been a terrific teammate, has come in and really worked hard ... He had a really good spring."<br><br>Stoops said he was very impressed with Gatewood's accuracy down the field
Penn State transfer Will Levis could be another option for the Wildcats.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops had a few other interesting comments, notably his opposition to an expanded conference schedule:
Kentucky finished 5-6 last season but earned a win at the Gator Bowl, its third straight bowl victory.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin unsurprisingly also had his fair share of fun moments at the podium:
Rob Fischer @thefishnation.<a href="https://twitter.com/OleMissFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OleMissFB</a> Head Coach Lane Kiffin talks about his enjoyment of Twitter yet doesn’t express that enjoyment.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SECMD21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SECMD21</a> coverage all week on <a href="https://twitter.com/grindcitymedia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@grindcitymedia</a> <a href="https://t.co/RLYfuqfTxj">pic.twitter.com/RLYfuqfTxj</a>
Chris Breece @ChrisBreece.<a href="https://twitter.com/OleMissFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OleMissFB</a> coach <a href="https://twitter.com/Lane_Kiffin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lane_Kiffin</a> made sure to keep the Nick Saban <a href="https://twitter.com/AlabamaFTBL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlabamaFTBL</a> "Rat Poison" moniker alive at <a href="https://twitter.com/SEC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SEC</a> Media Days <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SECMD21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SECMD21</a> <a href="https://t.co/nWiiwoFrBY">pic.twitter.com/nWiiwoFrBY</a>
Kiffin is in his second year with the Rebels, but media days were canceled last season because of the pandemic. The entertaining coach made up for it with plenty of quotable moments Tuesday.
He also took time to praise quarterback Matt Corral:
SEC media days will continue Wednesday, highlighted by Alabama head coach Nick Saban's appearance. Mississippi State's Mike Leach, Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher and Vanderbilt's Clark Lea will also be available.