SEC Media Days 2016: Highlights, Comments and Twitter Reaction from Thursday

Interviews at the 2016 SEC media days wrapped up Thursday with representatives from LSU, Ole Miss and South Carolina taking center stage. 

Will Muschamp assuming control of the Gamecocks program is one of the conference's top stories heading into the new season. Not only is the 44-year-old head coach back in charge of an SEC team after a previous stint at Florida, but he's trying to fill the void Steve Spurrier left last October.

Graham Hall of the Gainesville Sun passed along Muschamp's opening remarks. He thanked the "Head Ball Coach" before stating, "There's only one Steve Spurrier in life. And I'm not it."

Brad Crawford of 247Sports noted Muschamp also doubled down on the growing sense of optimism around the current team, which is rare when coming off a 3-9 campaign. He's expecting to make some noise immediately rather than take time to revamp the roster.

"There is no three-year plan, no five-year plan; that's my mentality. We want to win now," Muschamp said.

It's quite a turnaround in the short-term outlook since he took the job in December. He revealed the players were "pretty beat down" when he first met them, per Brett McMurphy of ESPN.

Now his players are buying into the quick revitalization. Senior defensive lineman Marquavius Lewis talked about how the team views the upcoming season, as relayed by SEC Sports.

"I wouldn't say it's a sense of urgency," he said. "We all have the mindset to go out there and change this program around and get them [the team] on the right path."

South Carolina faces no shortage of competition in the nation's top conference, though. LSU head coach Les Miles stated, "Our goals have not changed." Those include a 100 percent graduation rate, along with winning the SEC and national titles, as noted by the SEC's Twitter account.

Miles spent a sizable portion of his time at the podium discussing social issues, though. Baton Rouge has been the site of protests in recent weeks, and he's held meetings with his staff about what actions to take moving forward, per ASAP Sports:

"

And I feel like our society's the same and you need everybody. If you look to see change and if you watch the representation of our country on live TV, you realize that change is necessary. And it comes through all of us, everybody in the room, certainly me. It's an inclusive. You reach for others. You need to be respectful of their life and their opinion and who they are. You need compassion for people. You build them up and you train them and you give them the best practices, and we change as a team and as a community and as a society.

"

He added, "What I'd like to do is have them, our guys, have a platform where they could affect change. I think they're wonderful men. I think they're constantly involved in roles—they're a student, they're a football player, they're role models."

Football can be a unifying force in the area, and while winning games is important, clearly Miles thinks the team could take on an even bigger role in the community this year.

Alex Martin Smith of SEC Country noted superstar running back Leonard Fournette received some backlash for wearing an Alton Sterling shirt last week. Fournette explained Thursday he's trying to make a positive impact in any way he can, regardless of the controversy.

"I figured, you know, I have a voice," Fournette said. "My whole meaning toward that was just pray until change come. That's not just in (Baton Rouge). That's everywhere in the world."

Turning the focus back to football, Campus Insiders provided the Heisman Trophy candidate's comments about what means the most to him heading into the 2016 campaign:

Elsewhere, Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said he hasn't been given a timetable for a resolution on the NCAA's investigation into the program. Freeze said he would prefer the situation to end in the near future, per Ben Garrett of Scout.

"Of course. I've had a long enough time with it," Freeze said. "I would love for it to be sooner than later. But I don't know what that means, really. I'm not crazy about if it happens in the middle of the season. But if it does, it does. We'll argue our facts and our side of things, and we'll be held accountable in and around our program."

"I have zero interest in cutting corners to be successful, and our staff knows that," Freeze added, per Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network.

Bill King of Nashville Sports Radio felt the Rebels' coach handled the situation well:

Freeze's quarterback, Chad Kelly, provided one of the day's most entertaining moments by taking a not-so-subtle shot at Clemson, his former school. AL.com shared those comments:

Kelly also called himself "the best quarterback in the nation" during the session, per Greg Ostendorf of ESPN.com, who provided more comments from Kelly:

"

You have to feel that way [that you're the best]. In order to have confidence in yourself and team, you have to think you're the best. That's what I want our whole team -- from offensive linemen to running backs -- we have to think we're the best players and the best team out there.

I want to be remembered as the greatest quarterback that ever played.

"

All told, it was a wide-ranging day of conversation to close the annual SEC media showcase. While most of the football discussion was straightforward, the other discussions shed plenty of light on critical topics surrounding each of the three programs.

The oddsmakers believe LSU will have the best season of the trio of teams featured Thursday, ranking the Tigers second to Alabama for the SEC title, per Odds Shark. Ole Miss and South Carolina rated sixth and 13th out of 14 teams, respectively.