SEC Media Days live blog: Alabama, Mississippi State, Florida, Oklahoma headline Day 3

Big Ten refuses College Football Playoff compromise without SEC schedule change

The Big Ten will not back off its preferred College Football Playoff format, guaranteeing the league four automatic qualifiers, unless the SEC decides to add a ninth conference game, sources told On3’s Brett McMurphy.

“There’s no way (Big Ten commissioner) Tony (Petitti) moves off four AQs,” a source said.

More from Brett McMurphy here

Arch Manning poses with grandfather’s Ole Miss jersey

John Mateer explains choosing Oklahoma over Miami, UNC

When John Mateer entered the portal, the Washington State transfer was viewed as a lock to Oklahoma. But the quarterback received serious offers from Miami and North Carolina.

“There was a lot that went into it but also I know [Ben Arbuckle],” Mateer said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. “It’s closer to home, you could say. I want my family to be closer, to be able to get to the games because they couldn’t get to a lot of games in Pullman. But it’s also the SEC. I’m here on SEC Media Day. Who doesn’t want to play in the SEC? Being with [Arbuckle], the same offense. They know me, I know them, and they know what I need to play at the highest leve,l and it’s the SEC. It’s Oklahoma. Who doesn’t want to play for Oklahoma?”

Billy Napier shares Florida QB’s health status

Sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway missed spring practice recovering from a lower-body injury.

“DJ has continued — we throw the quarterback three times a week,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said Wednesday. “He’s continued to do that. He actually got a good session in this morning before he came here. So, we feel confident in terms of him being ready to go.”

Billy Napier reflects on end of 2024 season

Kalen DeBoer addresses possibility of Nick Saban return

Nick Saban dominated early headlines at SEC Media Days. ESPN’s Greg McElroy said on Monday that somebody well-connected in the college football world believes Saban is not done coaching.

Reactions from SEC coaches, some of whom are close to Saban, have rolled in since McElroy brought the story to light. Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart differed in opinion, as the former can see Saban back on the sideline. Now, Kalen DeBoer has gotten in on the conversation.

“He’s the greatest to ever do it,” DeBoer said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. “So, he’s earned the right to do what he wants. I think the best part about what Coach Saban is doing right now is he’s still involved in the game. He’s growing the game, he brings passion to it. I enjoy, when I get moments on a Saturday morning, maybe when we have a night game, flipping on the TV and not just seeing him but the whole group GameDay and all the different ways they break things down.

“Having a chance to break things down every once in a while, you can just feel that he still has that love for the game. My sense is that he loves doing it in the capacity that he’s doing it right now but I think everyone who is close to him… can’t help but want him to be happy doing whatever he wants to do.”

Kalen DeBoer admits he failed to meet Alabama standard

Not making the CFP and then losing a bowl game to Michigan, finishing 9-4, was not where Alabama wanted to be last fall. But with a year in Tuscaloosa under his belt, Kalen DeBoer is confident in the Year 2 jump.

“If you internally ask us, no, we fell short of making the playoffs, it’s as simple as that, right?” DeBoer said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. “And giving yourself a chance to go compete for a championship, I think there’s a lot of things that I’m super proud of that are happening within the program that are part of the progression. Yeah, we want it right now, too. And so, yeah, we fell short, our guys, you know, again, I’m proud of them and the way they’ve responded to, you know, us not realizing the goals that we set out to have, and getting back just to work focusing on the main thing. 

Paul Finebaum calls Tennessee’s CFP dreams ‘absolutely fiction’

Paul Finebaum watched as Tennessee broke into the College Football Playoff in 2024. But he’s not confident the Volunteers can return this fall.

“I love fiction, and that is absolutely fiction,” Finebaum said, regarding whether it’s fact or fiction that Tennessee will return to the CFP this season. “Tennessee is not making it back to the playoff. They lost Nico [Iamaleava]. They have Joey Aguilar, who went to App State, transferred to UCLA and then to Tennessee, all in what seemed like about half an hour. Tennessee will be good, but they’re not good enough to make the playoff.”

Kalen DeBoer calls SEC top conference

Kalen DeBoer talks QB competition

SEC Media Days schedule for Day 3

9:05 a.m. — Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, DL Tim Keenan III, LB Deontae Lawson, OL Kadyn Proctor
10:50 a.m. — Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby, QB Blake Shapen, S Isaac Smith, WR Brenen Thompson
1 p.m. — Florida’s Billy Napier, DL Caleb Banks, OL Jake Slaughter, QB DJ Lagway
2:45 p.m. — Oklahoma’s Brent Venables, QB John Mateer, DB Robert Spears-Jennings, DL R Mason Thomas

All times ET.

Steve Sarkisian reveals the toughest place to play

Steve Sarkisian is one of the few people in college football to give an opinion on what the best rivalry in college football is. He has coached in two of the best, Texas–Oklahoma and the Iron Bowl. Now the head coach for Texas, Sarkisian was previously the Alabama offensive coordinator.

Just one trip to the Plains took place during his time with the Crimson Tide. And Sarkisian still has memories of the Auburn crowd back in 2019.

“When you’re at Alabama and you go to Auburn, probably the toughest place to play in the country,” Sarkisian said Tuesday at SEC Media Days. “That game, in particular, as an opponent, going into Jordan-Hare Stadium — it’s one of the loudest things I’ve ever heard.”

Arch Manning reacts to Steve Spurrier’s comments

After Steve Spurrier questioned the “hype” around Arch Manning considering his lack of playing time, the Texas quarterback reacted Tuesday at SEC Media Days. He said his focus remains on improving his game ahead of his first year as the Longhorns’ starter.

Spurrier wondered why Manning didn’t play more at Texas during his first two years with the program, considering the hype around him. Quinn Ewers was the Longhorns’ starting quarterback during that time, leading the program to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinal appearances.

“Steve Spurrier’s a great coach,” Manning told a large group of reporters. “Is he in the college hall of fame? … Yeah, yeah. He’s here. I’m just worried about myself right now and just trying to get better each day. That’s that.”

Steve Sarkisian talks Arch Manning’s maturity

Steve Sarkisian walks out to Aggie War Hymn at SEC Media Days

SEC Media Days accidentally played Texas A&M’s fight song while Steve Sarkisian walked out on stage for his press conference.

Steve Sarkisian weighs in on Arch Manning’s future

Steve Sarkisian will start Arch Manning in 2025, the former five-star recruit’s first year entering as the full-time starter. There is already talk about whether Manning will enter the NFL draft following the season.

“I just want the guy to have a really good season this year, and we’ll cross that bridge when he comes to it,” Sarkisian said. “I hope he has a really hard decision to make, because that means he played really good.”

Arch Manning shares golf handicap

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Texas quarterback Arch Manning shared he has a golf handicap of 13.

Josh Heupel comments on Nico Iamaleava’s departure

Josh Heupel: ‘We will have a quarterback competition’

Speaking at SEC media days on Tuesday, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel tackled the quarterback question. The Vols lost quarterback Nico Iamaleava to the transfer portal, and added UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar in the spring. Aguilar will compete with Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre.

“We will have a quarterback competition,” Heupel said. “We’ve won with a number of different quarterbacks in the past, and we will with whoever wins the starting job.”

Jackson Arnold compares Iron Bowl to Red River Rivalry

Hugh Freeze weighs in on Week 1 against Baylor

Jackson Arnold reflects on return to Oklahoma

With his decision to transfer inside the SEC, Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold will return to where he started his college career. That’s with Tigers traveling to play in Norman on Sept. 20 for their conference opener at Oklahoma.

“Yeah, it’ll be a fun game,” Arnold said on SEC This Morning. “Extremely excited for that one. And, you know, no animosity whatsoever. I just think it’s going to be a fun environment to go and play. I really enjoyed playing in that stadium.”

Kirby Smart jokes he offered Nick Saban a job

Responding to rumors from Monday of Nick Saban looking to return to coaching, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart cracked a joke that he offered the former Alabama head coach Will Muschamp’s job. Muschamp has been in the news since he was not listed as a staff member on this year’s media guide.

“I called him and offered him Muschamp’s job, but he was overqualified,” Smart said. “So he wasn’t interested.”

Jackson Arnold comments on Hugh Freeze’s golf game

AL.com reported last month that Hugh Freeze played golf 10 times in June alone, and at least 20 times during the calendar year. His quarterback, Jackson Arnold, is not bothered by how much golf Freeze is playing.

“Coach Freeze loves to play golf,” the Oklahoma transfer said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to have something outside of football to go to and kind of get away from football. I feel like, if Auburn was — if the team last year was 8-4, 9-3, we’re not even having the same conversation right now.

“… I don’t think it’s an issue at all. I think people are kind of blowing it out of proportion. I think people just want something to talk about right now. Coach has an outlet to do something fun with his wife, and he goes out and takes advantage of that.”

Kirby Smart: ‘We sell relationships’

Speaking at SEC Media Days on Tuesday, Kirby Smart discussed what he is selling in a recruiting pitch.

SEC Media Days schedule for Day 2

8:30 a.m. ET — SEC Coordinator of Football Officials John McDaid
10:05 a.m. ET — Georgia’s Kirby Smart, LB CJ Allen, DB Daylen Everette, QB Gunner Stockton
12:15 p.m. — Auburn’s Hugh Freeze, QB Jackson Arnold, DL Keldric Faulk, OL Connor Lew
1:30 p.m. — Tennessee’s Josh Heupel, LB Arion Carter, TE Miles Kitselman, DT Bryson Eason
3:15 p.m. — Texas’s Steve Sarkisian, LB Anthony Hill Jr., QB Arch Manning, DB Michael Taaffe

Jordan Rodgers on Arch Manning: ‘The hype train is out of control’

Jordan Rodgers was asked Monday morning on Get Up if Arch Manning is the best quarterback in the SEC. Rodgers immediately shot down the question.

“Y’all have been drinking Paul Finebaum’s Kool-Aid for way too long,” Rodgers said on Get Up. “I have him as the fifth-best quarterback in the SEC. The hype train is out of control.”

Paul Finebaum, Lane Kiffin break down their ‘odd couple’ dynamic

Diego Pavia sets sights on national title

Lane Kiffin on whether he fishes more than Hugh Freeze plays golf

Lane Kiffin on potential of Nick Saban return to coaching

Amid rumors about whether Nick Saban could return to coaching, Lane Kiffin heard them throughout the day at SEC Media Days.

“I did read that he said that earlier today,” Kiffin said. “Then they asked me a question, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, he’s going to coach again. I don’t know if it’s college or NFL, but he’s gonna coach again.’ So he put that in my head, and I repeated it.

“… But I have thought that. I thought it’d probably be one year in the media, then back. And I kind of thought it might be the NFL, just because he’s so sharp still. I just saw something yesterday where he was doing an interview. He’s so sharp and has the process so nailed of how to do it that I almost see it as a waste that he’s not coaching.”

Lane Kiffin believes schools not staying in rev-share cap

Lane Kiffin said it is “obvious” that schools are not staying within the new revenue-sharing cap, but did not name any school specifically.

“I’m not calling anyone out. I’m not even saying there’s anything wrong with it,” he said. Kiffin went on to say his issue with the cap is whether there is a working “system” or not.

Netflix releases trailer for ‘SEC Football: Any Given Saturday’

Lane Kiffin addresses tweets directed at Hugh Freeze

Lane Kiffin has taken to social media recently, posting on X and directly calling out Hugh Freeze. The Auburn head coach has been in the news recently for his golf game.

“I like Coach Freeze,” Kiffin said. “I think they think thought that was something to do with, like, I was fishing and it was golfing. That really wasn’t that. I have a thing with him, going back a few years ago, and he like posted a picture in response to me, of some two-pound bass or something like that.

“So I’ve kind of always posted bigger fish pictures back toward him. So it had nothing to do with his golf game, which it sounds like he’s doing amazing at that. So, that’s great for him… And I was fishing yesterday as a dead period, by the way, just making sure that we’re clear on that. People wanna say that fishing is like golfing. It’s a dead period.”

South Carolina DL dishes praise to Colin Simmons

Speaking to reporters on Monday, South Carolina defensive tackle Nick Barrett dished out some high praise to Colin Simmons, comparing him to a teammate.

“I’m going to say Colin Simmons,” Barrett said. “Look at Colin Simmons’ stats. He’s damn near equal to Dylan [Stewart].”

Greg McElroy weighs in on Nick Saban’s future

Greg McElroy told On3’s Brett McMurphy on Monday that he does not expect Nick Saban to coach again.

“I don’t think he’s coming back,” McElroy told On3’s Brett McMurphy. “I think he’s completely fulfilled with what he’s doing, but some think he misses the competition & would consider coming back. But I don’t buy that.”

Garrett Nussmeier talks LSU wide receiver room

LSU went to work in the portal this offseason, adding multiple wide receivers in Oklahoma’s Nic Anderson and Kentucky’s Barion Brown. The Tigers also return top wideout Aaron Anderson.

Greg McElroy speculates on Nick Saban’s future

ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy predicted Nick Saban will return to coaching at some point, he said on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. He cited a “very much in the know person” who thinks Saban would get back to the sidelines.

“If it wasn’t someone notable, I would never say a word,” McElroy said.

Brian Kelly weighs in on CFP expansion

Brian Kelly talks opener against Clemson

In a 12-minute opening statement at SEC media days, Brian Kelly tackled why LSU is approaching Week 1 differently.

“We needed to do some things differently at LSU, and that is to embrace this opener (at Clemson),” he said.

Shane Beamer talks Virginia Tech matchup

South Carolina and Shane Beamer open up the 2025 season against Virginia Tech, the place where his father, Frank, was the head coach for 29 seasons.

“I’m fortunate my Dad isn’t coaching there anymore,” Beamer said. “Brent Pry was a grad assistant when I was a player there. It’s a special place. Once it kicks off, it will be about the guys on the field.”

Greg Sankey provides latest on CFP, B1G discussions

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey acknowledges that the SEC and Big Ten continue to differ on College Football Playoff expansion formats.

“We have a 12-team playoff, five conference champions,” he said. “That can stay if we don’t agree.”

Greg Sankey backs CSC: ‘We are operating consistent to the settlement’

In a letter sent to the NCAA and power conferences Friday, according to Yahoo! Sports, House plaintiff attorneys believe the denial of NIL collective deals violates the settlement and are requesting a “retraction” of the CSC’s guidance and are threatening to report the wrongdoing to the court.

Greg Sankey is asked about the letter, stating that “We think we are operating consistent to the settlement terms.”

SEC supports CFP expansion

As a decision looms on College Football Playoff expansion for the 2026 season, Greg Sankey has come out and supported further growth. Sankey also said the SEC will “continue evaluating” its eight-game conference schedule.

Greg Sankey addresses House settlement

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said college athletics is “working through historic and transformational change” and in the middle of it, “it will get messy. That doesn’t mean you leave.” He said the burden to implement House settlement changes is on leagues and campuses. He also addressed the recently introduced SCORE Act.

“Introduction of the SCORE Act is a positive step, but there remains plenty of work to be done, but this bipartisan effort represents an indication that college athletics can produce bipartisan agreement to restore national standards for college athletics,” he said.

Greg Sankey discusses future of Power Four, NCAA

In his opening comments, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey says his presidents suggested during spring meetings that the four power conferences form a committee to explore the P4’s role in the future of college athletics. The committee would include two presidents from each league and the commissioners.

Nic Anderson involved in car accident

LSU wide receiver Nic Anderson was involved in a car accident on Friday, Brian Kelly told reporters at SEC Media Days. The former Oklahoma transfer is expected to practice at the start of camp.

Greg Sankey sends message to Power Four

In his opening remarks on Monday, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey sent a message to the Power Four and the rest of college football, declaring the league a “super conference.”

Monday’s schedule breakdown

9:05 a.m. ET — SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey
10:25 a.m. ET — LSU’s Brian Kelly, WR Chris Hilton Jr., QB Garrett Nussmeier, LB Whit Weeks
11:45 a.m. ET — South Carolina’s Shane Beamer, QB LaNorris Sellers, DB DQ Smith, DT Nick Barrett
1:30 p.m. ET — Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, LB TJ Dottery, WR Cayden Lee, QB Austin Simmons
3:20 p.m. ET — Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, S/OLB Randon Fontenette, DB Martel Hight, QB Diego Pavia