There's a New SEC Nation Crew

SEC Nation will look different in the fall of 2020 and it’s not just because of coronavirus.

The SEC Network’s live pregame show may or may not tour campuses across the conference this fall. That news has not yet been announced. What we do know is that the cast will not look the same.

Paul Finebaum will stick to his Monday-Friday show and join SportsCenter for live hits on Saturdays, but he will no longer be a part of the pregame program. Marcus Spears has outgrown the show as well and will focus more on NFL programming on ESPN in the fall.

Tasked to replace two people, SEC fans will see one familiar face each Saturday morning, Jordan Rogers. Like Kirk Herbstreit, he will provide analysis on the pregame show before stepping into the booth for the Saturday night primetime game. Rogers, Laura Rutledge and Tim Tebow will be sitting next to a TV newcomer this fall and unfortunately it’s not Shaun Alexander. Kentucky’s 1994 Mr. Football winner auditioned for the part but lost it to another former Alabama football player.

SBJ reports Roman Harper will join SEC Nation. Harper was a two-time All-SEC selection at Alabama when he played safety for the Crimson Tide from 2003-05. A second round selection in the 2006 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, he was a key member for their Super Bowl XLIV winning-team. Harper earned two Pro Bowl selections during his ten-year career that ended in 2016.

How will Harper perform on TV? It’s anybody’s guess. Based purely off position bias, the fewer quarterbacks and the more wide receivers and defensive backs, the better. The guys that fly around on the outside have the gift of gab when it comes to trash talk, adding an element of entertainment to what can sometimes be incredibly boring sports programming.