Day 2 came and went for SEC media day. Plenty to unfold and go over. This seemed to be the more star-studded day of the two so far, with big-name coaches and players taking the podium. Let’s take a deeper look at what went down:
1. Texas Longhorns:
Steve Sarkisian opened with empathy for Central Texas flood victims before pivoting to football, citing the Longhorns’ roster as a championship roster with what he called “the deepest and most talented” defense he’s ever had. The defense is the part that goes slightly overlooked, surprisingly. All the talk has been on Arch and that offense, but the defense is what makes them a true threat to win it all. Between Collin Simmons, Anthony Hill, Trey Moore, and Michael Taafe, that forms arguably the best unit in the country.
Coach Sark then put the spotlight on Arch Manning, praising his poise: “He carries himself like he’s 30.” Manning reiterates the same messaging, showing that humble nature he’s been known for by vowing to improve every day/practice. He also reaffirmed his loyalty to Texas after he easily answered questions of why he chose to stay with the Longhorns. This was and is the place he’s always wanted to be; otherwise, he would’ve left to start for probably 90% of the other teams in the nation for more money. Texas had a big crowd of reporters all afternoon, which was no surprise, but Coach Sark and company handled themselves like professionals throughout.
2. Georgia Bulldogs:
Kirby Smart, heading into his 10th season, stressed the value of “relationships, not transactions” in building a sustainable program with over 50% underclassmen on the roster. Coach Smart has been the new face of head coaches in college football, especially post Nick Saban Era. Other coaches in the league talk a lot about how Georgia has a lot of NIL money to throw out there to the best players, but the retention rate is something nobody really talks about. Like he said, he values relationships an,d there’s proof in that pudding for how he operates his football team. Spotlight will be on Gunner Stockton early and often as Georgia is in search of their next heir at QB after Carson Beck left via the portal. Smart also took the opportunity to weigh in on conference-wide issues about the expanded College Football Playoff while dismissing speculation around Nick Saban’s return.
3. Auburn Tigers:
Hugh Freeze expressed optimism in Year 3, highlighting transfer QB Jackson Arnold’s leadership and seamless transition. He stated Arnold needed “a fresh start” without any hard feelings from his OU days. Jackson Arnold has a much better surrounding cast with two top receivers in Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton, the transfer from Georgia Tech. Freeze sees a program poised to make bold strides in a challenging schedule. One of the bigger wild card teams in the SEC, where if everything clicks, they could be like the Tigers of old, but if it doesn’t, then people's jobs may be on the line come season's end.
4. Tennessee Volunteers:
Josh Heupel addressed Tennessee’s open quarterback competition, stating three contenders: Joey Aguilar, Jake Merklinger, and George MacIntyre. They will all battle it out for the starting role. He emphasized consistency: “Our standard remains unchanged” after three straight 10-win campaigns. Tennessee’s defense, meanwhile, returns key personnel across six national top‑10 units. The off-season was highlighted by the Nico news, but this team seems to be flying under the radar now. Coach Heupel has earned the right for experts and fans to trust him until proven otherwise. He did right by his team, standing by his guns with the whole Nico situation and not losing the locker room. He very easily could’ve chosen to cave in to the “star” player, but the level of respect he gained can’t go unnoticed and might propel his team to a surprising season.
Other Day 2 notes
- Quarterback narratives became central: Arch Manning taking command of Texas FINALLY, Tennessee’s open QB battleground after off-season drama, and Auburn’s shift to a transfer-led approach of second chances.
- Youth movements at Georgia, with Smart framing the rebuilding phase as sustainable growth rather than transactional roster building. Georgia is more of reloading than rebuilding. The conference has more first year QB’s or newer faces in different places in quite some time. This leads to uncertainty and what can be a great end to the season without much to fully expect.
- Strategic debates on playoff format and conference scheduling took center stage from Smart and Drinkwitz. These discussions foreshadow the offseason’s big decisions regarding a potential shift to nine conference games and a still-uncertain CFP model. Coach Smart doesn’t think the loss column should hold as much weight as it currently does. He’s right because not every loss is the same and shouldn’t be viewed the same. Everyone’s got an opinion on what should be done but time will tell what the actual next answer is for the CFP playoff.
Day 2 of media days in the books. More news the better and each passing day leads to more excitement for what the actual season will entail. Plenty of storylines building up going into the year and wild cards all throughout the conference. In reality, no one knows who will be the best team in the conference this year and it’s going to be must see TV come November time.