One Thing We Learned About Every Kentucky Opponent at SEC Media Days

Kentucky Sports Radio spent a week hearing from all 16 coaches around the league. SEC Media Days doesn’t produce the grabby headlines that it once did, but it does create an opportunity for us to learn a little more about the teams the Wildcats will be playing against this fall.

Auburn and Florida are the Most Volatile Programs in the SEC

SEC Media Days serves as a barometer on where people believe certain teams will fall. Some are higher than Texas A&M than most, but two other teams provided the widest range of responses, Auburn and Florida.

Some are prepared to proclaim DJ Lagway as the best quarterback in the SEC, who is capable of leading the Gators to the CFP. Others, like myself, believe a sophomore slump could slow the Gators’ late-season momentum.

Auburn is even more fickle. In-between shots at Hugh Freeze‘s golf game, the Tigers assembled one of the best wide receiver rooms in the SEC. If Jackson Arnold is the guy, the Iron Bowl could determine a spot in the SEC Championship Game. If he’s the same guy we saw at Oklahoma, Hugh Freeze may be packing his bags.

It’s important in how it relates to Kentucky. Right now, Auburn and Florida look like opponents that could overwhelm the Wildcats. The schedule could look much more palatable if the wheels are spinning for these teams when they face Kentucky in November.

Tennessee isn’t Naming a Starting QB

The abrupt departure of Nico Iamaleava defined the offseason for Tennessee. By taking the high road and telling the California QB to pack his bags, Josh Heupel set a tone that continues today. If you want to lead the Vols, you better be prepared to compete.

“I think it’s really important that everybody on your team sees that guy earn that job as well… Once somebody earns that opportunity, then they’ll be named that guy,” said the Tennessee head coach.

Heupel noted in his introduction that Tennessee led the SEC in rushing in consecutive seasons. It’s a point that the Vols’ success will not be defined by their play under center.

Lane Kiffin and Paul Finebaum have a Thing

I’m not exactly sure what that thing is, but it’s highly entertaining to watch. Rather than spend time talking about his upcoming team, Lane Kiffin and Paul Finebaum had a meta conversation on the SEC Network set. They weren’t combative by any means, but they did candidly discuss their relationship, which has gone through many twists and turns in the public eye. The 9-minute chat is certainly worth your time.

Thanks for fitting us into your busy schedule, Coach…@Lane_Kiffin pic.twitter.com/SajrIOjW8G

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) July 14, 2025

South Carolina isn’t guaranteed to take a Step Forward

The Gamecocks are returning star power with LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart following a 9-win season where they came up five points short of an 11-win season and a CFP berth. Even though Shane Beamer is engrained in the headlines, he knows that his team cannot rest on its laurels from 2024.

“Just because it happened last year doesn’t mean it will happen this year,” said Beamer. “For our team, it’s making sure our guys realize all the work that went into 2024, it’s going to take all that and more to go where we want to go in 2025…

“Every Saturday is a battle. It’s a fine line between winning and losing and understanding we got to be doing every detail, every small thing, even though they’re not small things, to get where we want to go this year.”

Arch Manning is Built to Succeed in the SEC

We all knew that Arch Manning was going to steal headlines on a regular basis in 2025. It’s impossible to quantify, but we got a better idea of the gravity of the situation by being there on the ground floor. What’s striking is how unbothered he is by it all, which is ironically what makes me believe that he’s going to succeed in spite of the unprecedentedly high expectations.

Vanderbilt is a Darling in the SEC

Vanderbilt was a punchline when Clark Lea came to the event and declared that Vanderbilt’s goal was to compete for National Championships. When Diego Pavia said, “Going 7-6 wasn’t good enough. I came back because I want to win a National Championship,” it wasn’t meant with laughter. Sure, it got plastered on quote cards for folks online to have fun with, but there’s a sense that Vanderbilt has become the lovable underdog that people want to cheer for. That’s the power of Diego Pavia.

Kirby Smart is the Voice of SEC Media Days

For years, Alabama Day felt different. It wasn’t just the Rammer Jammers who waited in the lobby to catch a glimpse of the Crimson Tide. Nick Saban‘s words carried an indescribable weight in the room, leaving everyone hanging onto every word he said.

That’s not the case with Kalen DeBoer. Alabama is more like its SEC counterparts than ever before. It’s Georgia’s Kirby Smart who has filled the absence left by Saban. While he may not always create an obvious headline, his thoughts on the culture in the sport are the kind that drive conversations. Even though they haven’t won a National Championship in a couple of years, Smart has set an incredibly high standard in the SEC, one that all other coaches are trying to create.