Five things to watch at SEC Media Days

The unofficial start to the SEC football season begins Monday. Well, at least the “Talking Season,” as the conference referred to it on Friday. All 14 SEC teams will converge in Hoover, Ala. this week for SEC Media Days, the conference’s annual summer media event.

Last year’s SEC Media Days were called off due to COVID-19. This year’s event will feature a few changes —namely a limited attendance and the lack of fans in the lobby of the The Wynfrey Hotel. However, for the most part, this week will feature a return to normal for the SEC.

Alabama is scheduled to appear on Wednesday along with Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. Florida, LSU and South Carolina kick off the event on Monday while Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tennessee take the stage on Tuesday. The event wraps up on Thursday with Arkansas, Auburn and Missouri.

Here are five things to expect from this year’s SEC Media Days.

If players were able to receive a dollar for every time they’ll be asked about receiving a dollar next week, they’d be rolling in cash by the time they travel back to their respective campuses. Talk of name, image and likeness (NIL) rights are set to dominate SEC Media Days as reporters ask players about their new earning opportunities, what they plan to do with the money and if it will ultimately serve as a distraction for the coming season.

The latter of those topics is sure to be brought up to coaches as well. That will likely lead to some delicate responses as coaches want to support their player’s ability to capitalize on their NIL rights while also providing warnings of possible disturbances that could ensue from the process.

Comedian Joey Mulinaro provided his impersonation of an unenthusiastic Saban fielding questions about NIL last week. The head coach was previously asked about NIL in May during the Regions Tradition pro-am, stating he supported his players’ ability to do what is best for them.

“Look, I’m all for the players,” Saban said at the event. “My biggest concern is how do we manage this, how do we police this and how do we make sure that it’s fair for everybody? The NCAA has always tried to keep a level playing field for everyone, so hopefully, this is something that will be fair for everyone and everyone will have an opportunity to create some value for themself and their brand, but at the same time it won’t create advantages for anyone.”

Alabama fans hoping to hear from Bryce Young for the first time are going to have to wait a bit longer. The Tide isn’t ready to unveil the sophomore quarterback to the media just yet as it chose to bring junior receiver John Metchie III and redshirt senior defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis to Hoover instead.

Young’s absence isn’t necessarily shocking. Alabama doesn’t typically bring underclassmen to the event, especially if they have yet to start a game as is the case with Young.

The Tide won’t be the only program without a passer present either. This year’s media days will feature just three quarterbacks in Auburn’s Bo Nix, Georgia’s JT Daniels and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral. While it’s worth noting that schools are taking one fewer player than in recent years, that’s still the fewest quarterbacks the event has seen in the last five years.

While Young won’t be at this year’s SEC Media Days, his presence will still surely be felt. Expect several questions about the former five-star recruit as he prepares to step into his first season as the starter behind center for Alabama.

Metchie hasn’t met with the media since essentially taking over the Tide’s receiving corps this offseason. The junior was limited during spring camp, depriving him of his first opportunity to lead the unit on the field following the departures of first-round picks Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith.

While it’s yet to be seen how Alabama’s transition of stars this offseason will influence its offense, Metchie is highly projected to be the Tide’s top target this year. The 6-foot, 195-pound receiver is coming off of a breakout sophomore season in which he finished second on the team with 55 receptions for 916 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers could increase this year if the junior is able to build a nice bond with Young this summer.

Expect Metchie to field several questions about that as well as his role as a leader in the Tide’s locker room. There might also be a few mentions of an awkward social media situation that occurred in February when the receiver claimed his Snapchat and Twitter were hacked resulting in a few damning posts. It will also be interesting to get Metchie’s take on the rest of the receiving room, which includes four highly-rated freshmen as well Ohio State transfer Jameson Williams, who is already receiving plenty of praise from people close to the program.

Alabama’s decision to bring Metchie isn’t too surprising. The junior is one of the biggest returning names on the Tide’s offense and has even been mentioned as a possible first-round pick in several early mock drafts. Mathis, on the other hand, was a bit more interesting of a selection as most would have expected junior linebacker Christian Harris to serve as the defensive representative.

That being said, Mathis fits the bill for everything Alabama is looking for in an ambassador as his leadership on and off the field was key to last season’s title run.

Mathis’ inclusion in the event could foreshadow an increased role on the field this year. Last season, the 6-foot-4, 312-pound defender played in all 13 games while making six starts. Mathis recorded 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries while breaking up three passes and forcing a fumble. He also ranked second on the team with a 79.5 pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus.

Alabama lost its sacks leader, Chrisitan Barmore, to the NFL this offseason. Mathis’ ability to provide a pass rush up the middle will be key in replacing the first-team All-SEC defensive tackle’s production on the field.

It’s all but a certainty that Alabama and Georgia will be selected by the media to win their respective divisions. However, there’s a bit more of a debate when it comes to predicting the winner of the SEC.

It’s hard to bet against Saban and Alabama, even if the Tide is losing the bulk of its stars from last season’s record-setting team. Then again, Kirby Smart and Georgia return more of last season’s production while also doing a nice job of taking advantage of the transfer portal.

Alabama and Georgia boast arguably the top two defenses in the nation and still feature plenty of firepower on the other side of the ball. The winner in this debate will likely come down to how the media feels about both team’s quarterback situations.

Daniels showed plenty of promise last season, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 1,231 yards and 10 touchdowns with two interceptions while starting the Bulldogs’ final four games. Young was less convincing during his limited time in mop-up duty last season but put his potential on display this spring, earning MVP honors during Alabama’s A-Day game where he completed 25 of 44 passes for 333 yards and a touchdown.

Another thing to consider is Saban’s 23-0 record against former assistants. Smart will likely have to snap that this year if Georgia wants to usurp Alabama for the SEC throne.