Tony Barnhart
By Tony Barnhart
ATLANTA_The real official start of the college football preseason began Monday in Atlanta with the ever-popular SEC Media Days 2025 at the College Football Hall of Fame.
Over the course of four days 1,000-plus media members will gather as each of the 16 schools will bring their head coach and
three players each. And there will be questions. Lots and lots of questions. Here are 10 questions that I have during SEC Media Days 2025:
1--Can Alabama and Kalen DeBoer bounce back from 9-4 with new OC Ryan Grubb? I was told by a staffer that getting Grubb,
who spent last season with the Seahawks, back with DeBoer was “a really big deal”. The bigger question is whether or not Ty
Simpson deliver at QB. We’ll find out on Sept. 27. That’s when Alabama goes to Georgia.
2--If DJ Lagway stays healthy can Florida be a legitimate contender to get to Atlanta? My Gator friends still tell me that if
Lagway had not gotten hurt the Gators would have beaten Georgia in Jacksonville. Lagway is the real deal folks. The Gators
still have a ridiculous schedule. That trip LSU on Sept. 13 looms large.
3--Why are Georgia fans obsessed about the quarterback position? They shouldn’t be. Gunner Stockton will be just fine.
The real problem in Athens is that the Bulldogs finished 15th in SEC rushing offense last season. Georgia hasn’t had a 1,000-
yard rusher since 2019. It led the nation in dropped passes with 36, but that should be fixed with some big-time additions, including
WR Zachariah Branch from USC.
4--Is transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold the answer for Hugh Freeze at Auburn? Arnold beat Alabama last season as Oklahoma’s starting QB but he also lost the job during the course of the season. The first thing Auburn must do to be in the discussion is to quit turning the ball over (15 fumbles and 13 interceptions last season).
5--Who is your dark horse team? Glad you asked. I’m going with LSU. Quarterback (Grant Nussmeier) threw for over 4,000 yards
last season and has proven that he has an NFL arm. LSU hit the portal in attempt to improve a bad defense that was 15th in the
SEC in points allowed (24.3 ppg).
6--Ole Miss has posted 10 wins or more in three of the past four seasons. Can Austin Simmons give the Rebels what Lane Kiffin
needs at quarterback? Not only did Ole Miss lose QB Jaxon Dart but most of what was the best wide receiver room in college
football. But it says here that under Kiffin the Rebels will always have quarterbacks and wide receivers. Simmons, a lefty, will do
well.
7--The Arch Manning era finally begins at Texas. He will have four new offensive linemen. He is the early favorite to win the Heisman
Trophy. His first start of the season will be at Ohio State, the defending national champions. Can he live up to the enormous expectations?
8--Is Washington State transfer quarterback John Mateer going to make a difference at Oklahoma?
He threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns last season but he also ran for 826 yards. He will be called upon to improve an
offense that finished next to last in the SEC in scoring with only 24.0 points per game. It will help Mateer a lot if Oklahoma doesn’t
give up 50 sacks like it did last season. It would also help coach Brent Venables if the Sooners don’t go 6-7 again.
9--Is South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers that good? We’re abut to find out. Sellers and the South Carolina offense were playing
as well as anybody in the country at the end of last season. They lost by three (36-33) to LSU, lost by two (27-25) to Alabama, they
dominated Oklahoma and Texas A&M. They beat a 10-3 Missouri team and state rival Clemson Over his final seven starts last season he averaged 249 yards passing with 14 TD and three interceptions.
`10--Nico Iamaleava is gone as Tennessee’s starting quarterback. Does this mean that the Vols can’t get back to the College
Football Playoffs? No. Two reasons. No. 1: Joey Aguilar was a very serviceable quarterback at Appalachian State, where he started 24 games and threw for 6,700 yards 56 touchdowns. He’ll be even better playing for Josh Heupel. No. 2: The Vols have a shot because defensive coordinator Tim Banks is still in Knoxville and returns seven starters from a unit that finished third in the SEC giving up only 16.1 points per game. Only the defenses at Ole Miss and Texas did it better.
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