SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida, officially begin today.
Kentucky coach Will Stein, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, Oklahoma coach Brent Venables and Tennessee coach Josh Heupel are scheduled to speak today, with Georgia coach Kirby Smart set to talk Tuesday.
Auburn coach Alex Golesh, South Carolina coach Shane Beamer and Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea will also speak tomorrow.
You never know exactly how things will unfold, but this SEC Media Days may be a quieter one for Georgia. As my co-worker, Connor Riley, points out, that’s probably exactly how the Bulldogs like it:
Georgia more than happy to not dominate SEC media days hype
SEC media days are nothing new for Smart at this point.
This week’s trip to Tampa will be his 10th as the Georgia head coach. No active SEC coach has been to the annual dog-and-pony show more than Smart.
The Georgia coach will get asked about his three players in attendance, the bigger questions in college football and the fabled group chat he is in with other coaches in the league. At this point, it’s old hat for Smart. Even his quarterback, Gunner Stockton, will be making a second trip to SEC media days.
For Georgia, it will be business as usual. And because of the lack of newness, don’t expect the Bulldogs to dominate the conversation this week.
Even as the defending conference champions, there are other shiny, newsier teams this week.
Texas brings Arch Manning once again to media days. Last year, the Longhorns were picked by the media to win the conference. They missed the College Football Playoff entirely.
Texas does have a new defensive coordinator, as Will Muschamp steps in. He last worked for Georgia, serving as an analyst in 2024 and previously the co-defensive coordinator as well.
The Longhorns loaded up in the transfer portal this offseason, going all-in on this upcoming season. Texas speaks Thursday, ensuring the final day of the event will be one of the busiest.
That same day, Lane Kiffin steps to the podium. He’s no stranger to the event, as he’s represented Ole Miss and Tennessee in the past. In 2026, he’ll speak as the LSU head coach.
LSU overhauled its roster this offseason, making splashy additions via recruiting and the transfer portal. Yet those waves are but minor ripples compared to the cannonball Kiffin has made since taking the Tigers job. The LSU coach figures to answer some sharp questions given the messy divorce that took place between him and his former employer, Ole Miss.
LSU, like Texas, will go Thursday.
While Smart is the most established coach, five new coaches will make their debut at SEC media days. Stein goes Monday, while Golesh will follow Smart on Tuesday.
Florida’s Jon Sumrall and Ole Miss’s Pete Golding take the stage Wednesday, while new Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield speaks Thursday.
Smart can float above the intrigue somewhat as the league’s most tenured coach. And unlike SEC spring meetings, Smart isn’t expected to be bombarded with questions regarding the future of college football. For the first time since spring practice concluded in April, he’ll mostly focus on his team entering the upcoming season.
Smart will have a few injury questions to address, with running back transfer Dante Dowdell being the latest. That Smart brought center Drew Bobo would seem to be a good indication of where the senior is at as he recovers from a foot injury.
As far as personnel and jersey number changes, long-time recruiting staffer David Cooper is officially no longer with the program. Incoming freshman Justice Fitzpatrick will wear No. 6, while guard Dontrell Glover will wear No. 58 instead of No. 63 as he wore last season.
Despite finishing seventh in Heisman Trophy voting, it seems like Stockton won’t end the week atop the Preseason All-SEC ballots. Manning and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will likely vie for the top spot, especially with how well Chambliss finished last season for the Rebels. Chambliss ended Georgia’s season with a masterful performance in the College Football Playoff.
That Georgia has lost immediately in each of its last two College Football Playoff appearances will hang over the Bulldogs all week. It illustrates why there won’t be much buzz around Smart’s team in Tampa.
Georgia has become the SEC’s most consistent program. It has advanced to the SEC championship game in eight of the previous nine seasons. The success has become boring, especially for a team just about everyone knows will be there at the end of the season.
The questions surrounding this Georgia team pertain more to the months of December and January rather than July and August.
The Bulldogs have proven they’re far better at winning games than creating headlines. So while other schools may draw greater attention this week, Smart will likely unveil a new catchphrase, stick to the basics and remain focused on the upcoming season.
This Georgia Bulldog is the only player in program history to rush for five touchdowns in a game.
Bonus: Can you name the game?
Georgia football adds to 2027 recruiting class by landing 4-star DB Adryan Cole
The one thing we hear these days from Georgia football fans is they want to support players who want to be at Georgia. For all those folks, Adryan Cole is one of your new favorite Dawgs.
Cole, who stars at Douglas County High in Douglasville, grew up wanting to be a Dawg.
As his recruitment got tight between schools like LSU and Ole Miss, he kept coming back to that. When he took his official visit to UGA last month, that all came full circle.
“It was great for the first time,” Cole said. “I’m not going to lie, it’s been a childhood dream to put that on.”
Cole made all of that a reality today. He committed to the Dawgs and shared the news across social media. Prior to that, he was the highest-rated undecided prospect in Georgia.
He thought he knew a lot about UGA, but he learned a lot more about the Dawgs on that official visit. Georgia was eager for him to make a move on his visit. The Dawgs wanted him to shut it down and commit, but he held strong.
Well, until Saturday.
“It has been a childhood dream since I was younger,” he said. “It would just be great playing for my hometown team. It is just great having a real relationship with everybody in the building.”
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Douglas County safety Adryan Cole, a 4-star recruit, committed to Georgia. He was the highest-rated undecided rising senior prospect in the state. (Cayce Dunn/DawgNation)
Douglas County safety Adryan Cole is a Top 200 overall prospect and was one of the top remaining targets for UGA in the 2027 cycle before committing Saturday. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Georgia coach Kirby Smart (left) poses with Douglas County safety Adryan Cole, who committed to the Bulldogs on Saturday. (Courtesy photo)
Douglas County coach Johnny White compared safety Adryan Cole (center) to SEC legend Eric Berry, who White coached in high school. (Courtesy)
Scouting report on the newest Dawg
What stands out about Cole is best described by Douglas County coach Johnny White.
When he thinks of Cole, he thinks of SEC legend Eric Berry. White coached Berry in high school 20 years ago when he was at Creekside.
“He’s got everything,” White said. “He’s the best DB I’ve had since Eric Berry. He’s physical. He’s fast. He’s knowledgeable. He understands the game.”
“To be honest with you, I can’t wait to see him this year because he had a full season of track, which he excelled in. So I already know he’s going to be bigger and faster than what people have seen him in the past. He’s a special kid.”
White said that the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Cole was running the 100 meters in the 10.8 range earlier this spring.
“Adryan is going to have a great year,” White said. “He’s such a great young man and he looks the part, too.”
The Berry comp is nice, but White also compared him to a big-time freshman at UGA right now. That’s former Buford star Tyriq “Ty Boogie” Green.
Douglas County will let him play the “Ty Boogie” position this fall. That’s offense and defense. Safety. Running back. Special teams. Kick return. Punt return. Pretty much everything but mix the Powerade and hand it out to famished teammates.
“I just want him to do for us what ‘Ty Boogie’ did for Buford,” White said. “I’m going to let him do a little of everything. Whatever can get us winning.”
