Over the next four days, 14 coaches and 42 players from the nation’s top conference will gather in Hoover for SEC Media Days. There will be plenty of story lines to follow and SEC Network will bring full coverage every day. Below is the schedule that we will be following. We will have two shows from Hoover this week and our website will have new posts and audio clips throughout the week to keep you updated on everything SEC.
SEC Media Days – Monday, July 13, 2015
11:45 – Gus Malzahn, Auburn head coach
“I’m very excited about this team. We’ve got some experience back in some key areas with some young talent to combine that with. We hired a new defensive coordinator in Will Muschamp to run our defense and I’m very excited about that. I’m just looking forward to getting on the practice field and seeing what this team can do.”
“Just that physical, hit you in the mouth, hard edge that Auburn has been known for to win championships and that’s what Will is known for. That’s why he’s a good fit here at Auburn. We are on our way back to getting that edge.”
“We will have a top ten schedule every year, that’s just the way it is. This is a year that the schedule fits better for us so we have to take advantage of that.”
11:55 – Kris Frost, Auburn linebacker
“The intensity that we bring each and every day. It’s a different atmosphere at practice as far as our defense is concerned. We feel like we have a new breath of life in us. Everything is so positive.”
“Linebackers are the heart of the defense. That’s where it’s supposed to start. Me and (Cassanova McKinzy) are really excited for that.”
“At Auburn, we always give it 100% and that’s what I love about Auburn. That’s never changed. That’s
“We are already better as a defense and we are ready to to excel each and every day. We know that we have the opportunity to be a premier defense and we are ready to do that.”
12:15 – Jonathan Jones, Auburn defensive back
“The foot bothered me a little bit in the spring so I sat out and they did a minor procedure. I expect to be ready to go for the season.”
“Effort. That’s the biggest thing Coach Muschamp wants from us. He’s going to expect that every practice and every day. He definitely brings effort and energy.”
“In (Muschamp’s) defense, he brings a lot of pressure. He puts us in a lot of one on one situations. He doesn’t use a lot of safety help so he wants cornerbacks he can depend on to be alone.”
12:25 – Jeremy Johnson, Auburn quarterback
“My main focus right now is just getting better each and every day and individual accolades will come along with that. As long as we get better with every game, the accolades will come along with that.”
“Duke (Williams) is my roommate. We live with each other. So our relationship is very good and I’m very excited to see how good we can be. He’s a great player and a great guy.”
“We feel very comfortable with (both centers) Austin and Xavier. They’re still battling it out for our starting position. Austin can play anywhere on the line because he is very smart, very talented.”
“We’ll take what the defense gives us. If that calls for me running the ball, a lot of people will be amazed and surprised.”
1:05 – Commissioner Greg Sankey
“This morning was really about us, the Southeastern Conference. The young people that were in that room and on the screen, about their opportunities and achievements.”
“My observations have consistently been that football recruiting is a tighter system. It’s not a group of isolated components that you can just change one component with no impact on the rest of the system. The idea that we would change the signing day and not have an impact on the overall recruiting culture was missing in the Signing Day only proposal.”
“Our coaches have talked about protecting the summer. There is recruiting that takes place, there are summer camps that take place. There is no break. For those purposes, we would like to stick to the recruiting calendar.”
2:40 – Jonathan Bullard, Florida defensive end
“Practice has been fast paced. (The offensive line) has been working hard. They know they have a lot of work to do. They ask questions, so we sometimes slow down practice so they can get it right. But they’re working hard.”
“The defense is not going to take a step back. We aren’t going to let that happen. Losing Dante Fowler is a big reason for that (idea) but we aren’t going to let that happen as a defense.”
“No question, no question. I don’t see why not.” -On if Florida can compete for the SEC East
2:50 – Brandon Powell, Florida wide receiver
“It’s different because Coach Mac is more of an offensive dude so you get to see him a lot. Also, if you’re making plays he’s the one who has the decision to make who will get the ball more.”
“The most difficult transition is learning route depth. I might drift a bit on certain routes and catching passes. So that’s really the biggest transition for me since I’ve never played receiver.”
“I’m still trying to take it all on. I didn’t even know what Media Day was until I got here today. I didn’t know it would be this big.”
3:00 – Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida cornerback
“It’s tough when your team isn’t doing well. When you go back to the stadium, I’m the only one getting the awards. I’m the only one getting the invites to award banquets. I use that as motivation to the other guys and say ‘I’m not the only one that can do this.'”
“I’m looking forward to covering Laquon Treadwell in week 4.”
3:10 – Jim McElwain, Florida head coach
“We’ve got work to do. Yet, at the same time, it’s about getting a little bit better every day at the point that we can be successful. The game is going to take care of itself, the more work we put in.”
“I’m excited about the direction we are headed. Coach Muschamp did some good things with this program and he brought some good players in. The things are doing are going to help some these guys be successful and be successful in life. That’s what this whole thing is all about.”
“I don’t have ‘an offense.’ It’s just about fitting the personnel we have on the team right now. For us, it’s more so about figuring out what they do well. It’s what we can do now to help these guys be successful.”
3:20 – Spencer Pulley, Vanderbilt center
“I’m excited about where the team is right now and where the team will be on September 3rd when we play (Western Kentucky).”
“It wasn’t a season that we wanted to go through but we had to go through it. It wasn’t an identity that I wanted to have last year and this season we want to have a new identity.”
3:40 – Nigel Bowden, Vanderbilt linebacker
“Our front seven. Just coming off the spring, we’re so much faster and play downhill. The D-Line is more intact with each other and more aggressive because they understand what their job is. So it’s going to be a lot faster defense. Whole lot faster defense.”
“(Nehemiah Mitchell) is a power guy. He gets after them. Almost every offensive lineman he’ll get after.”
“Just have to make sure (the older players) can fit their leadership roles. Putting that reminder in their heads about what it takes to win.”
3:50 – Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt running back
“I think we are going to do some great things offensively this year. Coach Ludwig is doing a great job of putting guys in position to make plays. We have the personnel now. This year is going to have a much more explosive offense, scoring more points than we did last year.”
“I used last season as things I can build off. What are my weaknesses that I can make my strong points and I can build off the things I do well.”
4:40 – Derek Mason, Vanderbilt head coach
“This football team has come a long way. It’s been tumultuous and it’s been a rough ride in my first season. I’m really excited for what’s in store for this football team. We’ve been able to make the right changes.”
“We look like an SEC team now. I don’t know if I could say that last season. Where we are now is a full light year ahead of where we go a season ago.”
“Play one quarterback.” -On what specifically can make a difference for this season
