Thoughts of the day: August 20, 2025

At least this time the SEC coaches got it right when it comes to Jake Slaughter (Photo by Chris Spears)

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning:

Well, at least the SEC coaches got it right with Jake Slaughter this time. Last December the coaches didn’t name Slaughter to either first, second or third team All-SEC and yet he was first team All-SEC by the Associated Press. Not only that, Slaughter was the first team All-American center on the AP, ESPN and Pro Football Focus teams. He was second team All-America for CBS Sports and College Football News.

When the SEC coaches came out with their preseason All-SEC team Tuesday, Slaughter was the first team center. Also named first team was left tackle Austin Barber. Defensive lineman Caleb Banks, placekicker Trey Smack and long snapper Rocco Underwood all made the second team. Defensive end Tyreak Sapp made third team.

In what can only be considered the surprise of surprises, Florida quarterback DJ Lagway was named to the third team. The first team QB is LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and the second team QB is South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers.

What? No Arch Manning on either the first second or third teams? Athlon named him first team preseason All-America QB while Phil Steele had him as the third team QB. Lindy’s had Arch as the second team All-SEC.

PRESEASON COACHES ALL-SEC

First team offense: QB: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU; RB: Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M, and Quintrevion Wisner, Texas; WR: Ryan Williams, Alabama, and Cam Coleman, Auburn; TE: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt; OL: Kaydyn Proctor, Alabama; Cayden Green, Missouri; AUSTIN BARBER, FLORIDA; DJ Campbell, Texas; and Fernando Carmona Jr., Arkansas; C: JAKE SLAUGHTER, FLORIDA

First team defense: DL: Dylan Stewart, South Carolina; Colin Simmons, Texas; Keldric Faulk, Auburn; and Christian Miller, Georgia; LB: Anthony Hill Jr., Texas; Whit Weeks, LSU; and CJ Allen, Georgia; DB: KJ Bolden, Georgia; Daylen Everette, Georgia; Michael Taaffe, Texas; and Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

First team special teams: PK: Peyton Woodring, Georgia; P: Brett Thorson, Georgia; RS: Barion Brown, LSU; KOS: Peyton Woodring, Georgia; LS: Beau Gardner, Georgia; AP: Zachariah Branch, Georgia

Second team offense: QB: LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina; RB: Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma, and Caden Durham, LSU; WR: Aaron Anderson, LSU; Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri; and Eric Singleton, Auburn; TE: Oscar Delp, Georgia; OL: Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M; Jaeden Roberts, Alabama; Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M; and Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M; C: Parker Brailsford, Alabama

Second team defense: DL: CALEB BANKS, FLORIDA; R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma; Tim Keenan III, Alabama; LT Overton, Alabama; LB Deontae Lawson, Alabama; Harold Perkins, LSU; and Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss; DB: Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina; Will Lee, Texas A&M; Malik Muhammad, Texas; Domani Jackson, Alabama; and Keon Sabb, Alabama

Second team special teams: PK: TREY SMACK, FLORIDA; P: Jack Bouwmeester, Texas; RS: Zachariah Branch, Georgia; KOS: TREY SMACK, FLORIDA; LS: ROCCO UNDERWOOD, FLORIDA; AP: Zavion Thomas, LSU

Third team offense: QB DJ LAGWAY, FLORIDA; RB: Nate Frazier, Georgia, and Jam Miller, Alabama; WR: Zachariah Branch, Georgia; Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee; and EUGENE WILSON III, FLORIDA; TE: Miles Kitselman, Tennessee; OL: Earnest Greene III, Georgia; Xavier Chaplin, Auburn; Lance Heard, Tennessee; Joshua Braun, Kentucky; and Trevor Goosby, Texas; C: Conner Lew, Auburn

Third team defense: DL: Cam Ball, Arkansas; TYREAK SAPP, FLORIDA; Trey Moore, Texas; Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss; LB: Taurean York, Texas A&M; Arion Carter, Tennessee; and Princewill Umanmielen, Ole Miss; DB: Boo Carter, Tennessee; Isaac Smith, Mississippi State; Jalen Catalon, Missouri; and Bray Hubbard, Alabama

Third team special teams: PK: Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss, and Alex McPherson, Auburn; P: Aidan Laros, Kentucky; RS: Zavion Thomas, LSU; KOS: Will Stone, Texas; LS: Ben Anderson, Oklahoma; AP: Martel Wright, Vanderbilt

TWO GATORS NAMED ON3 PRESEASON FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICANS

Offense

QB: Bryce Underwood, Michigan; RB: Gideon Davidson, Clemson; TE: Linkon Cure, Kansas State; WR: Jayvon Bogs, Florida State; Dakorien Moore, Oregon; and DALLAS WILSON, FLORIDA; OL: Michael Fasusi, Oklahoma; Juan Gaston, Georgia; John Mills, Washington; David Sanders Jr., Tennessee; and Isaac Sowells, North Carolina State

Defense

EDGE: JAYDEN WOODS, FLORIDA, and Marco Jones, Texas A&M; DL: Elijah Griffin, Georgia, and Donta Simpson, Miami; LB: Bradley Gompers, Duke, and Riley Pettijohn, Ohio State; DB: Tae Harris, Georgia Tech; Graceson Littleton, Texas; DJ Pickett, LSU; Demetres Samuel Jr., Syracuse; and Devin Sanchez, Ohio State

SEC FOOTBALL

No. 8 Alabama: Running back Jam Miller’s injury is a dislocated collarbone. He underwent surgery to put it back in place but will miss at least the first three games. Earliest estimate is that Miller will return in time for Alabama’s September road trip to Georgia … With Miller injured, offensive coordinator has four running backs competing for the starting job. First game: at Florida State

Arkansas: Nobody is predicting much from the Razorbacks but HBC Sam Pittman told the Little Rock Touchdown Club, “We’ll surprise a lot of people … We got a really good football team.” … Depth at defensive tackle is a real concern for the Razorbacks per Pittman. First game: Arkansas State (in Little Rock)

Auburn: Taking a page from the UCF history playbook, Auburn is now claiming nine national championships. Auburn now claims the 1910, 1914, 1958, 1993 and 2004 national championships. Auburn went 6-1 in 1910 and was declared national champion both times by something called The Billingsley Report. Since the 1913 Tigers won the Billingsley national title with an 8-0 record, Auburn is claiming the 1914 title since it went 8-0-1. Nobody else thinks so. The 1958 Tigers went 9-0-1 but were on probation. Not even Billingsley thought the Tigers were national champs, not when LSU went unbeaten and was declared national champ by everyone with a pulse. The 1993 Tigers were on probation (imagine that) but they went 11-0 someone called the National Championship declared them national champs. In 2004, Auburn went 13-0 but was left out of the BCS. Southern Cal’s national championship was vacated, therefore Auburn claims the title since it was undefeated.  First game: at Baylor

No. 5 Georgia: Punter Brett Thorson, who tore an ACL in the SEC Championship Game against Texas back in December, is kicking but not in rush situations. HBC Kirby Smart is unsure if Thorson will be ready to go game one against Marshall. First game: Marshall

Kentucky: While the first team quarterback is unquestionably Incarnate Word transfer Zach Calzada, backup Cutter Boley has been impressive through Kentucky’s first 16 practices. Boley played in four games last season, completing fewer than 50 percent of his passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns with four picks. First game: Toledo

No. 9 LSU: Backup quarterback Michael Van Buren has the index finger on his throwing hand in a splint but HBC Brian Kelly says it’s nothing serious. Kelly said X-rays and an MRI on Van Buren’s finger came back negative … The three offensive linemen who have nailed down starting jobs are left tackle Tyree Adams, right guard Josh Thompson and center Braelin Moore.  First game: at No. 4 Clemson

Mississippi State: The first team defensive unit so far: DE Will Whitson, NG Kalvin Dinkins or Jamil Burroughs, DE Trevion Williams, JACK Branden Jennings, WLB Zakari Tillman, MLB Jalen Smith, SLB Isaac Smith, CB Kelley Jones, CB Jet Jefferson, S Jahron Manning, S Brylan Lanier. First game: at Southern Miss

Missouri: HBC Eli Drinkwitz is expected to name a starting quarterback today between Penn State transfer Beau Pribula and fourth-year junior Sam Horn. No matter who is the starter, Drinkwitz says, “I feel comfortable with both those guys.” First game: Central Arkansas

No. 18 Oklahoma: If the Sooners were to play today the starting wide receivers would be true freshman Elijah Thomas, Southern Illinois transfer Keontez Lewis and sophomore Ivan Carreon. First game: Illinois State

No. 21 Ole Miss: Harrison Wallace, who caught 46 passes for 720 yards and four touchdowns as a Penn State starter in 2024, and De’Zhaun Stribling, who caught 52 passes for 882 yards and six touchdowns at Oklahoma State, look to be starting at wide receiver along with returning starter Caden Lee … Although sons Cody and Parker are part of Mario Cristobal’s staff at Miami, Coach O seems likely to work for Lane Kiffin if he follows through with a desire to return to coaching. Coach O worked for Kiffin at Tennessee and at Southern Cal. First game: Georgia State

No. 13 South Carolina: Utah State transfer running back Rahsul Faison still hasn’t been cleared by the NCAA to play in 2025. Faison gained 1,109 yards and scored eight touchdowns last season … South Carolina has sold out of season tickets. First game: Virginia Tech (in Atlanta)

No. 24 Tennessee: HBC Josh Heupel said Joey Aguilar will start at quarterback bcause he “played well in scrimmages, had good command.” … Wide receivers Mike Matthews, Chris Brazzell and Brayton Stanley, who have missed several practices due to injuries, were back at practice Tuesday. First game: Syracuse (in Atlanta)

No. 1 Texas: After watching Texas practice, former LSU coach Ed Orgeron said, “Arch (Manning) is as close to or maybe as good as Joe (Burrow) as I’ve seen and I’ve never said that about anybody.” First game: at Ohio State

No. 19 Texas A&M: With Le’Veon Moss being brought along slowly (ACL tear last year), Rueben Owens, EJ Smith (son of Emmitt Smith) and freshman Jamarion Morrow are sharing the reps at running back. First game: Texas-San Antonio

Vanderbilt: HBC Clark Lea says the Vandy roster is “the best that we’ve had since I’ve been here. I think just in terms of depth. Part of that is developmental, part of that has been strategic portal additions.” First game: Charleston Southern

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT

As laughable as it seems that Auburn has claimed four national championships including a couple of years while on NCAA probation (1958 and 1993), give them credit for at least sticking up for their school, albeit more than 100 years after the fact in a couple of instances. It does make you wonder why it is the University of Florida doesn’t claim the 1984 New York Times national championship?

Yes, the Gators were hit with a serious NCAA probation but the New York Times considered Florida the best team in the country and therefore awarded UF its national championship trophy. Brigham Young won the trophy that year. The Cougars did finish as the only unbeaten team in the country, but BYU played a mediocre 6-5 Michigan in the Holiday Bowl prior to Christmas. Only diehard BYU fans think the Cougars could have even kept the score close against Florida, which for all practical purposes, was an NFL team.

Florida has never claimed the NYT national title even though it still has the trophy on display. Meanwhile Alabama claims a whole slew of national titles including 1941 when the Crimson Tide finished 20^th in the AP poll, but something called the Houlgate System made the 9-2 team the national champ. Georgia claims the 1942 national championship issued by Billingsley, Litkenhous Ratings and several others you probably have never heard of. Tennessee claims national titles in 1938, 1940, 1950 and 1967 that aren’t officially recognized. The 1967 title was awarded by the Litkenhous Ratings whatever that is.

Does Alabama have trophies for that Houlgate championship? Do Georgia and  Tennessee have a Litkenhouse trophy?

Why doesn’t Vanderbilt claim national championships from 1906, 1911, 1921 and 1922? Why doesn’t Texas A&M claim the national titles from 1919 and 1927 won by head coach Dana X. Bible? Texas has five national championships it doesn’t officially claim including one by Dana X. Bible (1941). Oklahoma has seven championships it claims and 10 it doesn’t.

If it’s the probation thing that keeps UF from claiming the 1984 title, Oklahoma won the 1974 national championship while on probation. Auburn now claims 1958 and 1993 titles won on probation.

It would be stupid to claim 1984 without a trophy, but the Gators have a trophy to prove it. So why not, Florida?