Thoughts of the Day: July 24, 2026

Vernell Brown III will have an important role for the Gators this fall (UAA Photo)

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday afternoon:

Here are a few things we learned from SEC Media Days this week starting with the general consensus among the throng of writers and broadcasters that descended on Tampa from all corners of the United States that this was a very good week for the Florida Gators. Sumrall owned Wednesday and looking back on the four-day event, it’s not a stretch to say his were the best 30 minutes at the podium of all 16 coaches who did their annual state of the program addresses. Sumrall was so impressive in the changes he’s made at Florida since taking over the program last December that some in the media think Florida is a dark horse challenger for the four or five expected berths in the College Football Playoff.

Not only did Sumrall say all the right things, he was accompanied by Jadan Baugh, Myles Graham and Vernell Brown III, all of whom came across as poised, smart, respectful and superb representatives of the University of Florida. For the bulk of the attendees, this was their first encounter with the three Gators and they spoke in the hallways of how impressive these kids were.

While on the SEC Now set, Sumrall got a good-natured shot from Nick Saban: "I'm a Florida resident now, and down there amongst the Gators, and Governor [Ron] DeSantis is a good friend. You took our former [University of Alabama] President Stuart Bell, who's now a Gator, and I want you to know I'm kind of a semi-Gator. If you don't get your sh#t together, I'm gonna be in the middle of that. I just want you to know that."

SUMRALL QUOTE OF THE WEEK FROM THE PODIUM

"I would say no two decisions are alike. Lane (Kiffin) and I are friends, and we talked several times through the process of October-November about what it was looking like for both of our schedules of how things were going to unfold. Lane and I talked as we were going through. He was like, you and I are going through the same thing in November. I was like, No, Lane, we're not. If you leave, you're leaving an SEC school to go to another SEC school. It's a little different. I'm leaving Tulane."

SUMRALL NON-PODIUM QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"Last year's ACC champion was who?
Duke. We beat them at Tulane … I will say this too: every time at Tulane, and when we ran up against a team from this league [SEC], it didn’t feel very good, but when we ran up against ACC teams. When we beat Northwestern (Big Ten) last year, I wasn’t real worried. Going into the game I looked across the other sideline and thought I think we can win today. There are some differences but let’s not act like all Power 4 teams are alike and all G-6 teams are alike."

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS AS VOTED ON BY SEC MEDIA

Order of finish: 1. Georgia; 2. Texas; 3. Ole Miss; 4. Texas A&M; 5. LSU; 6. Alabama; 7. Oklahoma; 8. Tennessee; 9. FLORIDA; 10. Missouri; 11. South Carolina; 12. Auburn; 13. Vanderbilt; 14. Kentucky; 15. Mississippi State; 16. Arkansas

First team All-SEC offense

QB: Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss; RB: Kewan Lacey, Ole Miss; Ahmad Hardy, Missouri; WR: Cam Coleman, Texas, and Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama; TE: Trey’Dez Green, LSU; OG/OT: Trevor Goolsby, Texas; Cayden Green, Missouri; Jordan Seaton; and Earnest Greene III, Georgia; C: Drew Bobo, Georgia; AP: Mario Craver, Texas A&M

First team All-SEC defense: DL: Colin Simmons, Texas; Willie Echoles, Ole Miss; Dylan Stewart, South Carolina; and Princewill Umanmielen, LSU; LB: Whit Weeks, LSU; Xavier Atkins, Auburn; and Rasheem Biles, Texas; DB: KJ Bolden, Georgia; Zabien Brown, Alabama; Bray Hubbard, Alabama; Ellis Robinson IV

Second team All-SEC offense: QB: Arch Manning, Texas; RB: JADAN BAUGH, Florida; Nate Fraier, Georgia; WR: Mario Craver, Texas A&M; Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma; TE: Lawson Luckie, Georgia; OG/OT: Dontrell Glover, Georgia; Michael Fasusi, Oklahoma; Michael Carroll, Alabama; and Lance Heard, Kentucky; C: Mark Nabou Jr., Texas A&M; AP: Ryan Niblett, Texas

Second team All-SEC defense: DL: David Stone, Oklahoma; Elijah Griffin, Georgia; Taylor Wein, Oklahoma; and Quincy Rhodes Jr., Arkansas; LB: Raylen Wilson, Georgia; Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss; and Kip Lewis, Oklahoma; DB: Kelley Jones, Mississippi State; DJ Pickett, LSU; Ty Benefield, LSU; Eli Bowen and Peyton Bowen, Oklahoma

Third team All-SEC offense: QB: Gunner Stockton, Georgia; RB: DeSean Bishop, Tennessee; Hollywood Smothers, Texas; WR: Ryan Wingo, Texas; Nyck Harbor, South Carolina; TE: Willie Rodriguez, Kentucky; OG/OT: David Saunders Jr., Tennessee; Patrick Kutas, Ole Miss; Brandon Baker, Texas; and Wendell Moe Jr., Tennessee; C: Braelin Moore, LSU; AP: JADAN BAUGH, Florida

Third team All-SEC defense: DL: Kam Franklin, Ole Miss; DJ Hicks, Texas A&M; Gabe Harris, Georgia; and JAYDEN WOODS, Florida; LB: Arion Carter, Tennessee; TJ Dottery, LSU; and Yhonzae Pierre, Alabama; DB: Keon Sabb, Alabama; Champ Anthony, Auburn; Khalil Barnes, Georgia; and Jelani McDonald, Texas

First team All-SEC Special teams: PK: Tate Sandell, Oklahoma; P: Grant Chadwick, LSU; RS: Ryan Niblett, Texas; KOS: Tate Sandell, Oklahoma; LS: Ben Anderson, Oklahoma

Second team All-SEC Special teams: PK: Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss; P: Grayson Miller, Oklahoma; RS: Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma; KOS: Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss; LS: Trey Debuc, Texas

Third team All-SEC Special teams: PK: Alex McPherson, Auburn; P: Ethan Pulliam, Mississippi State; RS: VERNELL BROWN III, Florida; KOS: Terry Bussey, Texas A&M; LS: Brett LeBlanc, Missouri

SOME NON-FLORIDA OBSERVATIONS

On a Wednesday that Sumrall clearly owned, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer came across as the least impressive. He’s lost eight games in two seasons – the first time that has happened since Nick Saban’s first two years (2007-08) – and his roster is the least impressive since the days of Mike Shula. I do not think Alabama is one of the six best teams in the SEC.

Sixteen SEC coaches each brought three players with them to Tampa. There were a lot of very impressive young men, but Texas A&M safety Marcus Ratcliffe easily ranks among the top two or three. On the field he tackles, he covers and directs traffic for the players in front of him. His off the field good works should make him a prime candidate to win the Wuerffel Trophy.

Lane Kiffin’s appearance Thursday seemed rather subdued. Instead of “The Mouth That Roared” Lane did his best to come across as introspective and in control. In an interview he did with ESPN he regretted how he left Ole Miss, saying, “I wish I would have gone in when I met with Keith (Carter, Ole Miss AD) and said, 'I've made the decision to go.’ "I wish I would have just said, 'Hey, I'd like to coach the team,' and he'd say, 'No', and I'd say, 'Hey, okay, I appreciate it', move on [and] never even discussed it again."

 Expectations are through the roof for Texas and Steve Sarkisian. The Longhorns spent the offseason on a mission to prove only God has more money, spending freely to surround Arch Manning with elite offensive talent and bringing in Will Muschamp to take over the defense. Texas is on the short list of favorites to win the national championship. If the Longhorns endure a three-loss season there is every good chance Sark will get the pink slip.

There is no conference in the country with such an impressive array of quarterbacks as the SEC, which lends to the belief the three-year national championship drought will come to an end this year. Georgia (Gunner Stockton) Texas (Arch Manning), Ole Miss (Trinidad Chambliss), Oklahoma (John Maeer), Texas A&M (Marcel Reed) and LSU (Sam Leavitt) could all be in the national championship hunt in large part because they have playmaking quarterbacks capable of taking over a game. And this does not count quality QBs at non-national contenders such as LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina), Byrum Brown (Auburn), Austin Simmons (Ole Miss), and Kamario Taylor (Mississippi State).

After a week of the SEC dog and pony show plus the interaction with writers and broadcasters from around the country here is my predicted order of finish for the SEC: 1. Texas; 2. Georgia; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Ole Miss; 5. LSU; 6. Texas A&M; 7. FLORIDA; 8. Alabama; 9. Missouri; 10. Tennessee; 11. Auburn; 12. South Carolina; 13. Vanderbilt; 14. Mississippi State; 15. Kentucky; 16. Arkansas.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Never underestimate the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s ability to do the dumb thing. Given an opportunity to gracefully compromise on its 5-for-5 legislation, the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, has elected to continue fighting it out in courtrooms across the country where losing is almost a foregone conclusion. Judge after judge has sided with athletes challenging the fairness of 5-for-5, which excludes last year’s fourth-year seniors from gaining a fifth year of eligibility while granting the fifth year to athletes who were in their first, second and third years during the recently concluded athletic year.

Earlier in the week an Austin judge issued a TRO against the NCAA that has allowed Texas offensive guard Cole Hutson to rejoin the team. Hutson was the starting right guard a year ago but wasn’t selected when the NFL drafted back in the spring. Hutson’s return means the Longhorns return all five starters from last year’s O-line.

While most of the lawsuits against the NCAA involve basketball players, attorney Darren Heitner said in an email conversation a couple of weeks ago that there will be lawsuits filed on behalf of football players. Since we’re only a couple of weeks away from the opening of August preseason football camps, it is likely the NCAA will be bombarded with lawsuits on behalf of seniors who played their fourth year in the 2025-26 athletic year. Meanwhile, more lawsuit will be filed on behalf of basketball players.

This is a fight the NCAA is not going to win, but in typical fashion it will go down in flames in courtrooms rather than show the wisdom of compromise. How difficult would it be to grandfather in last year’s fourth-year seniors? A benefit of compromise would be decent publicity, something the NCAA hasn’t had in a long, long time. No telling how many billable hours attorneys representing the NCAA have racked up so there is a legitimate cost savings if a compromise could be reached.

Among the many debates questioning the NCAA’s choice to duke it out in the courts was a thought that the NCAA was simply stalling for time until Congress passes the Protect College Sports Act. If that indeed were the case, then the NCAA has taken a torpedo to the engine room. Sources indicate there is no way this legislation can reach the Senate floor prior to the August recess, therefore no Congressional lifeline prior to the start of football season and the fall semester.