What they said Wednesday at SEC Media Days

On his team’s youth

“I think experience matters, I really do, but I also think that when you have young players who are hungry and have great energy and enthusiasm, that’s helpful to the team chemistry as well. When you have as many people that go out for the draft early, and I’m not complaining about that. I love it when we have players that are good enough to go out for the draft. You’re going to sort of always have a young team because you have four or five starters who would be coming back that all of a sudden are not back. I think one of the things that I tell all of our coaches and the players, our entire team, it’s really important that we develop the young players on our team because we are always going to have a young team and those guys need to be able to contribute early on.

“So their development is critical to us having a successful team, and we do have some good, young players. I think the challenge is for us as coaches to be able to help those guys develop to where they can play winning football.”

On what he’s most proud of during his Alabama tenure and avoiding complacency

“The thing that I would be most proud of is the fact that we have a program that has helped players have a chance to be more successful in life because they were involved in a program. That’s the No. 1 thing, because that’s the No. 1 goal, right, that we have in our program and that I personally have for the players in our program. We are going to continue to do that.

“To answer the second part of your question is, every season is a new challenge. It’s like you took a new job. You have returning players that need to develop new roles on the team, whether it’s leadership or play a new position. And you have a lot of young players who are coming in that you need to develop to help them be able to play at a certain level so that you can accomplish some of the goals and aspirations that the team has for themselves in terms of what they want to accomplish, individually and collectively.

“And I never look back at the past. It’s always about the future. Most of the things that I remember about the past are the games we didn’t win, the national championship games that we lost, the games that we lost a year ago on the last play of the game, and how that impacted our chances to have a successful season and accomplish the goals that the players wanted to accomplish and how we could have impacted that in a more positive way. So I’m always looking for a better way, and always looking at what can we do to be better and that’s what we continue to try to focus on in the future and that’s a challenge that we have with every team and this team will be no different.”

On his relationship with new Auburn coach Hugh Freeze

“I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for Hugh Freeze. He’s a good friend. I thought he did a great job when he was at Ole Miss. He obviously did a really good job at Liberty, and I’m sure he’ll do a very good job at Auburn. So I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a coach, and I think his history as a coach sort of speaks for itself. He’s a good recruiter. They had really good players at Ole Miss when he was there, and I’m sure they will do the same thing in his current position.

“So look, I’m friends with a lot of guys. There’s a lot of guys out there that work for me and did a great job, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t respect them but you do have to compete against them and that’s part of it. When I play golf, I play with some of my best friends, but they want to beat me and I want to beat them and that’s OK. But when the game is over, you’re still friends and that’s the way it will be probably with this. It’s a great rivalry, the iron Bowl, and being successful in that game usually happens some significant impact on the SEC and the West Division. So it’s a game that’s really, really important to us to try to continue to be able to do the things that we need to do to be able to have success, and when we play down there, it’s always been challenging.”

On the quarterback competition

“Obviously the No. 1 that people are most interested in is the quarterback. We had a great quarterback, won a Heisman Trophy. Bryce (Young) did a fantastic job for us. So we have three guys that are competing for that position right now. All of those players are getting better, and it’s important for us that all those players get better. I don’t think anybody has actually separated themselves yet to this with the and I don’t think it’s something that we are trying to rush.

“I used the analogy earlier, Grandma Saban used to bake the best cakes in the world, and I used to stand by the oven when I was a kid and say, “When is this cake going to be done? When is this cake going to be done?” She said, ‘If I don’t let it go through and take it out of the oven too soon, it will turn to mush, and it won’t be a really good cake.’ So I think we have to sort of let this develop and make sure we let the cake bake until somebody separates themselves and all the players are working hard. They all have a good attitude. They are all competing well.”

On his favorite type of cake … and expectations for his quarterbacks

“Carrot cake, that’s easy.

“Look, I talked about expectations before and we are focusing on how do they develop the players that we have, and we want to develop all the players. You know, everybody wants to know who the starter is. What about the backup guy who has to go in and play, like Jalen Milroe did last year against Texas A&M, Howie finished the Arkansas game. It’s important that all these guys continue to develop, and everybody at that position develops into where they can play winning football.

“I use the cake analogy because it’s not done yet. It’s not – there’s not a decision that needs to be made at this point in time, nor are we ready to make that decision at this time until somebody separates themselves. But expectations, we want somebody to play winning football at that position. Our quarterback is a unique position in that you distribute the ball on every play, whether you hand it off, whether you choose the play that we run, whether you hand it off or whether you throw an advantaged throw, making decisions in the passing game to throw it to the right guys at the right time and the right place and accurately.

“So who can do that with the most consistency and be a leader on our team who has an impact on the other players is also important, because quarterback may be one of the most difficult positions to play if the people around you don’t play well. So I think that’s a challenge for us, too, is to get the people around our quarterbacks to play well so that it’s a little easier for them to be able to have success at the position when they get the opportunity.”

Defensive lineman Dallas Turner

On what he learned from Will Anderson, who’s now with the Houston Texas

“I feel like Will taught me a lot. We taught each other a lot, I’ll say that. But just seeing him grow, him seeing me grow, it’s been very good. I took a lot of things for him. I feel like I wouldn’t be who I am today without him. I’ll say that.”

On Georgia being called the new standard serving as motivation

“I wouldn’t say it (provides) any type of motivation. We are our own motivation. We want to get better as a team. We’re not worried about anybody else. But Georgia, they have a very good program winning back-to-back national championships. I can’t take that away from them. But they’re Georgia and we’re Alabama. He’s a very important person in my transition from high school to college football.”

On if he watched the national championship and heard (ESPN announcer) David Pollack call Georgia the new kings of college football

“I mean, I didn’t watch it. I mean, everybody has the freedom of speech, so …”

Offensive lineman JC Latham

On the offense and quarterback competition

“Out of the offense as a whole, I’ve seen a lot of great things. We’re taking everything in stride and doing what we have to do to be great.

“We understand that we lost Bryce Young, so everybody around us stepping up, taking it all in stride, not just trying to be good on the field, but off the field as well, in the weight room, nutrition, recovery, mobility, recovery, whatever it is. We understand our goal is to win it all, national championship.

“As far as the quarterback room goes, just competition. Everybody is competing. They know what’s up for grabs for anybody. They’re doing what we have to do to succeed.”

On Georgia becoming the new standard

“I respect the fact they’ve won back-to-back (championships). I know that’s not easy. I’ve seen the work they’ve put in. At the same time – their standard is great, but I don’t think it’s above our standard.”

Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry

On the young defensive backs who’ve impressed him

“We have a lot of young players this year, young secondary. I feel like Caleb Downs has stand out, Dezz Ricks, Jahlil Hurley. Even the newcomers that we have, the transfers, are standing out, learning the defense, looking good for the coaches.”

On Downs, a freshman from Mill Creek High School

“I feel like a guy like Caleb, he’s very dedicated. Every time I pop up at the facility, he’s already been there for maybe an hour or two getting extra work in with the coaches, learning the defense, doing small things like that that’s very important to learn the defense.

“I feel like I see him doing a lot of small things in the weight room. Even when we get done working out, working on his abs one day, might be stretches one day. I feel like he doing a lot of little things right.”

On the new players possibly being intimidated by Saban

“Well, of course, when I first came in, I was a little shaky about being around coach Saban. I’m pretty sure those guys have the same mindset about that.

“I just tell them, like, coach Saban is a guy that you have to be able to trust. If he don’t trust you, it’s going to be hard for you. Just go out there, showing Coach you know what you’re doing, looking like you know what you’re doing even if you don’t know what you’re doing, just playing hard at all times, flying around. That’s what I tell the guys.”

On his nickname

“The day I was born I came out with a smile. My Grandma said I had a smile like the Kool-Aid man. That’s how I got the name.”

Asked how many times he’d been asked where he got his name, McKinstry said, “I can’t even keep count. I probably get asked every day.” His given name is Ga’Quincy.

Arkansas

Coach Sam Pittman

On the transfer portal and ways to tighten the process

“I believe that kids know if they want to transfer. I think they know. It’s like a house, coming soon for sale. Now on Twitter, it’s, ‘I’m getting ready to go in the transfer portal’ because rules say you can’t talk to them, all this, so they are letting the world know they are getting ready to. I think they already know. I think a week is plenty of time.

“It’s going to be a lot better for roster management and it’s going to be better for us that if a guy in the portal, it allows us to go back to high school and recruit. Right now it’s very, very hard if you lose a guy in the portal, not to go replace him with a portal guy. I think closing that window down somewhat; if I’m a grand transfer, and I’ve transferred once as a graduate transfer, to me, that’s plenty. To me, you can’t go transfer again. Some of those things I think would help roster management. NIL – part of NIL problem comes with the ability to transfer. And if we close that window down, maybe some of the financial things you’re hearing in NIL might become more true than maybe just words.”

On new strength-and-conditioning coach Ben Sowders, who worked with Pittman in 2018-19 at Georgia

“I loved him. I liked him as a man. I like his work ethic. I like what he’s about. He’s a Christian man. I like everything about him. When we had a turnover there, he was the first and only call that I made.”

On if he’s enjoyed a Hamm’s beer after a game

“Go Hogs. I like an old Hamm beer, but you burp a lot afterwards. You (reporter) seem like you got a good job, man. Step it up a little bit.”

On Mike Leach’s passing and if Pittman is now college football’s most entertaining personality

“Man, I couldn’t be – I couldn’t come close to him. We miss him, don’t we? We do. A lot of fun, and honest as the day is long. And he’s thought about a lot of his answers and some he didn’t. I’ll say this: Somebody asked me, ‘Well, did you know him?’ I said, ‘Well, no.’ And they said, ‘Well, are you going to the funeral?’ And I said, ‘I am because he would be at mine.’ That’s just what kind of guy he was. Always calm all the time. A lot of respect for him and we go to the Liberty Bowl and the people at the Liberty Bowl can’t quit talk about all the things that Mike Leach said about me because they are Arkansas fans the year before. Incredible man and let’s be honest, we miss him. The game will miss him as well.

“But I want to say this: Mississippi State got it right. When that happened, they hired coach (Zach) Arnett. He’s the right hire for them. He’s a good coach. We talk a lot about the other part of it, but I think Zach Arnett is going to do a heck of a job with Mississippi State.”

Quarterback KJ Jefferson

On how seriously he considered entering the draft

“The factors that led me coming back was I didn’t get to play in some of the big SEC games due to injuries. I just wanted to come back and be able to give my teammates another shot at being able to just go out there and help my teammates win, become successful.”

On advice he’d give new SEC quarterbacks

“I mean, being able to get in, establish a bond, a relationship with your coaching staff first. Also let that bond trickle down to the players and the teammates. Come in and just work and just grind.

“The main thing is you want to establish a relationship with even each and every one of your receivers, each and every one of your teammates so when y’all do take the field, y’all have that bond together. And when adversity hits y’all, y’all don’t separate, y’all just come together as one.”

On which quarterbacks he studies to improve

“I look at a lot of guys from NFL standpoint. I look at Jalen Hurts a lot, Patrick Mahomes, I look at him a lot. Joe Burrow as well, from a technical standpoint, his footwork. I feel like he has the best footwork between all the quarterbacks in the league right now. Just being able to watch those guys, critique those guys, go out in the field, out in the sand, work on different things that help me prepare myself for the upcoming season.”

Defensive lineman Landon Jackson

On playing for Pittman and the program’s direction

“First of all, I love playing for Sam Pittman. He’s a genuine guy. What y’all see in the public, what y’all see at media days and stuff like that is how he is to us. He’s just an energetic and happy man. He’s walking around all day at practice just chopping it up with different players, making conversation. He always has a smile on his face.

“I think we’re really stressing all the small details. Last year I want to say it was three or four games we lost by combined nine points. Those games where we’re losing by two or three, we have to be able to capitalize and win those games. I feel like that will make us a much better team.

“Coach Sowders, our new strength coach, came from Louisville, he stresses all the little details. For example, for like workouts, he stresses us to be there not five minutes early but earlier than five minutes. Say the workout is at 3 p.m. If there at 2:55, you’re on the StairMaster, you’re doing up, downs, something like that. All the little details we’re really trying to perfect right now, and I think it will play into the season.”

Florida

Coach Billy Napier

On his team entering his second season

“I’m excited about the energy and the attitude of this accountability group and these three guys and what they bring to our team. I think in January, we went through an extensive detailed review of year one at Florida. As an entire organization, each individual, each department, you know, what worked, what didn’t work, how do we adjust; how do we adapt; how do we evolve. We started the process of getting our 2023 team ready to go.

“This is a new group of players and we have a few new staff dynamics but one of the things that I’m encouraged about is we have 97 percent of our team was with us in January. We had 27 mid-year players. We have a great group of veterans that have experience and have wisdom from the past. We have brought in an influx of young talent and I feel really good about what we did in the portal. We added 10,000 snaps and 123 starts with that group. I’m excited about the compound effect of year two, the consistency of process, the consistency in our systems. I think we have defined the expectations and renewed the accountability and there is a different level of discipline and a different level of detail as we work today.”

On the quarterback competition

“I’ve been very impressed with Graham (Mertz). Graham is a 32-start player. He’s played over 2,000 snaps at a really established program in Wisconsin. We went through an extensive process to make that decision. I think Graham is an accomplished player but more importantly, I’ve been impressed with the person, the leader. This guy has an incredible motor and work ethic. He is in the building and he is fanatical about his preparation.

“That’s helped the competition. I think that’s caused Jack (Miller) to respond. Jack has had an incredible offseason, and he’s in position for great (preseason) camp. And we have been really pleased with a young player, Max Brown. He’s had a good summer. He’s impressed the staff and he’s impressed his teammates. We are excited about that competition. We’ll go into training camp and we’ll make a decision when we see fit for the team.”

On any interest in the Georgia-Florida game becoming a home-and-home game

“Well, I think that the Florida-Georgia game is an incredible rivalry. I think there’s history there. There’s tradition there. There’s a ton of economic implications relative to these decisions. We are going to have to cross that bridge at some point due to the renovations in Jacksonville but there’s benefit to home-at-home from a recruiting perspective, and I think there’s benefit from an economic standpoint for both athletic departments and institution. Right now we have three more years of the same model. I’ve got enough grass to mow right now, so I’m going to go focus on the things that are in front of me.”

On what he learned coaching under Saban and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney

“I think obviously two of the better coaches in the history of our game, if not the best. I would say that a lot of the things that you learn from those guys stand the test of time. I think simple things like defining expectations, being really consistent and fair, everyone understanding their role, and you know, kind of putting the ego aside and working to earn more.

“You know, I think they are good at what they do because they have conviction about what they want their football team to look like, right, and there’s a big picture plan relative to purpose, right. I know for me, our purpose is the player, right. We want to create a life-changing organization that has impact on the person, the student and the football player.”

Center Kingsley Eguakun

On home games in the Swamp

“I think just the atmosphere of game day in Gainesville and the 90,000 people out there screaming at the top of their lungs, it’s different for sure. But you kind of just feel the love from all the fans, from Gator Walk, leaving the hotel. Everybody is standing, lined up, wanting the autograph, wanting to shake your hand, say hi. I mean, the Swamp is a different type of place to play. But the love from the fans is probably the biggest thing about the Swamp that I love playing at home.”

On any differences in Napier from Year 1 to Year 2

“Coach Napier, I mean, I think he was pretty comfortable last year. I think the main difference is everybody’s bought in. There’s no wavering minds, no guys thinking what about this, what about that, trying to see if the grass is greener on the other side. I think everybody has completely bought in and trusts what coach Napier has in place for us. Everybody wants to win and even wants to do things the right way.”

Receiver Ricky Pearsall

On Mertz

“So Graham Mertz, he’s a tremendous human. I think first and foremost I want to address that. He has a really good head on his shoulders. A super intelligent human. His football IQ stands out to me the most, the way he sees coverages. I think that’s from his experience. Then getting to develop a relationship with him has been extremely important for us. As you know, a quarterback and receiver duo. He’s also my friend outside the field, too. We actually just went to the beach this last weekend, St. Augustine, to throw on the beach. Just doing things like that with him.”

On his advice to players transferred into the SEC (as Pearsall did from Arizona State)

“Just to get ready to play the best of the best. I mean, that’s the reason why I came here. I wanted to play against the best of the best every single snap. The SEC is that conference to do that. I think that’s the one thing I would tell them. Also to get ready for the traditions and histories that lie in the SEC, as well. I think that was a big thing that stood out to me and I was excited for. Obviously the fans behind it.”

On Florida fans

“I think the University of Florida has the best fans in the nation. Seeing everybody pop out to the games, it’s super important for us. It obviously creates advantages for us when we’re at home with the noise and stuff, making it hard on the other team. Also seeing them in away games, too, knowing we got that support system. I’m actually from Arizona. I think there’s a Gator Club in Arizona, which is crazy to me, because everybody asks me how did I come from Arizona to Florida because it’s so far? They got actually a Gator Club out there. I think we just have the best fans in the nation.”

Kentucky

Coach Mark Stoops

On transfer quarterback Devin Leary, who arrived from North Carolina State

“Devin, I saw in the spring a guy that competes, competes at a high level. I love the way he goes to work. He has a lot of confidence. He has a chip on his shoulder, which I like. You know, obviously for him, getting his season cut short a year ago with injury didn’t sit well with him. So he’s very anxious to get out there and lead.

“I feel like just the mindset that he has, a tough kid and a Jersey kid, and the way he grew up, he fits right in with our culture. And he’s been extremely accurate. He’s one of those guys that maybe a year ago at times would completely wow you with his arm ability and the strength that he has. Devin is the type of guy that can make all the throws, but he’ll also put it in some spots or throw it and layer it in some spots that will wow you. Been impressed, and excited to see him continue to grow.”

On his relationship with Oklahoma coach Brent Venables and the looming SEC expansion

“When I first heard about Oklahoma and Texas, my immediate reaction was, wow, already a great conference, going to get better. And excited about that opportunity. You know, it will just make it that much more of a challenge with two great programs and the history of both of those programs. I’ve known coach Venables for a long time, back to his days at Kansas State where he started coaching with Mike and Bob at K-State, and then of course at Oklahoma. Known Brent for a long time. Think the world of him as a person and as a coach, and you know, excited for him because I know he’ll do great things there, and I think he’s a great fit and certainly, very close to my family.”

On Kentucky’s success in the transfer portal

“I hope it has to do with the culture of our team. As transfer players hit the market and they go looking at teams, I think the ones that will fit our program are the ones that will want to come in and contribute and fit into the culture that we have. You know, name, image, likeness plays a part at some schools. I haven’t found it to be the deciding factor at Kentucky. You know, I like the guys that we have and the fit and the people that they are, and you know, we need them to come in and contribute, certainly, this year.”

On former quarterback Will Levis’ fall to the Titans in the second round of the NFL draft

“It was obviously a very difficult situation to sit through and be with him and just try to support him. And really just wanted him to know that we were there for him and support him. He has an absolutely tremendous family that he’s very close to that was right there with him. We were just part of that support system, and it was tough to go through.

“But Will, he’ll come out of the other side. That was just a little blip on the radar. Went to a great organization with a great head coach (Mike Vrabel) that I have a lot of respect for right here in this city (Nashville), and I think it fits the mentality that Will is comfortable with. I think he will do very well and have a long NFL career and look back on that and say, ‘It was a blip on the radar.’ Not fun. Not fun for anybody to go through that, but he went to a good team early in the second round, and he will be a very successful quarterback. There’s a pretty good one by the name of Jalen Hurts. He maybe didn’t have to sit there through the draft, but he went in later rounds, second or third, if I’m not mistaken, and look at the great career he’s had so far and will continue to have.

“For Will, he just has to stay the course and stay away from proving, you know, all that and just play ball because he’s a heck of a player. He’s very competitive and he wants to win for his organization. And if he sticks to that, he’ll be successful.”

Offensive lineman Eli Cox

On the SEC East

“I think the SEC East, the competition is growing year in and year out. Georgia has become a very good football program that’s consistently in the top five, winning national championships. Tennessee has obviously got a great football program. Florida, Vanderbilt, South Carolina. They’re all good football teams. It’s a deep field of competition.”

On Liam Coen’s return as offensive coordinator

“I think he brings an ability to get our play-makers the ball in good situations. He puts them in matches that they know they can win. He gives them the confidence that when the ball is in their hands, they’ll do something special.”

Defensive lineman Octavious Oxendine

On Leary

“Just so far I’ve definitely seen huge strides in his footwork and his mentality as far as willing to learn the playbook, getting out there and wanting to play the game of football. He’s a big football guru, but his passion for technique and playbook has definitely taken huge strides.”

On Leary’s comparisons with Levis

“I would definitely say there’s a lot of similarities, but they’re also definitely different. Like I said before, his footwork, and I like the whip he has on the ball, and just his mentality as far as learning the playbook and those strides that he wants to take, I see the Will Levis side in him.”

On playing for Stoops

“I feel like it’s a blessing just because you don’t get that many coaches that’s actually player led, like he says he is. In and out of everything we do is definitely player led, from the workouts to the play calling to what we just feel comfortable in what we want to do. He just lets it come down to us. It trickles right down the tree. Goes to our position coaches to the DCs, OCs, then honestly just us. Whatever we want to do is definitely a lot player led.”

On the relationship between Kentucky’s football and basketball teams

“I feel there’s no type of rivalry there at all just because we always keep with the basketball guys. I was telling a reporter earlier today, those are my guys. Shout-out to my guys. Canada earlier at Jake’s house. They had fantastic time playing basketball up there. And our recruiting class we just got in basketball, like they’re the guys. We’re doing good on both sides right now. I feel like we’re an all-around good sports school. We’ve always been top 20 all around. Tennis, volleyball. Anything we do in sports at Kentucky, I feel like we’re the top of the line.”