Invitees to 2025 SEC Media Days announced; QBs will be plentiful
By GRAHAM DUNN
The annual SEC Football Kickoff Media Days will take place beginning Monday, July 14 in Atlanta.
The four-day event will have a full complement of quarterbacks.
There are 11 signal callers slated to appear at the College Football Hall of Fame, including a couple that are considered first-round draft picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Texas sophomore Arch Manning will be a popular invitee, following in the footsteps of his uncles Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. Had there been an SEC Media Days in the 1960s, his grandfather, Archie, would have also been a hit.
LSU is set to bring Garrett Nussmeier to the party and will be a lead off for the festivities on Monday morning. Nussmeier is considered an early favorite for the Heisman Trophy.
The 11 quarterbacks are the most to ever attend a single SEC Media Day event, breaking last year’s number of 10. The two years certainly got a boost with two added teams to the league in 2024.
Three of the quarterbacks are returnees with one attending with a new team. Jackson Arnold was a representative with Oklahoma last year and returns with Auburn this year.
The others - Nussmeier and Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen - are back, continuing a trend where a quarterback has been a repeat visitor for the last eight straight years.
When it comes to running backs, the opposite is true. No team is bringing a ball carrier to Atlanta, which is a uncustomary, but may becoming a trend. Last year, Florida brought Montrell Johnson, Jr. as the lone running back to attend in Dallas.
This will be the third time since 2018 Atlanta has hosted the SEC’s preseason media extravaganza. Dallas, Nashville and Atlanta have served as hosts the previous three years.
Along with Arnold, Auburn will have junior defensive lineman Keldric Faulk and junior offensive lineman
Connor Lew attending. The Tigers arrive on Tuesday.
Alabama’s contengency will be in Atlanta on Wednesday with senior defensive lineman Tim Keenan ,III, senior linebacker Deontae Lawson and junior offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor.
Full coverage of the four-day event will be provided by River Region Sports and RRS Radio on WTLS Radio (101.1 FM/94.7 FM) with the Wake-Up Call at 6 a.m. and River Region Sports midday show at noon.
SEC Network will also have coverage.
2025 Football Media Days Student-Athlete Attendees (in order of appearance)
Monday
LSU (Ch. Brian Kelly)
Chris Hilton Jr., WR, Senior
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, Senior
Whit Weeks, LB, Junior
Mississippi State. (Ch. Jeff Lebby)
Blake Shapen, QB, Graduate
Isaac Smith, S, Junior
Brenen Thompson, WR, Senior
South Carolina (Ch. Shane Beamer)
LaNorris Sellers, QB, Sophomore
DQ Smith, DB, Senior
Nick Barrett, DT, Senior
Vanderbilt (Ch. Clark Lea)
Randon Fontenette, S/OLB, Junior
Martel Hight, DB, Junior
Diego Pavia, QB, Graduate
TUESDAY
Auburn (Ch. Hugh Freeze)
Jackson Arnold, QB, Junior
Keldric Faulk, DL, Junior
Connor Lew, OL, Junior
Georgia (Ch. Kirby Smart)
CJ Allen, LB, Junior
Daylen Everette, DB, Senior
Gunner Stockton, QB, Junior
Tennessee (Ch. Josh Heuel)
Arion Carter, LB, Junior
Miles Kitselman, TE, Senior
Bryson Eason, DT, Senior
Texas (Ch. Steve Sarkisian)
Anthony Hill Jr, LB, Junior
Arch Manning, QB, Sophomore
Michael Taaffe, DB, Senior
WEDNESDAY
Alabama (Ch. Kalen DeBoer)
Tim Keenan, III, DL, Senior
Deontae Lawson, LB, Senior
Kadyn Proctor, OL, Junior
Florida (Ch. Billy Napier)
Caleb Banks, DL, Senior
Jake Slaughter, OL, Senior
DJ Lagway, QB, Sophomore
Ole Miss (Ch. Lane Kiffin)
TJ Dottery, LB, Junior
Cayden Lee, WR, Junior
Austin Simmons, QB, Sophomore
Oklahoma (Ch. Brent Venables)
John Mateer, QB, Junior
Robert Spears-Jennings, DB, Senior
R Mason Thomas, DL, Senior
THURSDAY
Arkansas (Ch. Sam Pittman)
Cam Ball, DL, Senior
Taylen Green, QB, Senior
Xavian Sorey Jr., LB, Senior
Kentucky (Ch. Mark Stoops)
Alex Afari Jr., LB, Senior
Jordan Lovett, DB, Senior
Josh Kattus, TE, Senior
Missouri (Ch. Eli Drinkwitz)
Daylan Carnell, S, Graduate
Connor Tollison, C, Graduate
Zion Young, DE, Senior
Texas A&M (Ch. Mike Elko)
Will Lee III, DB, Senior
Ar’maj Reed-Adams, OL, Graduate
Taurean York, LB, Junior