Alabama Football: What we learned from SEC Media Days

What did Alabama football fans learn from SEC Media Days about the Crimson Tide and the rest of the 2017 SEC teams?

SEC Media Days is an impressive showcase for SEC football. For most fans, it marks the beginning of the always anticipated new college football season. Talk of Alabama football dominated the four-day event.

Let’s look at some of the highlights for both informational and entertainment value.

SEC football fans hoping for candor by coaches are always disappointed during SEC Media Days. None of the SEC’s current 14 coaches come close to the past directness of Steve Spurrier. Virtually all comments are carefully crafted in advance.

This year was no different. Based on the 14 coach previews, all teams will be better in 2017, all of them will qualify for bowl games, and almost all expect to contend for a division championship.

Since fans cannot depend on coach insight to gauge the best 2017 teams, we look to the assembled media. This too is problematic.  In the last 20 seasons, the media have correctly predicted the SEC champion just four times.

Unsurprisingly Alabama football was the heavy favorite to repeat in 2017. In SEC West divisional voting, the Tide got 225 first-place votes. Auburn was second with 13 votes, followed by LSU with four and Arkansas with one first-place vote.

The voting for the 2017 SEC Champion was almost as one-sided. Alabama football received 217 votes. Auburn got 11 votes, Georgia six, LSU and Florida received three each. South Carolina, Arkansas and Vanderbilt each got one vote to be SEC Champion.

Alabama football also dominated the media choices for All-SEC teams, the Crimson Tide set a record in having 10 players selected for the first team.  A total of 16 players were selected on the first through third All-SEC teams.

2017 PRESEASON MEDIA DAYS ALL-SEC TEAM – compliments of secsports.com

(Total points earned in parenthesis)

OFFENSE First-Team

QB Jalen Hurts, Alabama (196)

RB Derrius Guice, LSU (223)

RB Nick Chubb, Georgia (211)

WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama (232)

WR Christian Kirk, Texas A&M (197)

TE Isaac Nauta, Georgia (134)

OL Braden Smith, Auburn (201)

OL Martez Ivey, Florida (198)

OL Jonah Williams, Alabama (187)

OL Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama (174)

C Frank Ragnow, Arkansas (174)

Second-Team

QB Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State (121)

RB Bo Scarbrough, Alabama (151)

RB Kamryn Pettway, Auburn (141)

WR Antonio Callaway, Florida (152)

WR J’Mon Moore, Missouri (91)

TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina (115)

OL Isaiah Wynn, Georgia (116)

OL Jashon Robertson, Tennessee (108)

OL K.J. Malone, LSU (101)

OL Martinas Rankin, Mississippi State (101)

C Bradley Bozeman, Alabama (155)

Third-Team

QB Austin Allen, Arkansas (102)

RB Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt (105)

RB Sony Michel, Georgia (30)

WR Deebo Samuel, South Carolina (64)

WR Jauan Jennings, Tennessee (42)

TE DeAndre Goolsby, Florida (76)

OL Lester Cotton, Alabama (96)

OL Greg Little, Ole Miss (94)

OL Javon Patterson, Ole Miss (87)

OL Koda Martin, Texas A&M (69)

C Will Clapp, LSU (66)

DEFENSE First-Team

DL Da’Ron Payne, Alabama (196)

DL Da’Shawn Hand, Alabama (180)

DL Trenton Thompson, Georgia (172)

DL Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss (159)

LB Arden Key, LSU (191)

LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama (180)

LB Roquan Smith, Georgia (157)

DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama (232)

DB Ronnie Harrison, Alabama (156)

DB Armani Watts, Texas A&M (137)

DB Duke Dawson, Florida (137)

Second-Team

DL Cece Jefferson, Florida (151)

DL Marlon Davidson, Auburn (120)

DL Christian LaCouture, LSU (107)

DL Denzil Ware, Kentucky (78)

LB Shaun Dion Hamilton, Alabama (156)

LB Skai Moore, South Carolina (128)

LB Tre’ Williams, Auburn (103)

DB Tray Matthews, Auburn (126)

DB Donte Jackson, LSU (123)

DB Carlton Davis, Auburn (109)

DB Dominick Sanders, Georgia (109)

Third-Team

DL Marcell Frazier, Missouri (77)

DL Jabari Zuniga, Florida (76)

DL Dontavius Russell, Auburn (70)

DL Rashard Lawrence, LSU (54)

LB Jordan Jones, Kentucky (91)

LB Lorenzo Carter, Georgia (82)

LB Oren Burks, Vanderbilt (58)

DB Anthony Averett, Alabama (104)

DB Marcell Harris, Florida (83)

DB Mike Edwards, Kentucky (71)

DB Tony Brown, Alabama (62)

SPECIALISTS First-Team

P JK Scott, Alabama (222)

PK Daniel Carlson, Auburn (218)

RS Christian Kirk, Texas A&M (176)

AP Christian Kirk, Texas A&M (161)

Second-Team

P Johnny Townsend, Florida (99)

PK Eddy Pineiro, Florida (106)

RS Evan Berry, Tennessee (117)

AP Derrius Guice, LSU (133)

Third-Team

P Trevor Daniel, Tennessee (58)

PK Gary Wunderlich, Ole Miss (94)

RS Antonio Callaway, Florida (84)

AP Kerryon Johnson, Auburn (66)

The top vote-getters in the league were Minkah Fitzpatrick and Calvin Ridley.

Next: 30 Great Tide Players who were 3-Star Recruits

Did Alabama football fans learn much from SEC Media Days? Probably not, but the entertainment value was great. As far as information, we can conclude Alabama football’s youngish defense is loaded with talent again. But we knew that already.