SEC Football Media Days 2017: Day 3 coaches and players list
By Trey Daubert
The third day of 2017 SEC Media Days kicks off on Wednesday, July 12. Below is the list of every player and coach that will meet with the press on Wednesday during the event.
The 2017 SEC Media Days is a must-see event and a great way to get excited about the upcoming college football season. The event is taking place at the alluring Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama.
Players and coaches from Alabama, Missouri, Texas A&M and Kentucky all meet with the press on the third day of the event. Head coaches Nick Saban, Barry Odom, Kevin Sumlin and Mark Stoops will all be in attendance. Keep an eye on Nick Saban in particular.
On behalf of the Saban-led Crimson Tide, Bradley Bozeman, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Calvin Ridley will all speak to the media. Bozeman — 6-foot-5, 320 pounds — is a senior center who could be one of the highest-rated centers in the 2018 NFL Draft. The same goes for Fitzpatrick and Ridley who are expected to make the jump to the NFL next year. Fitzpatrick is a rangy safety and a true center-fielder grabbing six interceptions a year ago including two returned for touchdowns. At 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds, Fitzpatrick reminds me of a bigger Tyrann Mathieu and a true ballhawk in the defensive backfield. Ridley will look to improve from a 72-catch, 769 yard and seven-touchdown season. Ridley will hope to replicate the success that Amari Cooper and Julio Jones have had in the past from Alabama. The reigning SEC champs will likely steal a lot of the focus during the SEC media days.
Eric Beisel, Drew Lock and J’Mon Moore represent the players in attendance for Missouri. A year ago, Mizzou went just 2-6 in conference play to go along with a 4-8 overall record. Beisel will look to help turn things around as one of the leaders on defense. Beisel, 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds, is one of those linebackers that wears his heart on his sleeve and could turn in a productive season after playing sparingly as a sophomore. If Missouri is really going to contend this year, quarterback Drew Lock will have to take a step forward. Lock threw for 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a sophomore. Missouri hasn’t had a quarterback drafted since Blaine Gabbert back in 2011. Lock’s premier target, J’Mon Moore, is coming off a productive season. Moore managed to haul in 62 catches, 1,012 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2016.
Christian Kirk, Koda Martin and Armani Watts take the stand to represent Texas A&M. Kirk has the potential to be a first-round pick in 2018 as a highly-rated wide receiver prospect. Kirk, 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, is an undersized wideout but is considered to be a great route runner. Martin is one of the cogs of the A&M offensive line where the program has had a bunch of athlete transition into the pros in recent years. Jermaine Eleumanor, Germain Ifedi, Cedric Ogbeuhi and Jake Matthews are just some of those recent examples. Watts is a makes up a tough A&M defensive backfield and will look to improve after he reeled in two interceptions a year ago. Texas A&M will be coming off a third-straight 8-5 season but will have a lot of departures to worry about including 2016 first overall pick Myles Garrett.
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A senior-driven Kentucky squad will lead the way for the program including Mike Edwards, Stephen Johnson and Courtney Love. Edwards is a highly productive safety and a leader on the Wildcats defense. The California native Stephen Johnson will really need to improve upon a 13-6 touchdown to interception ratio type of season in order for Kentucky to ameliorate upon their 2016 record of 7-5. Courtney Love is a tackling machine for the Wildcats. Kentucky is the face of SEC basketball but isn’t much of a force in football just yet. In a family full of college coaches, Mark Stoops hopes to put Kentucky back on the map.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Head Coach: Nick Saban
Offensive Line: Bradley Bozeman, Senior
Defensive Back: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Junior
Wide Receiver: Calvin Ridley, Junior
Missouri Tigers
Head Coach: Barry Odom
Linebacker: Eric Beisel, Junior
Quarterback: Drew Lock, Junior
Wide Receiver: J’Mon Moore, Senior
Texas A&M Aggies
Head Coach: Kevin Sumlin
Wide Receiver: Christian Kirk, Junior
Offensive Line: Koda Martin, Junior
Defensive Back: Armani Watts, Senior
Kentucky Wildcats
Head Coach: Mark Stoops
Safety: Mike Edwards, Senior
Quarterback: Stephen Johnson, Senior
Linebacker: Courtney Love, Senior