SEC Media Days 2017 - Day 2

Before you jump into today's coverage, check out our coverage of Day 1 to find out what you missed.

Day 1 (Arkansas, LSU, Tennessee): https://goo.gl/kvp17c

7:30 AM - SEC Media Days 2017 Day 2 Begins! Sports Director Wade Smith back on the coverage today. Looking forward to a full day including UGA, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and Florida. My room will see UGA Running Back Nick Chubb to start the morning shortly after 9 AM. Check back in with us then for more. Happy Football!

9:05 AM - Nick Chubb actually got to us a little earlier than expected. Nice surprise. 

Chubb said he has multiple goals to achieve in his final season at UGA. Unfinished business is why he came back for his senior season. 

He knows he is at 100% in his mind. He will find out what his body is ready for come Fall Practice. 

Chubb looks forward to sharing carries with the other great backs on the roster. Hopes to keep everyone more fresh and healthy for stronger performances all around.

9:15 AM - Junior Linebacker Roquan Smith up next from UGA. 

Smith knows that this team is built for a National Championship. He believes the Defense is going to be a strong piece of this team. 

Roquan also says that Chubb and Sony coming back for their senior seasons was very big for the locker room. Sees them both as leaders for this team. Youth will play a big role in the front 7. Already contributing in workouts and back in the spring. 

Smith says the young guys showing they want to learn throughout the process and looking forward to seeing them in action. 

Lastly, the Junior LB wants to lead by example. Vocal leadership doesn't go the whole way.

9:30 AM - Sony Michel is in now for UGA. When asked about his Offensive Line, he said he thinks the youth will help to contribute to the team. Thinks that the struggles last year was a learning curve that allowed him to get better.

Echoing what Chubb said a few minutes ago, one of the biggest factors for Sony to come back was unfinished business. Wanting to do more for the University of Georgia. 

Michel has a special relationship with Nick Chubb. Doesn't mind sharing carries as long as the team gets wins. He is saying all the right things. I am impressed with this crop of leaders from UGA.

9:45 AM - UGA Head Coach Kirby Smart is up next. Lots of confidence from Coach this year. He is comfortable in another year at SEC Media Days.

When asked about comparisons between himself and Nick Saban, he said one thing he does that Nick doesn't is send text messages. "The Age Difference" was used in that answer as well. Good short line of humor from Kirby.

"Players take on the personality of the coach"...when asked about his 'Killer Instinct'. This may be a very good UGA team from the top down and it starts with Coach Smart. 

I will have no issue putting these guys at the top of my pre-season ballot for the SEC East. 

9:55 AM - Returning Junior QB Kyle Shurmur is up the first player for Vanderbilt today. He is very comfortable behind a microphone. Easy to tell he grew up in a football family. 

Shurmur says he just took the Tennessee game last year one play at a time. Was very happy to see his teammate and RB Ralph Webb get the all-time Vandy rushing record. We will hear from him in a few minutes. 

Kyle believes that young guys will step up to fill the holes on the Offensive Line. Said he has no doubt that they will be ready to play day 1. 

Lastly, he says that he is not looking ahead to games like Alabama. Instead, he is focused on the opener and only the opener. 

10:20 AM - Senior Linebacker Oren Burks is up next. First thing out of his mouth is that he is ready for a great season this year. 

Burks believes that the defense has gotten more and more confident the older they get. There are many seniors on the Defense this season for Vandy. 

The biggest key of Burks time focused on confidence and consistency. Can Vandy surprise some people this season?

10:25 AM - Running Back Ralph Webb is next for Vandy. This is Ralph's third trip to Media Days. Usually one of the best interviews of the week. He will break nearly every rushing record left at Vandy this season.

Webb is motivated to be one of the best backs in the SEC. Said he lets his play speak for itself on the field. 

Being from Florida, he looks forward to traveling to Gainesville this year. Ralph is just a genuinely good guy. Looking forward to seeing how he plays this season for the Black and Gold. 

11:05 AM - Vanderbilt Head Coach Derek Mason wraps up our morning session. Mason is 13-24 in his time as the head man at Vandy but there is not a lot of talk of hot seats for Coach. The expectations are much different at Vanderbilt as opposed to other teams in the SEC. 

Mason is a man of few words but does speak very highly of his players. Especially leaders like the young men that we have seen so far today. 

While I don't have high expectations for the Commodores this season, I always like when Vanderbilt can put together solid seasons. I would love to see them make it to Atlanta one day in the future.

1:10 PM - Mississippi State Wide Receiver Donald Gray is our first player after the break. He is competing for best dressed at Media Days. Rocking an amazing suit and tie combo (take a closer look at that photo). 

Gray will be a big piece of the offense this season after the departure of Fred Ross on the outside. Nick Fitzgerald will need Gray to get open as much as possible to take full advantage of this offense. 

Donald would not single out just one defensive back as the toughest in the league. Took the time to compliment the entire conference. 

1:20 PM - Next up, Senior OL Martinas Rankin. He is a man of few words but will lead this Offensive Line. Talked about the SEC being the best talent in the conference and that he is ready day in and day out. 

Great relationship with QB Nick Fitzgerald as well. 

1:30 PM - Linebacker Dez Harris wraps up the trio of players from Mississippi State. 

Harris will be an important leader on this team this season as a 5th year senior. 

1:40 PM - Mississippi State Dan Mullen closes out our coverage of Miss State. His socks and shoes are always the talk of the event. Not sure if they fall under best dressed or loudest dress. One or the other. 

Mullen is a staple in the SEC at this point. Following Nick Saban, he is the longest tenured head coach in the conference. That is always something that is hard for me to believe. 

He could eventually take over that mantle of the SEC Ambassador like Steve Spurrier was for so many years. 

1:50 PM - Florida DB Marcell Harris leads off for the Gators. I think the room is still on their heels from 15 minutes with Dan Mullen. 

Harris should be a big part of the UF Secondary this year and said he welcomes any QB that wants to challenge him or his teammates.

2:05 PM - Florida's Duke Dawson comes next. These Florida guys seem very ready to go and know that the Media is looking to pick UGA as the favorite this year from the East. 

Dawson has respect for all SEC QBs and is ready to face any and all of them.

2:15 PM - Florida's Martez Ivey is the final player of the day. Getting ready for our final coach of the day next...Jim McElwain.

WRAP UP: That ends day number 2 from Hoover, AL. Tomorrow we see Alabama first thing in the morning. That is when the real circus begins here at SEC Media Days 2017. Have a good night!