Kentucky football ready to be front and center for SEC Media Days

For those Kentucky football fans and others across the county longing for Saturday football then how about some Christmas in July this week with SEC Media Days and a chance to seriously start talking up the Wildcats to the world.

The Southeastern Conference Media Days are always a sleek and exciting week announcing practice is nearing and games beginning on September 3. It takes place back in Atlanta next to the College Football Hall of Fame.

There was a time not so long ago Kentucky would draw basic interest from the media and in theatre speak be along the back row right or left.

That no longer is the case as coach Mark Stoops has built this program over the past nine seasons into one that has moved to the front row discussing being ranked, talk of contending for the SEC East, and just how good quarterback Will Levis is going to be.

The event kicks off today and runs for four days. Big Blue Nation will have to wait to go last on Wednesday and are the only team in the afternoon following Georgia coach Kirby Smart prior to lunch and the team UK hopes to dethrone.

Stoops is taking Levis along with offensive guard Kenneth Horsey and linebacker DeAndre Square with him and this should be a fun week and lots to talk about.

Maybe it’s better that Kentucky goes later and we can get a lot of the conference realignment and NIL talk out of the way early, although it will never go away Stoops prefers more to talk about football and leave the other stuff to the Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart and others.

Hopefully, he will be asked about being named to the preseason watchlist for the Dodd Trophy and Coach of the Year.

While Stoops will be talking Xs and O’s, no one really knows what will come out of Levis. Expect it to be high energy, positive, and just how eager he is to be out on Kroger Field and a few other surprises.

Levis is in the dark horse talk as a Heisman Trophy candidate so that question is sure to come up and the 6-foot-3, 235-pound quarterback won’t shy away from talking about anything.

But for now, here is the schedule for those ready to hear from every coach across the SEC. The SEC Network will have over 46 hours of coverage for you to sit back and watch if you are so inclined.

Monday, July 18

LSU (12:35 p.m.) – Coach Brian Kelly along with  WR Jack Bech, LB Mike Jones, Jr., and DE BJ Ojulari
Ole Miss (2:30 p.m.) – Coach Lane Kiffin  along with WR Jonathan Mingo, DE Cedric Johnson, and OL Nick Broeker
Missouri (3:55 p.m.) – Coach Eli Drinkwitz brings WR Barrett Banister, DB Martez Manuel, and DL Isaiah McGuire

Tuesday, July 19
Alabama (9:05 a.m.)- Coach Nick Saban along with LB Will Anderson, DB Jordan Battle, QB Bryce Young
Mississippi State (1 p.m.) – Coach Mike Leach along with  DT Jaden Crumedy, LB Nathaniel Watson, WR Austin Williams
South Carolina (2:25 p.m.) – Coach Shane Beamer along with OL Jovaughn Gwyn, WR Dakereon Joyner, DL Zacch Pickens
Vanderbilt (10:30 a.m.) -Coach Clark Lea along with TE Ben Bresnahan, LB Anfernee Orji, QB Mike Wright

Wednesday, July 20

Arkansas (9:05 a.m.) – Coach Sam Pittman along with  S Jalen Catalon, QB KJ Jefferson, LB Bumper Pool
Florida (1 p.m.) – Coach Billy Napier along with QB Anthony Richardson, OL Richard Gouraige, LB Ventrell Miller
Georgia (10:30 a.m.) – Coach Kirby Smart along with  QB Stetson Bennett IV, LB Nolan Smith, OL Sedrick Van Pran
Kentucky (2:25 p.m.) – Coach Mark Stoops along with QB Will Levis, OG Kenneth Horsey, ILB DeAndre Square

Thursday, July 21

Auburn (9:05 a.m.) – Coach Bryan Harsin along with RB Tank Bigsby, EDGE Derick Hall, TE John Samuel Shenker
Tennessee (10:30 a.m.) – Coach Josh Heupel along with  S Trevon Flowers, QB Hendon Hooker, WR Cedric Tillman
Texas A&M (12:30 p.m.) – Coach Jimbo Fisher along with  DB Demani Richardson, OL Layden Robinson, WR/AP Ainias Smith