The main event of talking season has arrived. From July 20 through July 23, all sixteen SEC programs descend on Tampa for the 2026 SEC Football Kickoff Media Days, the event’s first trip to Florida in its history. And now the attendee lists have dropped. Media Days isn’t just podium quotes and preseason polls anymore. In the NIL era, it’s the launchpad for athlete brands. The players stepping in front of those cameras this week are the same ones fans are backing directly, and the spotlight in Tampa moves markets.
If you want the full July calendar from the Big 12 through the Big Ten, check out our college football media days guide. This one is all SEC: who’s coming, when they take the stage, and which athletes deserve your fuel before the season starts.
The Schedule at a Glance
Monday, July 20: Oklahoma leads off with QB John Mateer, OL Eddy Pierre-Louis, and DL Taylor Wein.
Tuesday, July 21: Auburn takes the stage with new head coach Alex Golesh, QB Byrum Brown, K Alex McPherson, and DB Champ Anthony. Kirby Smart and Georgia hit the podium the same day.
Wednesday, July 22: Alabama, Florida, and Ole Miss share a loaded slate. Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama circus arrive midweek while the Gators play to a crowd from their home state.
Thursday, July 23: Texas and LSU close the show. Arch Manning in Tampa is the main event of the entire week, with Steve Sarkisian at the podium and Lane Kiffin making his first Media Days appearance as LSU’s head coach on the same day.
Full Attendee List by Team
Alabama: Zabien Brown (DB), Ryan Coleman-Williams (WR), Bray Hubbard (DB)
Arkansas: Caden Kitler (OL), Quincy Rhodes Jr. (DE), Sutton Smith (RB)
Auburn: Champ Anthony (DB), Byrum Brown (QB), Alex McPherson (K)
Florida: Jadan Baugh (RB), Myles Graham (LB), Vernell Brown III (WR)
Georgia: Drew Bobo (OL), Gunner Stockton (QB), Raylen Wilson (LB)
Kentucky: Ty Bryant (S), Kenny Minchey (QB), Willie Rodriguez (TE)
LSU: TJ Dottery (LB), Trey’Dez Green (TE), Whit Weeks (LB)
Ole Miss: Trinidad Chambliss (QB), Will Echoles (DT), Kewan Lacy (RB)
Mississippi State: Anthony Evans III (WR), Kelley Jones (CB), Kamario Taylor (QB)
Missouri: Cayden Green (OL), Jamal Roberts (RB), Nicholas Rodriguez (LB)
Oklahoma: John Mateer (QB), Eddy Pierre-Louis (OL), Taylor Wein (DL)
South Carolina: Nyck Harbor (WR), LaNorris Sellers (QB), Peyton Williams (DB)
Tennessee: DeSean Bishop (RB), Arion Carter (LB), Jeremiah Telander (LB)
Texas: Trevor Goosby (OL), Arch Manning (QB), Colin Simmons (DE)
Texas A&M: Daymion Sanford (LB), Marcus Ratcliffe (S), Marcel Reed (QB)
Vanderbilt: Sedrick Alexander (RB), Issa Ouattara (DL), Junior Sherrill (WR)
Every one of these athletes, along with more than 6,800 of their SEC teammates, can be found on RallyFuel’s SEC conference hub, where fans back players through verified NIL deals with full refund protection.
Five Storylines That Will Dominate the Week
1. Arch Manning, Center of the College Football Universe
Thursday in Tampa will feel like a Manning family press conference crossed with a rock concert. Every question about championship expectations and life as the most scrutinized player in the sport lands squarely on Arch Manning. He’s also the single biggest name brand in college football, the kind of athlete whose Media Days soundbites ripple through the entire NIL landscape by Friday morning. And he shares the closing day with Lane Kiffin’s debut at the LSU podium, making Thursday the most watchable session of the week.
2. John Mateer Opens the Show
Oklahoma drew the Monday slot, which means John Mateer sets the tone for the whole week. The senior from Little Elm, TX threw for 2,885 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, and Sooner Nation is betting he takes another leap in year two in Norman. Fans who want in early can fuel Mateer directly on RallyFuel, and if he ever transferred, every dollar comes back. That’s the whole point of NIL powered by fans.
3. The Quarterback Parade
Nine of sixteen schools are bringing their quarterback: Manning (Texas), Mateer (Oklahoma), Gunner Stockton (Georgia), LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M), Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), Byrum Brown (Auburn), Kenny Minchey (Kentucky), and Kamario Taylor (Mississippi State). That’s a murderers’ row of podium sessions, and a clear signal about which programs feel settled at the game’s most valuable position, on the field and in the NIL market.
4. Alabama Zigging While Everyone Zags
Notably absent from the QB parade? Alabama. The Tide are sending two defensive backs, Zabien Brown and Bray Hubbard, plus wideout Ryan Coleman-Williams. Brown, a junior corner out of Santa Ana who picked off two passes a season ago, headlines a secondary Tuscaloosa clearly sees as its identity. Expect the QB question to be the first one asked Wednesday.
5. Home Field Energy for the Gators
With Media Days in Tampa, Florida gets the closest thing to a home crowd. Jadan Baugh arrives as one of the SEC’s most productive backs, Myles Graham carries a famous football surname, and Vernell Brown III gives the Gators a dynamic face at receiver. Expect the loudest fan presence outside the convention center to be wearing orange and blue, and expect Gator NIL activity to spike accordingly.
Under the Radar Athletes Worth Fueling
Media Days is where household names get made, but the smartest fans back athletes before the breakout. A few names from the attendee list worth watching:
Nyck Harbor, WR, South Carolina. The track star turned receiver is one of the most physically gifted athletes in America, and pairing him with LaNorris Sellers gives the Gamecocks the most electric duo at the event.
Trey’Dez Green, TE, LSU. The standout in two sports has matchup nightmare written all over him, and LSU clearly views him as a face of the program.
Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss. Quarterbacks who rep their school at Media Days tend to see their profiles (and their NIL value) climb fast.
Colin Simmons, DE, Texas. Arch gets the cameras, but Simmons might be the best defensive player in the conference. Quote machines don’t come much better.
Why Media Days Matters for NIL
The athletes who own the podium this week become the faces of the season. Back yours before the breakout. Head to RallyFuel, pick your player, and fuel them today. Ninety percent goes straight to the athlete, fully refunded if conditions aren’t met.
The Bottom Line
Four days in Tampa. Sixteen teams. One conference that never stops talking, right up until the games start doing it for them.
Browse every SEC Media Days attendee on the RallyFuel SEC hub and fuel your player before the season kicks off.
