SEC Media Days continued with four prominent College Football Playoff aspirants making their appearance. Texas and Georgia faced off in the last season’s SEC Championship Game, while Tennessee and Auburn aim to also qualify this year.

Media days serve as a platform for notable coaches to establish their goals, but they’re also an opportunity for exaggerations. Not every team is truly poised for a breakout year despite the rampant optimism.

We assessed several claims made by each SEC coach during Day 2 of SEC Media Days and determined their validity.

Tennessee’s Situation: The Volunteers, having made waves in the offseason after quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s unexpected departure amid an NIL conflict, now face a competitive quarterback situation involving underclassmen Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre, as well as transfer Joey Aguilar from App State and UCLA.

“We will succeed with the player who emerges victorious in the fall camp competition,” Josh Heupel stated.

Although Iamaleava was the face of the team, his performance did not meet expectations; he ranked seventh in the SEC for passer rating and barely broke 200 yards per game in league outings. Tennessee made it to the CFP last season largely powered by its defense and running attack. However, they must replace significant contributions on both offense and defense, and their fate will likely not hinge solely on the quarterback’s performance.

Verdict: Fact

The Vols have the potential to succeed with whoever leads them in the upcoming season.