SEC Media Days Primer: Gators Drop in on Tuesday

Gators head coach Jim McElwain visits SEC Football Media Days in Hoover, Ala., on Tuesday to discuss the Gators entering his third season in Gainesville.

SEC Media Days Primer: Gators Drop in on Tuesday

Monday, July 10, 2017 | Football, Scott Carter

College football fans get a fix this week as the SEC Football Media Days run Monday-Thursday in Hoover, Ala.

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Less than two weeks after the Florida baseball team captured the school's first national title on a warm summer night in Omaha against Southeastern Conference rival LSU, the SEC is set to take center stage once again.

This time in a hotel attached to one of the country's largest shopping malls.

That can only mean one thing folks: SEC Football Media Days are back!

Y'all know why we're here. #SECMD17 pic.twitter.com/IPV8qesiRQ
— SEC (@SEC) July 10, 2017

The Gators are scheduled to stop by the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala., on Tuesday to partake in the league's summer kickoff bash. Head coach Jim McElwain will be joined by players Marcell Harris, Duke Dawson and Martez Ivey to talk about the upcoming season and who knows what else.

After all, former Gators coach Steve Spurrier once dubbed the event the start of "talkin' season." To get everyone into the spirit, Spurrier narrates the SEC Network's show opener Monday to launch more than 30 hours of live coverage this week.

Arkansas, LSU and Tennessee check in with the mass of media on Monday, followed by Florida, Vanderbilt, Georgia and Mississippi State on Tuesday.

Here are five questions surrounding the Gators that will be asked on Tuesday:

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1. Who's the starting quarterback?

This one sounds familiar as McElwain enters his third season at UF. Then again, it's been an annual topic of discussion nearly every preseason since Tim Tebow took off his Gators helmet for good. Redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks was labeled the front-runner at the end of spring camp, but with the recent addition of graduate transfer Malik Zaire from Notre Dame and with Luke Del Rio still on the roster, there is plenty of intrigue heading into fall camp where this position is headed.

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2. What is the outlook for receiver Antonio Callaway?

Callaway has been Florida's most dangerous offensive weapon in McElwain's first two seasons. He's also been a source of concern when he's not on the field. Callaway made more offseason headlines this spring and enters his junior season as a likely NFL draft pick next spring if he stays focused and fulfills his promise. However, Callaway's status for the season opener remains uncertain.

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7? more Saturdays until...

well, you know. ????#Swamp17 #GoGators ?? pic.twitter.com/1yv7GvN7aF
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) July 8, 2017

3. Who will step up on defense?

The Gators lost seven starters on defense from last season, including linebacker Jarrad Davis, the unquestioned leader of a unit that has consistently ranked among the nation's best this decade. The secondary is young, the linebackers talented and the defensive line capable. Still, is this the year Dawson and Harris shine at defensive back? Will Vosean Joseph emerge as a player known for more than a hit at LSU? Are Cece Jefferson and Taven Bryan ready to lead up front? Can Jabari Zuniga be the dominant player many think he can be? The answers will determine a lot about this team.

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4. Is this the year Florida's offense really takes off?

Much of this answer lies in the question about the quarterback, but the Gators have more talent on offense than they have had in several years. Callaway, senior Brandon Powell and the sophomore class of Tyrie Cleveland, Josh Hammond and Freddie Swain form a strong core of receivers. Tight ends DeAndre Goolsby and C'yontai Lewis are talented and offer different looks, and running backs Jordan Scarlett, Mark Thompson and Lamical Perine are more than capable of carrying the ground game. Meanwhile, the offensive line is deeper than the past couple of seasons and features Ivey, considered a budding star. If the quarterback play is above average, the Gators have a good chance to return to Atlanta.

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5. Can the Gators win the SEC East for a third consecutive year and challenge Alabama for conference supremacy?

McElwain is 19-8 in his first two seasons and has led Florida to back-to-back SEC East titles, no small feat considering some of the roster holes when he took over, primarily on offense. He squeezed enough from the offense and relied heavily on the defense to exceed preseason expectations both years. The Gators lost to Alabama each season in the SEC Championship Game, proving a significant gap remains between the programs. Still, another strong recruiting class has the Gators on the verge of perhaps rejoining the national elite if they can sort their quarterback issues out. Whether that's in 2017 or beyond is the biggest question of all.

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A look at some fresh links to get you in the mood for SEC football and the talkin' season (as if we need any help):

You know SEC Football Media Days have arrived when you come across a story by Andrew Astleford of SECCountry.com ranking the media guide covers of each school.
A few roster nuggets on Gators after media guide was released via Jordan McPherson of SECCountry.com.
A full list of the speaking and TV schedule at Media Days via 247Sports.com's Charlie Potter.
One provocative question for each SEC East team from Edward Aschoff of ESPN.com.
Plenty of story lines as SEC kicks off preseason college football media blitz writes George Schroeder of USAToday.com.
SEC Hype Meter: Most overrated and underrated SEC teams by Barrett Sallee of CBSSports.com.
Gainesville Sun writers Robbie Andreu and Pat Dooley take a swing at the top 25 SEC players heading into 2017 season.

Heading to Hoover in a little while, so check out FloridaGators.com on Tuesday for a live blog from the Gators' visit and much more on Twitter (@GatorsScott, @GatorsFB, @GatorVisionTV) and other social media platforms.