Three days of SEC Media Days have passed at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville with one remaining.

Day 3 featured Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, Florida coach Billy Napier and Kentucky coach Mark Stoops.

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Here are three takeaways.

After featuring one of the best quarterbacks in college football the last three seasons, Nick Saban is tasked with replacing 2021 Heisman Trophy winner and first overall 2023 NFL Draft pick Bryce Young.

Two quarterbacks that were on the team a year ago return in Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson but Alabama added a third from the transfer portal in Tyler Buchner from Notre Dame.

That position battle has already been a major offseason talking point weeks before the Crimson Tide begin fall camp.

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"I talked about expectations before and we are focusing on how do they develop the players that we have and we want to develop all the players," Saban said. "It's important that all these guys continue to develop, and everybody at that position develops into where they can play winning football.

“There's not a decision that needs to be made at this point in time, nor are we ready to make that decision at this time until somebody separates themselves.”

Whoever wins the job will be playing for a new coordinator. Tommy Rees was hired from Notre Dame to replace Bill O'Brien—one of two coordinator hires for Alabama, including Kevin Steele.

Alabama's new quarterback will go as far as his relationship with Rees, which is the case for the defense under Steele as it looks to replace Will Anderson Jr.

"I think the most important thing is probably relationships," Saban said. "When you're a coordinator, you're in a leadership position for the players on that side of the ball. So to have good relationships in terms of how you present,how you motivate, and the players trusting and respecting in the things that you're trying to implement in the things that we do; that they trust and believe that that's going to help them be successful, so that's No. 1.

"No. 2, we have tried to mitigate the changes that a new coordinator would create for players by trying to keep the same system, and that's a little challenging, sometimes when you have new coaches because they have to learn a certain amount to be able to implement the system so it doesn't change completely for the players."

Tennessee travels to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 21.

Florida opened the Billy Napier era in 2022 to mixed results.

The Gators opened the season with a win over eventual Pac 12 champion Utah and beat Texas A&M and South Carolina to put them in position to win eight games.

Instead, Florida lost to Vanderbilt and Florida State in back-to-back games at the end of the regular season before losing to Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl to fall to 6-7.

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The outlook for Year 2 is murky. Florida lost quarterback Anthony Richardson to the NFL Draft and a number of other contributors.

There is so clear solution at quarterback heading into fall camp as Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz and Jack Miller will compete for the job and be key in determining Florida’s success.

“I’ve been very impressed with Graham,” Napier said. “Graham is a 32-start player. He’s played over 2000 snaps at a really established program in Wisconsin. We went through an extensive process to make that decision. I think Graham is an accomplished player but more importantly, I’ve been impressed with the person, the leader. This guy has an incredible motor and work ethic. He is in the building and he is fanatical about his preparation.

“That’s helped the competition. I think that’s caused Jack to respond. Jack has had an incredible off-season and he’s in position for great camp. We are excited about that competition. We’ll go into training camp and we’ll make a decision when we see fit for the team.”

Tennessee plays at Florida on Sept. 16.

There likely won’t be a quarterback controversy at Kentucky.

The Wildcats lost Will Levis to the draft but grabbed one of the best quarterbacks available in the transfer portal in Devin Leary from NC State.

Leary missed much of last season with an injury but is expected to take charge of a Kentucky offense that struggled in 2022.

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"Obviously, for (Leary) to get his season cut short a year ago with injury, it didn't sit well with him,” Stoops said. “He's very anxious to get out there and lead. Just the mindset that he has, with a tough kid, Jersey kid and the way he grew up, it fits right in with our culture. He's been extremely accurate. He's one of those guys that will, maybe a year ago will, at times, completely wow you with his arm ability and the strength that he has.

“Devin is the type of guy that can make all the throws."

Kentucky was one of a number of SEC teams that made new coordinator hires in the offseason with the hopes of improving on offense.

Stoops hired Liam Cohen, who previously served the same roll on his staff before a brief stint in the NFL.

“With Liam, I think there is great familiarity with the two of us,” Stoops said. “You know, I think with him coming back, he knew what to expect from me. I knew what to expect from him. I think the difference is there is a confidence level.

“That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen or it’s going to be easy, but Liam is much more proven at this point than he was when he came in the first time…I think the confidence level is there.”

Tennessee will play at Kentucky on Oct. 28.

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