SEC Media Days are the unofficial kickoff to the college football season.
Unfortunately, Tennessee Volunteers fans won't be hearing from two of the team's biggest stars.
The SEC announced the attendees for each team, with three players representing each program. For the Volunteers, they'll be represented by three seniors in center Cooper Mays, linebacker Keenan Pili, and defensive lineman Omari Thomas.
Those attendees are notably missing the team's two best players in quarterback Nico Iamaleava and pass rusher James Pearce Jr..
Iamaleava was a 5-star quarterback and the No. 2 player in the country for the 2023 recruiting class. He'll presumably be the starting quarterback for the Volunteers this season and could be a breakout star in the SEC.
However, as a redshirt freshman in 2024, he won't be leaned on much for media availability. Football programs traditionally defer to seniors and upperclassmen for media and interviews, and Iamaleava still has a ways to go before he has to be in that kind of spotlight.
The bigger surprise absence is Pearce. A potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, this could be his last chance at attending SEC Media Days. However, Adam Sparks with the Knoxville News Sentinel shared that Peace is still getting comfortable in media settings.
"Pearce is soft spoken and still getting comfortable in media settings," Sparks explained. He had straightforward and concise answers in the press conference after his dominant performance in the Citrus Bowl...Pearce needs experience facing the media before the 2025 NFL Draft, where he’s been projected as a top-10 pick. But that will come in more comfortable settings with local media before facing ballrooms like those at SEC Media Days."
Volunteers fans might be disappointed that they won't hear from either player during media availability. However, it won't have an impact on either's ability to perform on Saturdays this season.
