There are several Southeastern Conference football programs that can reflect on recent months as reasons for optimism ahead.
LSU is the sport’s national champion and returns the talented tandem of receiver Ja’Marr Chase and cornerback Derek Stingley. Georgia was without several standouts at the Sugar Bowl but still won it with ease. Alabama had several players who could have left for the NFL but chose to come back, while Auburn won its second Iron Bowl in three years and accomplished that with a freshman quarterback.
There is also the potential for memorable 2020 seasons at Florida and Texas A&M, but the shaping of this year’s SEC race is on hold after the league suspended all athletic participation through April 15 as a preemptive strike to slow the spread of the coronavirus. This suspension also includes an NCAA-enacted dead period in recruiting for all sports until the same April 15 target date, at which all aspects will be reevaluated.
“It’s really important that we’re taking these steps,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said Friday in a news conference. “The more drastic measures that can be taken now as soon as possible, it seems like we do have a better chance of getting through this and return to normal sooner than later, or sooner than we would otherwise.”
Florida is coming off an 11-2 season that was capped by an Orange Bowl victory over Virginia and was scheduled to start spring practice Monday. The Gators welcomed a whopping 15 midyear enrollees in January, but those newcomers along with the veterans will have to wait another month before finding out when or if they will have a spring practice.