HOOVER, Ala. -- Florida WR Antonio Callaway is one of the most talented receivers in college football, but according to coach Jim McElwain, the Gators star doesn't take his ability for granted on the practice field.
In fact, the junior's practice habits remind McElwain of two of the best receivers he's ever coached.
"He's a guy that is fun to watch practice. You know, I've been around some really good players, and I don't want to put him in these categories, but these guys that have been successful, like a guy that I coached at Louisville, Deion Branch, who practiced every day like it was a game, (and) Julio Jones when he was at Alabama," McElwain said Tuesday at SEC Media Days. " ... I'm talking about as soon as you walked through the gate, man, it was on. Antonio is one of those guys. He just loves to play the game."
Although McElwain has no doubt about Callaway in practice, the star receiver's status for games is still undetermined. Callaway was cited for marijuana possession in May, but McElwain hasn't indicated whether he'll begin the season under suspension. Florida will play Michigan on Sept. 2 in the opening game for both teams.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein has ranked Callaway the No. 3 receiver in college football, behind SMU's Courtland Sutton and Alabama's Calvin Ridley. Here are six other things we learned Tuesday at SEC Media Days:
Note: Click through the tabs above to see what we learned on each day at SEC Media Days.
2. Chubb eyeing top-10*status*. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said improved draft status was among RB Nick Chubb's motivations for returning to UGA for his senior year, and naturally, Chubb is aiming high.
"(Leonard) Fournette and (Christian) McCaffrey went top 10. That's just amazing to me, knowing that if I do have a great season, or any other running back has a great season, we can get up there in the top 10," Chubb told SEC Network.
Chubb's name hasn't buzzed in the offseason as one of the nation's top backs, as it has with Penn State's Saquon Barkley and LSU's Derrius Guice, but Chubb sees the spotlight on them as a place he's already visited.
"I've been in that position where I was considered one of the top backs, and it's hard to stay consistent," he said.
3. Webb not shy. Who is the best running back in the country? Vanderbilt's Ralph Webb, of course -- just ask him. The Commodores senior did all he could Tuesday to put his name in the same sentence with the likes of Guice and Barkley for that distinction.
4. Smith draws Mosley comp. Georgia coach Kirby Smart, asked if UGA LB Roquan Smith is at all similar to former first-round pick Rolando McClain, drew a different comparison.
"If I had to draw a comparison to anybody, it would probably be closer to C.J. Mosley athletically, the ability to cover and move in space," Smart said.
In other words, Smith is the kind of third-down asset that the linebacker position is trending toward. Smart coached both McClain and Mosley at Alabama.
5. Draft miss on Prescott? Every team in the NFL passed on multiple chances to draft the NFL's 2016 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Dak Prescott, before the Dallas Cowboys took him in the fourth round. But Dan Mullen doesn't believe that represents a miss by the clubs who passed.
6. Ivey gets scouting look. With additional access to underclassmen granted by a new rule, NFL scouts got an early look at Florida OL Martez Ivey in the spring. But it wasn't an extensive one. Ivey confirmed he was one of five Gators underclassmen designated for additional scouting, but said he didn't work out; scouts took measurements only. Ivey, ranked the nation's No. 74 player by NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter, will move from left guard to left tackle as a junior this fall.
7. Prescott, Fitzgerald in touch. On the heels of Dak Prescott's impressive college career, Mississippi State has another impressive dual-threat passer in Nick Fitzgerald. And coach Dan Mullen said the former is a resource for the latter. "They talk. I don't know if it's on a constant, regular basis, but I know that Dak remains as support for Nick, and for everybody in the program," he said.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
