Georgia’s quarterback depth appeared to be in serious peril... for about five minutes.
When Jake Fromm went pro on Wednesday, it left Georgia with 5-foot-11, 190-pound rising junior Stetson Bennett and a pair of freshman. So perilous was it that it appeared Florida, with Kyle Trask returning, would enter 2020 as the SEC East favorite despite the Bulldogs’ talent advantage at other 21 positions.
And then those fears melted away. Because Kirby Smart.
Rumors quickly swirled that Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman was Athens-bound, and Newman confirmed it himself on Saturday.
“I would like to thank the Lord for guiding me through this journey,” Newman said in a statement posted to Twitter with Georgia branding. “After careful evaluation, and guidance from my family, I have decided to enroll at the University of Georgia as a graduate transfer.”
Official Announcement. 🙏🏽 #GODSPLAN pic.twitter.com/Xb37ZGZinV
— Jamie Newman (@jlmn12_) January 11, 2020
Newman is a season-changing addition for the Bulldogs. He broke out in 2019, connecting on 61 percent of his 361 passes for 2,868 yards (7.9 per) with 26 touchdowns against 11 interception while adding 574 yards and six scores on the ground.
Newman mastered the zone read, which is not a play James Coley‘s offense utilized with Fromm at the helm, so it will be interesting to see if Georgia incorporates that into the offense this fall.
Even with the exit of Fromm, D’Andre Swift and most of the offensive line, Georgia will likely enter the SEC East as the 2020 favorite and now has a puncher’s chance in its Sept. 19 visit to Tuscaloosa thanks to Newman’s arrival.
