After Jamie Newman’s record-setting tenure in Athens, how will the Dawgs replace him?
It’ll be interesting Between the Hedges, that’s for darn sure.
By: Bossman Slim
Photo: Tony Walsh
Based on preseason awards and hype, Jamie Newman was the best quarterback in the SEC, even though he never played a down in the conference. Looking at his past body of work, it was obvious to see why the Newman hype train was in full swing. When facing the best competition, Newman was known for rising to the occasion. I mean, do you not remember his performance against Clemson last year? Let me refresh your memory: 6/14, 41 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT in a 52-3 drubbing. Sure, Clemson was the runner up in the CFP last year and is a perennial powerhouse, and Wake Forest is a lowly, but often scrappy, program. But aren’t the best players supposed to play their best when the lights shine brightest? Other than CLEMPSON the ACC is weaker than that watery Keurig coffee all of us suffer through (we’ll absolutely change that to a competitor if you’ll partner with us @Keurig. No shame).
It sounds like he just made the decision without consulting the coaches, announced it the next day to the public, and was gone just like that. When asked about the situation a few days after, Kirby kept his calm and played it pretty well, but watching the video, you can tell it ticked him off.
And in the blink of an eye, the most legendary player in SEC preseason history was gone. The media tried to anoint him, and in the end, their prince quit on them.
The media watching their darling opt-out.
J.T. Daniels (RS-SO)
Daniels surprised many by transferring to Georgia even after Newman had transferred into the program. But Daniels was not deterred by the challenge, and likely calculated that he would have multiple years of eligibility left once Newman’s graduated after this season. And if he lost the job to Newman, he could take another year to heal his knee and learn the playbook. His play at USC was spotty and he had yet to live up to the 5-star hype that followed him to Troy. He never got his shot to live up to his billing either after a knee injury shut down his sophomore campaign and Kedon Slovis played well enough in relief to take over the starting job.
Daniels has a high ceiling if the leg heals well, and is the most talented passer on the roster. He might be the most purely talented passer Georgia has had under center since Matthew Stafford - at the very least, Aaron Murray. If he is fully cleared to play (which is still a big if), Daniels is your likely starter, with the coaching staff shrinking the playbook early in the year to catch up the new-to-campus Daniels.
D’wan Mathis (RS-FR)
The product out of Oak Park, MI redshirted last year and will be a Redshirt Freshman this season. He was highly touted, making the Elite 11 finals and was a consensus 4-star recruit, originally committed to Ohio State. The kid is a pure athlete, as you can see in the dunking video below. At 6’6 205, he’s a wiry QB. 24/7 listed him as a Pro-Style QB, which makes you wonder what film they watched because the kid can run. He threw two picks in the team’s second scrimmage, but leaks out of Athens are saying Mathis might be the leader of the pack for the starting job.
Carson Beck (FR)
Beck has found a new chapter in life at Georgia after being the frontman for the very successful 90s band of the same name. In real life, Carson Beck is surely not a loser, baby. A consensus 4-star recruit, Beck was Mr. Football in Florida in 2018 after leading his high school to the state championship. He’s considered a pro-style, but can run when needed and is a great all-around athlete - he was also a DI baseball prospect and played on the AAU basketball circuit.
Bonus:
Jackson Muschamp (FR)
It may surprise you (or maybe it doesn’t - at all) that Will Muschamp’s kid decided not to play for his old man. Instead, Muschamp did the Smart thing and signed with his Dad’s former roommate at UGA. Jackson Muschamp isn’t factoring into the battle much this fall, but he does have some talent. He was a 3-star coming out of high school.
The Pick
Right now, this is a two-man battle between Daniels and Mathis - and I give the edge to Daniels PENDING full clearance on that knee. His arm gives the Dawgs the best chance to win this year. If Daniels does not receive that clearance, it wouldn’t surprise me to find him in the transfer portal again soon if Mathis takes his chance and runs with it.
It will be interesting to see how this battle plays out ahead of UGA’s first game, and possibly into the first few weeks of the season.