Georgia Football Coach Kirby Smart Says Jamie Newman Has to Earn It

We've discussed a lot here on the Bulldog Maven about how there's never been a deeper group of quarterbacks on the roster at the University of Georgia.

Stetson Bennett burst on to the Georgia scene during bowl practices as a freshman in 2017, playing the role of Baker Mayfield enough to have then Defensive Coordinator Mel Tucker saying things like: "Stetson Bennett’s a beast, man. … Stetson Bennett … Stetson Bennett puts a lot of pressure on our defense. He is extremely quick, he’s fast and he can throw."

4-star, Dwan Mathis was ranked as the No. 9 pro-style quarterback nationally in 2019 and was set to go to Ohio State before Kirby Smart flipped him. He's 6'6 with one of the strongest arms you'll ever find. Though he's not known for running he can extend plays with his feet and has success on throwing on the run.

Fellow 4-star and already enrolled true freshman, Carson Beck is no slouch either. At 6'4, 225 pounds who's QB trainer tells us that God made him to be a quarterback:

"Carson has every intangible that you could ever want in a quarterback. God made Carson to be a quarterback. If I'm going to build a QB in today's game, it's going to look a lot like Carson Beck. Not only is Carson an elite athlete, but his greatest asset is in between his ears."

Yet, for all intents and purposes, the general consensus is that transfer QB, Jamie Newman is going to be the starter in 2020. Heck, he's got the third-highest odds in Vegas behind the likes of Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence to win the Heisman Trophy.

And for good reason. In 17 starts at Wake Forest he manages to lead the way to an ((10-6) and record and not only threw for 3,876 yards on near 60% completion, but he led the team in rushing over that span with 751 yards and nine TDs.

But according to Georgia head coach, Kirby Smart, Newman is going to have to earn the job this fall.

"I don't know that you'd have a number one, to be honest with you. I mean, every kid we've ever had grad transferred in, competed for the job that's all the way back to the Tyler Catalina that came in and competed for the job. Kickers we've had come in to compete for the job. So he knows that it's a competition he knows he's got to beat guys out. That's the way it's always been. Certainly, he's gonna be thrust to the forefront and be given reps. Just like Stetson Bennett is, just like D'wan Mathis, just like Carson's gonna be given that opportunity. So I don't ever look past it and say it's just this guy's job. He just has the most gain experience. And that's the advantage. Yes." -Kirby Smart on 680 the Fan, The Front Row

You'd expect nothing less from a competition-aholic coach like Smart. You could hear during the interview just how ready he was to get back to his daily habits as a football coach. He's not going to forgo the opportunity to watch all four of these extremely talented players go at it and play to the best of their abilities like a job is on the line. Because it is.

The only thing is, as of right now, Newman is the quarterback most fit to take over a championship contender. As Smart himself said, the experience is the advantage.

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