What To Make of QB Battle Going on at Georgia
Georgia had a quarterback battle on their hands when Jamie Newman was a member of the roster, and with the Wake Forest transfer opting out, things got even more interesting at the quarterback position for the Bulldogs.
So, with just 12 days before the Dawgs head up to Fayetteville, Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks, we've compiled all of the information we can gather on the situation to see what we can make of the battle heading into the final weeks of preparation for Georgia.
Saturday's Scrimmage
D'Wan Mathis got the majority of the reps with the starting group in Saturday's scrimmage and played fairly well for sources we've spoken to here at Dawgs Daily. He flashed signs of a dynamic ability with his legs and made several good throws. We took it as a sign that Mathis could be in the lead for the starting job heading into week one of the season. He's played well throughout camp, though has made some mistakes as you'd expect from a young quarterback really getting his first live-action reps against a defense the caliber of Georgia's.
Daniels received the reps with the ones during the back half of the scrimmage and had a turnover, but according to sources this Georgia defense has turned every quarterback over at an alarming rate during these scrimmage sessions, they are just that good. Smart says he believes Daniels will be cleared by the time the Arkansas game comes around, but the information out of Athens leaves doubt surrounding whether or not he will be fully healthy.
Daniels Still Not Contact-Cleared
Saturday's scrimmage was the first time they released contact on the quarterbacks for a limited period of time, which could have been the reason Mathis received as much run as he did. Daniels has still yet to be cleared for contact and that could very well be the reason he was the lesser participant on Saturday.
Though I do believe that Daniels is back to full health, or extremely close to it. I spoke to one source that indicated Daniels had a 60+ yard touchdown run during practice last week. Which may come as a shock because he's not exactly known for the use of his legs, but as Monken indicated is a much better athlete than people give him credit for.
Beck arrives as an option
Of all the quarterbacks, it was Carson Beck that caught the eye of Aaron Murray during Saturday's scrimmage:
“I thought to me the guy that looked the best of all the quarterbacks yesterday was Carson Beck," Murray said. Beck has shown the ability to move fairly well, and create plays with his legs and could be in for playing time this fall especially considering the NCAA is essentially allowing everyone a gap year this season.
It very well could be a one day sample, and Beck could have just had a great day which is not a surprise, he's a talented player. Though I don't think he's quite in the discussion just yet.
COVID Playing a Role
I spoke with a source this weekend that indicated at all of the positions at Georgia, Kirby Smart and his staff are preparing everyone as a starter. Giving everyone reps with the 1's in order to gain as much experience as possible due to a concern that COVID could hit at some point.
The first round of SEC Testing was set to take place on Sunday in Athens, and though we might not hear about results from those tests, it's clear that Kirby Smart is preparing as best he can for someone to be hit with a 10-day waiting period to return to action.
We here at Dawgs Daily fully expect Georgia to play multiple quarterbacks against Arkansas. Not just because we expect them to win handily against the Razorbacks, but because this coaching staff is going to be adamant about having guys gain in-game experience early in the season.
Up and Down
It's been a D'Wan Mathis show one day, only for JT Daniels to come back the next and appear to be the starter. I don't think Kirby Smart is rushing to announce his starter, well because that's just not what he does, but also because I don't believe they genuinely know.
Still to this point, neither Mathis nor Daniels has asserted themselves as the leader of the offense, both vocally and through their performance. Though as of right now, I would not be surprised to see Monken and the Georgia offense play both Mathis and Daniels in an alternating rotation to start the season. Though the opening slate for Georgia does look tough, with Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, and Florida in consecutive weeks, those first three matchups are an opportunity for the staff to find out what they have at the QB position.
Auburn lost all five starters on the offensive line, two of the best defensive linemen in the conference a year ago, and five defensive backs, they are going to be in for a tough start to the season I would imagine. Say what you want about Tennessee and the hype surrounding that program, but it's exactly that right now, hype.
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