Among all the doubt and speculations surrounding the 2020 college football season, there are still some exciting things Georgia football fans have to look forward to.
One of those things is the Jamie Newman to George Pickens connection.
Last season, Pickens put college football on notice as a true freshman…
In 2019, Pickens caught 49 passes for 727 yards and eight touchdowns, which included a dominating performance in the Sugar Bowl against Baylor where he caught 12 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown.
PFF (Pro Football Focus) rated Pickens as the best true-freshman receiver in the country. Keep in mind that was in a run-dominated offense which included quarterback Jake Fromm’s pedestrian deep ball.
Enter Jamie Newman..
According to PFF, Newman, a transfer from Wake Forrest, graded as the third best quarterback in the country last season. Newman was second behind Heisman winner Joe Burrow in throws into tight windows and throws beyond 20 yards.
The combination of Newman’s accurate deep-ball with Pickens’ hands and catch-radius is going to be a scary situation for opposing defenses in 2020.
The duo reminds me of a couple of Bulldog greats, Matthew Stafford and A.J. Green.
Back in 2008, the Stafford to Green combo was one of the best in the country.
As a freshman, Green caught 56 passes for 963 yards and eight touchdowns on his way to SEC-Freshman of the Year honors and Stafford went on to be the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Yes, the bar is set a bit high and maybe Newman to Pickens won’t be as dominant as Stafford to Green.
However, with new offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s passing game don’t be surprised if the duo has a record year for the Bulldogs offense.