Tag: dwan mathis uga

What Arkansas media is saying about Georgia football ahead of Saturday’s season opener

See what the Arkansas media is saying about Georgia ahead of Saturday’s matchup. Details and analysis here!

It’s finally here. No. 4 Georgia is set to kickoff its 2020 season at Arkansas on Saturday at 4 p.m. on the SEC Network.

UGA coach Kirby Smart matched up against former offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who left the Bulldogs last year to take the head coach position in Fayetteville.

Georgia has not yet named a starting quarterback and Smart hinted to the possibility of UGA keeping that under wraps anyway, but we know that former Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks will be at signal caller for the Razorbacks.

Here is what the Arkansas football media is saying about the Bulldogs:

“Maybe Smart mentioning Mathis last means he’s going to start. Several Georgia media members have speculated Mathis will start Saturday.”

“Georgia’s expected starter Jamie Newman who transferred in as a grad transfer from Wake Forest was generally considered the most likely quarterback, but he opted out of the season. That left USC transfer JT Daniels and D’Wan Mathis as the likely candidates. A reporter speculated to Pittman that Mathis seemed to be the likely starter.

“Georgia did not rack up a bunch of sacks last season either, finishing 46th nationally with 31 total, nor did the Bulldogs did not make a lot of TFL (60th with 76). Given those numbers, the fact that UGA was second nationally in allowing just 2.6 yards per rush without a lot of those negative yardage plays is even more impressive. They also led the nation with only two rushing touchdowns allowed.

The Razorbacks, off consecutive 2-10 seasons, start last year’s true freshman starting guard at center and first-time starting redshirt freshmen guards. They’ll either start a third-year sophomore (injured last season) or last year’s incumbent at right tackle with the lone senior starter at left tackle.

Arkansas has more than a challenge Saturday. Georgia enters with the best defense in the nation and some serious talent on offense, featuring guys like George Pickens, Zamir White, James Cook, etc.

It will be interesting to see how the Bulldogs treat the quarterback position Saturday. Will we see one guy take over the game, or will we see each player get some reps, and who gets the starting nod and why?

Because of the questions surrounding J.T. Daniels’ knee, I suspect D’Wan Mathis will get the start and a majority of the reps, with Daniels and Stetson Bennett seeing a limited number of snaps. We may even see freshman Carson Beck get reps as well.

David Pollack analyses UGA football’s quarterbacks. ‘It’s 100 percent a competition’

Georgia’s quarterback battle is heating up with just a couple of weeks left until kickoff. Former Bulldog David Pollack gives his take here.

For most of the offseason we expected Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman to be the next star signal caller for the Bulldogs, but when he decided to opt-out of the 2020 college football season, he started an intense quarterback battle with just a few weeks before kickoff.

Former Georgia legend and college football analyst David Pollack recently spoke about the Bulldogs’ future at quarterback on his podcast with co-host  Kirk Herbstreit.

“There’s a competition. There is a legit, 100 percent (competition). “If you want to talk about one of the most talented quarterbacks in the country, D’Wan Mathis does not get past two or three in the country. You watch that guy throw, he can throw it through a carwash and not get it wet. It is insane,” Pollack continues. “He’s got so much arm talent. He can sling the mess out of it. He’s a 4.4 type athlete. He’s a freak athlete. You watch him, he’s not polished yet. And he’s not buttoned up and not smooth.

D’Wan Mathis is a redshirt freshman from Belleville, Michigan who was rated as the No. 11 pro style quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class.

In 2019, Mathis was competing as the Bulldogs’ practice squad quarterback when doctors found a cyst on his brain. He missed the next year in recovery, but has been able to make it back on to the field as he was fully cleared to participate this summer.

Mathis is competing with redshirt sophomore J.T. Daniels, a transfer from USC, who missed last season for the Trojans with a knee injury, but served as starting quarterback in 2018 where he threw for 2,672 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

“I think JT Daniels does a great job with timing and getting a ball out and throwing in rhythm, It’s a legit competition. The only thing Daniels, I can say, has a leg up on is experience.”

While Daniels is still not cleared for gameday, he has been practicing and the UGA coaching staff believes he will be cleared before kickoff on Sept. 26.

Former Georgia QB Aaron Murray says of current UGA QB D’Wan Mathis – ‘extremely impressive’

Former Georgia quarterbacK Aaron Murray says current UGA QB D’Wan Mathis ‘extremely impressive.’ Details and analysis here.

Georgia football’s quarterback competition will be interesting to watch after projected starter Jamie Newman’s decision to opt-out of the 2020 CFB season.

Intersting, yet nerve racking.

The Bulldogs are left with USC transfer J.T. Daniels, redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis, fourth-year junior Stetson Bennett and freshman Carson Beck.

Daniels is by far the most tenured quarterback on the list.

Before a knee injury derailed his 2019 season – ultimately leading to him signing with the Bulldogs in July – Daniels threw for 2,672 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on a 59.5 % completion rate at USC in 2018.

Daniels will be the favorite to start for Georgia against Arkansas week one, but don’t count out the other guys in the room just yet.

Take Mathis for example. He came to Georgia in 2019 rated as the No. 11 pro style quarterback and showed flashes of brilliance in scrimmages until surgery to remove a brain cyst sidelined him for the rest of 2019.

He is now fully cleared and competing for the starting spot.

In a Tweet Wednesday afternoon, after reports of Newman’s decision to transfer, former Georgi quarterback Aaron Murray gave his thoughts on Mathis’ abilities.

Any input from the SEC’s all-time leading passer is welcome here. If Mathis can impress Murray, maybe we are too quick to crown Daniels as the starter just yet.

Georgia football loses experience, play-making ability with quarterback Jamie Newman’s decision to opt-out of the 2020 CFB season

UGA quarterback Jamie Newman has decided to opt-out of the 2020 CFB season. How does Georgia replace his experience? Analysis here.

Just when things may be looking normal soon with the 2020 SEC football season just weeks away, Georgia suffers a huge blow to their offense, which was already facing a rebuild of sorts.

Bulldogs quarterback Jamie Newman decides to opt-out of the 2020 college football season.

Now, not only will Georgia be unveiling a different scheme under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken while working to replace four starters on the offensive line, but coach Smart and staff will also have to groom a new signal caller out of an inexperienced quarterback room.

I certainly don’t blame Newman for making a decision that he feels will be best for him in the long run.

The NCAA has granted athletes the option to opt-out, remain on scholarship and return for another year – extending eligibility for kids who feel  playing with the risks involved amid the Covid-19 pandemic outweigh the few reasons to play.

Newman has been projected to be drafted as high as the first-round of next year’s draft.

He trails only Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields as the highest-graded returning quarterback in college football, according to Pro Football Focus.

Newman was also named as the No. 1 quarterback in touchdown’s versus the blitz by PFF.

In 2019, at Wake Forest, Newman threw for 2,686 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while adding 574 yards on the ground with six rushing touchdowns.

Besides Newman’s play-making ability, experience is what the Bulldogs are losing – perhaps now the most glaring hole in Georgia’s 2020 offense.

USC transfer quarterback J.T. Daniels does have 2,672 yards and year under his belt at USC, but he will have to learn to make plays in high-pressure SEC games while proving himself to the Georgia lockeroom. And he still isn’t technically cleared to play yet – although he has practiced.

Redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis is coming off of brain surgery in 2019, but has returned to football activities. Former Georgia star quarterback Aaron Murray recently said Mathis was extremely impressive when he saw him at a practice in 2018.

The Bulldogs quarterback competition will now be at the forefront of everyone’s minds, especially with such big time games early in Georgia’s SEC-only schedule.

After going to Arkansas and facing Tennessee in Athens, Georgia will face Kentucky, Auburn, Alabama and Florida in consecutive games. An incredibly tough stretch for any team – especially one with an inexperienced signal caller.

Report: Georgia QB D’Wan Mathis cleared for return to football

Georgia QB D’Wan Mathis has been officially cleared to return to football activities for the 2020 season, following emergency brain surgery.

It was a scary time last year for Georgia quarterback D’Wan Mathis.  He came into UGA as the No. 11 quarterback in the 2019 class, flipping from his original commitment to Ohio State.  Mathis was shocked when he found out he needed emergency brain surgery to remove a cyst on his brain last May.

This news took football out of the equation for Mathis in the 2019 season, and it was possible that he would never play again.

Now, just a year after his surgery, Mathis has been medically cleared for all football activities, reported first by Mike Griffith of DawgNation.

This is incredible for Mathis and his family, and will only add to the recent good news pertaining to Georgia’s quarterback depth chart.

The Dawgs have Wake Forest graduate transfer and Heisman hopeful Jamie Newman as well as 5-star USC transfer JT Daniels both coming to Athens for the 2020 season.  The addition of Mathis just adds to the fun for the 2020 season, as we could now potentially see an intense battle for the starting spot at quarterback. There’s also 4-star true freshman early-enrollee Carson Beck.

Football talk aside, we are extremely grateful and happy to hear the good news of Mathis retuning to good health.

Georgia football player profile: QB D’Wan Mathis

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback D’Wan Mathis was Georgia’s co-winner of the David Jacobs Award in 2019 for overcoming his scary brain cyst

Quarterback D’Wan Mathis(#2):

Class: Redshirt Freshman

Height: 6-6

Weight: 205 lbs

Hometown: Oak Park, Michigan

High School: Oak Park High School

Apr 20, 2019; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback D’Wan Mathis (2) passes during the Georgia spring game at Sanford Stadium.  Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback D’Wan Mathis was Georgia’s co-winner of the David Jacobs Award in 2019 for overcoming his scary brain cyst. Mathis contributed as a scout team quarterback for the Bulldogs in 2019, but was never fully cleared to play until after the season.

As a freshman in 2019, Mathis enrolled early and played in the G-Day game, where he was 15-28 for 113 passing yards. Mathis committed to the University of Georgia after originally being committed to Ohio State. He was a good flip for Kirby Smart and the offensive staff.

Mathis will participate in UGA’s quarterback competition heading into the 2020 college football season. He was a four-star prospect as a recruit.

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Report: UGA QB D’Wan Mathis cleared to play following brain cyst

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback D’Wan Mathis has been cleared to play following a scary brain cyst surgery.

Georgia Bulldogs Quarterback D’Wan Mathis has been cleared to play. According to UGASports, UGA head coach Kirby Smart announced the good news yesterday to an audience of alumni in Charlotte.

Mathis, a four star recruit in the class of 2019, committed to UGA over Ohio State back in 2018.  Mathis is a redshirt freshman, who was able to play in the 2019 G-Day game last season, but underwent surgery on a brain cyst last May.

Mathis is now expected to practice this spring and will battle Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman, last season’s back-up Stetson Bennett and 2020 four-star recruit Carson Beck for the starting quarterback role. At the very least, Mathis will add depth to UGA’s QB room.

Mathis has not been totally shut down since his surgery, but hadn’t been cleared for much contact. Mathis is from Oak Park, Michigan, where he attended Oak Park High School. Mathis was able to get some valuable reps as scout team QB late last season, where he prepared the defense to face Auburn’s Bo Nix. These reps were non-contact in nature.

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