The analytical gurus at Pro Football Focus reviewed each play this season for each of the 130 FBS starting quarterbacks. They ranked each player based on several metrics, including strength of each opponent.
Georgia quarter back Jake Fromm was graded at eighth highest for the season. Incoming grad transfer (Wake Forest) Jamie Newman graded out at No. 16, after beginning the season at No. 7.
LSU’s Joe Burrow, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts from Oklahoma were the top four college quarterbacks in 2019.
Here is PFF’s analysis of Fromm and Newman:
Fromm:
It wasn’t always pretty from Fromm this season, but he just simply got the job done when he needed to (save for one outing against South Carolina). Outside of the game against SC, he just simply didn’t make many unforced errors in 2019, and that will certainly take him far at the next level. He had elite passing grades on throws over the middle just the same as he did on throws outside, finishing with the 10th-most big-time throws on passes outside the numbers. Fromm’s departure to the NFL draft gives way for the Newman transfer as he’ll have big shoes to fill in Athens.
Newman:
Newman finished the year as the country’s sixth highest-graded quarterback on all throws at least 10 yards downfield, completing passes at a high rate and uncorking 22 big-time throws compared to just four turnover-worthy passes. He stood tall in the pocket and utilized his big arm to squeeze throws into tight windows, seemingly at will. When necessary, Newman took something off the ball and floated passes into his big receivers on the outside. He was the country’s 10th highest-graded passer on throws outside the numbers in 2019, completing 106-of-175 attempts for 1,548 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 of his big-time throws came on such passes.