Tag: JT Daniels

Kirby Smart, this is getting old. Make the change at QB.

Georgia football HC Kirby Smart needs to make the change.

Before my DMs fill up, let me say that I am a huge Kirby Smart fan. This post is not my way of saying we should fire Kirby. If we fire Kirby, we are screwed. Plain and simple.

But that’s enough being nice on a night like this.

Kirby, what are you doing, dude? Nobody will think any less of you as a man if you admit your mistake and pull Stetson Bennett.

Is that what you’re worried about? Because I honestly cannot think of any reason why Bennett is still the starting quarterback for the University of Georgia.

I get that maybe D’Wan Mathis just isn’t any good. But neither is Bennett.

If it’s true that Mathis really is just a not-great quarterback, Kirby has nothing to lose and everything to gain. We’re already not going to the SEC Championship Game. We already know Bennett isn’t the answer.

So play Mathis; and when he stinks you can say ‘I told you so.’

What about Daniels?

This brings up the JT Daniels question. If he’s healthy enough to play, there’s absolutely no reason he should not be in at quarterback. If he’s not healthy enough, you should probably say that so we stop scratching our head wondering why our coach can’t make the right decision yet again.

You made the wrong decision when it came to Jacob Eason. You were beyond wrong when it came to Justin Fields. And we don’t know if you’re wrong yet about JT Daniels or D’Wan Mathis, but until you prove us wrong, we’re going to wonder what the heck you’re doing.

But you know who else is going to wonder if the Georgia head coach has any clue what to do when it comes to the quarterback position?

Yep. Recruits. Kirby’s done a great job of reeling in these 4 and 5-star quarterback recruits so far, but that will end soon if he does not get it together.

An SEC quarterback is compared to Notre Dame’s Book, is it warranted?

ESPN got a nugget from an SEC assistant, as they compared a new starter to Notre Dame’s Ian Book. It the comparison justified?

As this weird season continues, the data for new starting quarterback is finally coming to fruition. Adam Rittenberg of ESPN looked at 5 of the newest starters and obviously Notre Dame doesn’t have one. There was however, a comparison to the Irish starting signal caller Ian Book.

Georgia didn’t start Stetson Bennett in their opener, the nod went to D’Wan Mathis, but Bennett did finish the game and started this past week even with the USC transfer JT Daniels being medically cleared to play. It looks like it’s Bennett’s job to lose at this moment and Rittenberg found that an SEC assistant compared the Bulldogs new starter to Notre Dame’s Book.

Is this a warranted comparison? Both are similar size at around 6-feet tall, Book has a slight weight advantage. The diminutive starters rely on a high completion percentage, Bennett sporting a 64.9% this year, while Book had 73.1% in his first two starts. Each of them had a win over an opponent ranked No. 7 in their second game, Book over Stanford and Bennett over Auburn.

Book had a 6-to-0 TD to INT ratio, while Bennett posted 3-to-0. Book had an advantage in yardage as well, throwing for 603 yards in his first two games, Bennet just 451. Bennett does have two less quarter of work, but the advantage goes to Book.

Book’s passer rating was also better than Bennett’s during their first two games of extended action, 178.4 to 148.7. There is an area where Bennett does statistically beat Book, it’s in adjusted quarterback ranking. Bennett sports a very impressive 94.4, Book after two starts was 79.3.

At this point, it seems like the SEC assistant was quick to the gun in the comparison between Book and Bennett. What is interesting though was a comment made by Kirk Herbstreit and David Pollack, a former Bulldog. They both said in their CFB Podcast yesterday that Bennett led the offense better than previous starter Jake Fromm, who was a fifth-round pick in last years NFL Draft.

The literal book is still out on Bennett, while we know exactly what the Irish get every week with Book. It’s an interesting comparison, although, it might be a little too early to anoint Bennett as Georgia’s savior. Fromm did lead the Bulldogs to a spot in the College Football Playoff finals, If it wasn’t for Tua Tagovailoa’s heroics, Fromm’s squad probably would have defeated mighty Alabama for the crown. It’s a bit too early to make any comparisons right now.

Auburn vs Georgia: What the experts are saying

Auburn and Georgia face off on Saturday night in Athens.

Round 128 of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry will kick off this Saturday at 6:30 pm in Athens as seventh-ranked Auburn takes on No. 4 Georgia. Georgia is currently favored by six and a half points, but not all experts are sold on the Bulldogs. Here’s what they have to say:

247Sports: 

Brad Crawford: UGA 27 Auburn 19

  • Why: Crawford is extremely high on Georgia’s defense in this one. He says the keys to the Bulldogs’ success on Saturday are to feed Zamir White and negate Seth Williams (good luck with that).

Chris Hummer: UGA 21 Auburn 17

  • Why: Hummer says that he has a lot of questions about both teams, especially Georgia’s quarterback situation. Ultimately he gives the nod to Georgia due to them being, “the more talented team at home.”

Athlon: 

Steven Lassan: UGA

Mark Ross: UGA

Ben Weinrib: UGA

Sporting News: 

Bill Bender: UGA 27 Auburn 23

  • Why: Bender says, “Georgia has quarterback questions, and it will be interesting if USC transfer JT Daniels sees his first action in a tough assignment against Auburn, which looked more consistent with Bo Nix in his sophomore season.”

NCAA Sports: 

Barrett Sallee: Auburn

  • Why: Sallee isn’t buying that JT Daniels is 100% healthy and says that Auburn’s defense isn’t going to be threatened by either of Georgia’s quarterbacks. Sallee also thinks that Malzahn and Morris are going to open up that playbook a lot more on Saturday. “Take those points, but you won’t need them. Auburn will win this game outright.”

Bleacher Report:

Joe Tansey: Auburn (+6.5)

  • Why: Tansey did not like what he saw from Georgia against the Razorbacks, he cites the two costly turnovers by the Bulldogs and says, “Gus Malzahn’s team did not turn over the ball in its win over Kentucky and picked up 233 of its 324 total yards through the air.” He also adds that Bo Nix’s chemistry with his wide receivers is superior. Tansey also adds that history is on the Tigers’ side of covering the spread, “In their six meetings since 2015, Georgia is 5-1 outright, but Auburn has kept three games within one score, which makes the possibility of the Tigers covering the 6.5-point spread larger.”

USA Today:

Of the 17 sportswriters polled, only two picked the Tigers (I love being the underdog) and they are Ben Niewoehner of College Football News and Scott Steehn of WinnersandWhiners.

Overall many experts are skeptical of JT Daniels, as they should be, but they’re also not sold on how well Auburn’s O-line will hold up against Georgia’s solid defense. Personally, I like our chances at keeping this game dangerously close on Saturday. This game is one that everyone will be watching.

 

 

 

Georgia QB J.T. Daniels cleared for Auburn game

Auburn makes on Georgia in a top-10 matchup on Saturday in Athens.

(This post was originally published on UGA Wire.)

Former five-star recruit and USC transfer quarterback J.T. Daniels has officially been cleared for Georgia, heading into the season’s second game against Auburn.

Daniels suffered an ACL tear on Aug. 31 last year while with the Trojans and has been given the green light by doctors to resume his football career.

As a freshman in 2018, Daniels threw for 2,672 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Georgia lost three-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm to the NFL draft this offseason as well as Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman, who opted out of the 2020 college football season due to COVID-19 concerns.

Head coach Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Todd Monken gave redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis the nod for the opener against Arkansas, but he was benched after poor play for junior Stetson Bennett. Bennett played an incredible game, completing 69 percent of his passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns in just three quarters.

Now that Daniels is cleared, there should be a massive quarterback battle for the Bulldogs. Mathis showed glimpses of greatness in his first career collegiate start while Bennett showed great poise and game management, securing the Georgia win.

It will be interesting to see who coach Smart names as the starter for the Dawgs’ home opener against the Auburn Tigers. Smart has made it clear the return of Daniels means the quarterback battle will be even tougher.

Georgia kicks off against Auburn this Saturday between the hedges at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

Former Georgia star RB D’Andre Swift on UGA quarterbacks: ‘I would like to see D’Wan Mathis out there’

Former Georgia running back D’Andre Swift gives his thoughts on the UGA quarterback situation. Details and analysis here!

Georgia is set to kick off its 2020 season versus Arkansas at 4 p.m. on the SEC Network and currently has not named a starting quarterback.

The Bulldogs were hit with adversity early this September when Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman decided to opt-out of the 2020 season citing, concerns surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

This left Georgia with redshirt sophomore USC transfer J.T. Daniels and redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis as potential signal callers.

We have received news today that Daniels has still yet to be cleared for gameplay from his ACL tear last year, which means we will most likely see Mathis make his college football deput in Fayetteville.

Lions running back, former Georgia football star D’Andre Swift gave his thoughts on the Georgia quarterback situation recently in an interview with Campus Lore.

“I know Coach Smart is going to make the best decision for the team,” Swift said. “But, me personally, I would like to see D’Wan Mathis out there. I think he will bring a different style of play. I have been reading up on him and he has looked great in camp. He is ready and looked real mature. I want to see him out there. I definitely want to see him out there.”

There may not be as much of a battle as reported, if Daniels’ can’t get cleared from his knee injury that occured last October.

It should free Mathis up to run things without the thought of Daniels’ over his shoulder every play, but against teams like Auburn and Alabama, the Bulldogs may need all hands on deck to get the offense going.

ESPN ranks D’Wan Mathis as most important player in 2020 CFP chase

ESPN released their 25 most important players in the College Football Playoff chase, ranking Georgia football QB D’Wan Mathis at No. 1.

ESPN released their list of the 25 most important players in the College Football Playoff chase, ranking Georgia quarterbacks J.T. Daniels and D’Wan Mathis at No. 1.

Mathis was originally committed to Ohio State before he flipped his commitment to Georgia following Justin Fields’ decision to transfer to the Buckeyes in 2018.  Mathis was informed in 2019 that he had a cyst on his brain that required serious surgery.  This medical issue threatened Mathis’ football career, with doctors telling him he might never step on a field and play football again.

Now, the redshirt freshman Mathis will defy the odds, starting under center in his first collegiate game this Saturday against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Graduate transfer quarterback Jamie Newman announced on September 2nd that he was opting out of the 2020 college football season, due to COVID-19 concerns, and will focus on the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. That decision left Georgia’s quarterback position wide open for the taking.

Many thought USC transfer J.T. Daniels would get the nod, but Daniels is still not fully cleared for contact from his ACL tear he suffered a season ago.  The 6-foot-5, 205 pound Mathis has been listed as Georgia’s starter going into Week One, following some very solid weeks impressing head coach Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Todd Monken at training camp.

Mathis will have a plethora of weapons at his disposal.  Zamir White and James Cook headline the Georgia backfield, giving Mathis some great options in the run game and short passing game.  Mathis will also have his deep target in sophomore wide receiver George Pickens, who led the team in all receiving categories his freshman year.

From almost having his football career ended to being named the starting quarterback of the Georgia Bulldogs, Mathis is an amazing sports story that the entirety of the college football world will be watching this Saturday.

Here’s what ESPN’s Bill Connelly had to say about Mathis and his impact on this year’s College Football Playoff chase:

A new starting QB who has the potential to wreck his opponents’ title dreams and fulfill his own frustrated program’s ambitions? Sounds like the most important player in college football to me.

1. QB JT Daniels or D’Wan Mathis, Georgia: Daniels was No. 8 on this list last year, when it looked like he was getting tasked with saving Clay Helton’s job at USC. He got hurt in the first game, however, and lost his job to sudden star Kedon Slovis. Now at Georgia, Daniels could be the guy to push the Dawgs out of last year’s “all-world defense, terribly limited offense” imbalance. But first he has to be cleared for competition.

His ongoing recovery from injury has opened the door for Mathis, who spent 2019 on the sideline after having a cyst removed from his brain. Mathis has apparently impressed head coach Kirby Smart and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

It doesn’t really matter who ends up starting here; it only matters that whoever it is thrives. Georgia will start 2020 with the most proven defense in college football, and while the offense could use another top skill-corps player, it still has a couple of proven linemen in receiver George Pickens, running backs Zamir White and James Cook and a new batch of blue-chippers. With great quarterback play, the Dawgs go from SEC East co-favorites to, potentially, national title co-favorites. Sounds like the QB of choice is the most important player in the country to me.

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.

Twitter reacts to Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman’s decision to opt-out of the 2020 CFB season

Here is how UGA Twitter reacted to the recent news of Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman’s decision to opt-out of the 2020 CFB season.

Wow, that stings. Georgia’s new heralded gunslinger Jamie Newman has decided to opt-out of the 2020 college football season and will be preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Can’t say I don’t blame him for doing so, but that doesn’t make it any easier to swollow.

We were excited to say the least when Newman chose to finish his collegiate career at Georgia. And all we’ve heard this summer is about how Newman was one of the top returning quarterbacks in college football, so losing him just weeks before the opening is disheartening.

Here is how UGA Twitter reacted to the recent news:

Report: Georgia QB opts out of 2020 season to focus on NFL Draft

The Georgia quarterback competition is seemingly over.

The Georgia quarterback competition settled itself out just fine.

On Wednesday, Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman, who was competing with USC transfer J.T. Daniels for the starting position under center for Kirby Smart’s team, decided to opt out of the 2020 college football season to focus on the NFL Draft.

As a junior in 2019 for the Demon Deacons, Newman threw for 2,868 yards and 26 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions while rushing for 574 yards and six more scores.

Auburn is scheduled to play Georgia in Athens on Oct. 3.

UGA football player card: QB JT Daniels

Georgia Bulldogs redshirt sophomore quarterback JT Daniels comes to UGA after spending the first two seasons of his career at USC

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Quarterback JT Daniels (No. 18):

Class: Redshirt Sophomore

Height: 6-3

Weight: 210 pounds

Hometown: Irvine, California

High School: Mater Dei High School

Georgia Bulldogs redshirt sophomore quarterback JT Daniels comes to UGA after spending the first two seasons of his career at USC. Daniels transferred from the Trojans following an ACL injury he suffered during the 2019 season opener. Daniels is still rehabbing the injury and isn’t fully cleared to play as of late Aug. 2020.

Daniels has an opportunity this season in Athens with the departure of Buffalo Bills quarterback Jake Fromm. He will compete with Jamie Newman, Carson Beck, and more for the starting job. The NCAA granted him immediate illegibility on his transfer.

Georgia’s quarterback position has more depth this season than during the 2019 season. Georgia will have several options ready to step up if the starter suffers an injury. Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman is projected to be the starter.

In three seasons at the prestigious Mater Dei High School, JT Daniels averaged more than 50 touchdown passes and 4,000 passing yards per season. Daniels was rated as the third ranked quarterback in his recruiting class behind Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields.

Daniels has solid experience from his days at USC. In 2018, Daniels threw for 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the Trojans. At the very least he will provide the Georgia Bulldogs with a solid, experienced option as a back up. He’s got the talent to earn the starting role this season and beyond.

Nov 24, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback JT Daniels throws a pass against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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