Georgia football: 5 questions the Bulldogs must answer in 2020

1. Is Jamie Newman ready to lead Georgia football to the playoff?

Jake Fromm was, if nothing else, a steady force for Georgia football over his three years as the starting quarterback. While many have criticized his ability to find an extra gear, in addition to his questionable ability to push the ball downfield, he rarely made costly mistakes and also made his share of big-time throws. But now he’s gone, which has paved the way for Jamie Newman.

Newman is a graduate transfer from Wake Forest after the quarterback starred for the Demon Deacons last season after limited work as a freshman and middling work as a sophomore. In 2019, Newman threw for 2,868 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 60.9 percent of his throws along with rushing for 574 yards and six touchdowns as well.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback is a big-armed dual-threat option that should open up a ton of opportunities for Todd Monken’s creative offensive mind to work with. And in terms of raw talent, there is no reason to doubt that Newman can be a great college football player. But to win big at Georgia and in the SEC, he needs to be at another level.

With a shortened offseason — namely no spring practice — and as the Bulldogs have a ton of turnover on offense, Newman’s performance is critical. Facing an upgrade in competition from the ACC (you know it’s true), he must be a consistent passer who can pick up a new offense quickly. If he struggles in that regard, the Bulldogs might have a defined ceiling that, frankly, isn’t as high as fans would like for it to be.

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