Jamie Newman starting over JT Daniels is an easy decision for Kirby Smart

Kirby Smart will be smart if he starts Jamie Newman over JT Daniels.

Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart must roll with Jamie Newman over JT Daniels this fall.

Usually when a football team has two quarterbacks, that typically means they don’t have one. Well, we’re going to make a major exception to that notion with what Smart has going for him on the 2020 Georgia Bulldogs roster. He has a pair of great transfer quarterbacks. Newman is a graduate transfer from Wake Forest, while Daniels transferred over after two years with USC.

Once long-time starter Jake Fromm decided to forego his senior season and enter the 2020 NFL Draft, Georgia entered the transfer quarterback market. The Dawgs ended up with the former Wake Forest Demon Deacons standout in Newman, who will play his final year of college ball in Athens. His dual-threat playmaking abilities have him as a potential first-round pick in 2021.

Even though he was transferring over from Wake Forest and had to learn a new Todd Monken offense in the midst of a global pandemic, Newman was more talented than any other quarterback on Georgia’s roster. That was until Daniels decided to transfer to Georgia all the way from Southern California. Him being granted immediate eligibility is a total game changer.

Kirby Smart will play both, but he must start Jamie Newman over JT Daniels.

Though there was a strong possibility Daniels was going to be granted immediate eligibility, there was also a chance he’d have to ride pine during his second redshirt season. While Newman has one year of collegiate eligibility left, Daniels has three to work with now that he’s on the Dawgs. Of course, both are going to play and why wouldn’t they, but here’s why it has to be Newman first.

Newman is a more adept playmaker with his legs than Daniels. That’s not to say Daniels can’t make a play or two with his feet, but keep in mind he did tear his ACL last year in USC’s season opener vs. Fresno State. He’s good to go, but it’s hard to not have that thought in the back of your mind when thinking about Daniels less than one year removed from major surgery.

Georgia has not readily used a quarterback with great mobility since D.J. Shockley starred for the Dawgs a decade and a half ago. The Dawgs have had plenty of excellent pro-style quarterbacks in David Greene, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Murray and Fromm, but they have devolved into having one of the blandest offenses of any contending team in the Power 5. It’s their Achilles heel.

Newman picking up first downs with his feet will keep the Georgia offense on the field. It should be noted Georgia lost three starters along their offensive line to the NFL Draft. Tackles Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson went in the first round to the New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans, respectively. Guard Solomon Kindley went a few rounds later to the Miami Dolphins.

Though Georgia has two strong starters returning in center Trey Hill and guard Ben Cleveland, the continuity won’t be there out of the gate with Kindley, Thomas and Wilson all playing in the NFL these days. Even though the Dawgs are expected to pass more with Monken calling the plays, it won’t be a surprise to have a few scripted, and off-scripted, runs be part of the UGA offense.

Admittedly, either of these quarterbacks are capable of guiding the Georgia football team to Atlanta for the fourth year in a row as SEC East champions. Assuming a loss in their SEC opener vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia can still get to Atlanta with a 7-1 conference record if the Dawgs continue to take care of business vs. the arch rival Florida Gators down in Jacksonville.

However, there are three strong reasons Newman has to be the starter for the Dawgs right out of the gate over Daniels. One, Saban struggles with mobile quarterbacks. This could be a way the Dawgs steal a victory out of the Crimson Tide’s clutches over in Tuscaloosa. Two, a motivated Daniels vying for playing time will help make the UGA defense even more menacing in practice.

We know Daniels is too talented not to play in his first year with the Dawgs, but he will have to earn his opportunities in practice. The former high school blue-chipper will bring out the absolute best in that vaunted Dan Lanning defense. As they always say, iron sharpens iron. And three, this intrinsic motivation by Daniels ensures whoever plays quarterback for the Dawgs will be great.

If Smart were to give the job to Daniels out of camp, there is a chance Newman will check out mentally and try to get ready for the NFL Draft. While this would crush his draft stock, you won’t see the motivation from him as the No. 2 as you would with Daniels for obvious reasons. Better yet, if Newman wins out, he will be challenged every day in practice by Daniels to bring his A game.

Smart can’t mess this up, as it’s painfully clear he has to go with Newman over Daniels in Week 1.

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