Georgia football fans, media react to Jamie Newman opting out

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 27: Quarterback Jamie Newman #12 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons scrambles past defensive tackle Raequan Williams #99 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on December 27, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 27: Quarterback Jamie Newman #12 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons scrambles past defensive tackle Raequan Williams #99 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on December 27, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) /
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Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman opting out of the 2020 season has come as a total surprise and no one saw it coming. 

Major news dropped out of Athens on Wednesday afternoon, after it was announced that Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jamie Newman, seemingly out of nowhere, has opted out of the 2020 season over COVID-19 concerns. 

Newman, a grad transfer from Wake Forest, was in the middle of a quarterback battle with USC transfer JT Daniels, with Newman expected to win the job. Now, Daniels appears set to be the new go-to signal-caller for Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs.

As you might expect, both fans and media members have been left absolutely stunned with Wednesday’s major development. The expectation was that Newman would help the Bulldogs push for an SEC title and compete for a national championship. Now, his season is over before it even began.

Media and fans alike react to the news that Georgia football quarterback Jamie Newman has opted out of the 2020 season and will prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft

https://twitter.com/HMason14/status/1301247122927427588

https://twitter.com/DjShockley3/status/1301242749430231046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1301242749430231046%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fugawire.usatoday.com%2F2020%2F09%2F02%2Ftwitter-reacts-to-georgia-football-transfer-quarterback-jamie-newmans-decision-to-opt-out-of-the-2020-cfb-season-collge-football-news%2F

As you can see from the tweets above, everyone on social media was taken aback by Newman’s decision to opt-out. He had been performing so well during fall camp and looked poised to have a strong year in his first SEC campaign.

As you saw in David Pollack‘s tweet, he even had Georgia as a legitimate contender to compete for a national title with Newman running the offense. Now, it will be on Daniels to try and make some magic happen for Smart and the rest of the coaching staff. Newman will shift his focus to train to get ready for the 2021 NFL Draft instead of suiting up for the Bulldogs.

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