Kirby Smart gives cryptic update on Georgia football starting QB battle

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart remains coy about who will be the team’s starting quarterback for the season-opener vs. Arkansas. Will it be JT Daniels or D’Wan Mathis?

Kirby Smart has given us an update as to who will be Georgia football’s starting quarterback.

The Georgia Bulldogs head coach has kept this one extremely close to the vest. Since Jamie Newman opted out of the 2020 college football season, the Dawgs have had nothing but uncertainty at the quarterback position. Will it be redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis getting the start vs. the Arkansas Razorbacks or will it be redshirt sophomore transfer JT Daniels?

So will it be D’Wan Mathis, JT Daniels or does it even matter vs. the Hogs?

Since Daniels has not been medically cleared to play as of Saturday morning, it would be Mathis who’d presumably get the Dawgs’ SEC opener at rebuilding Arkansas. With this being a 3:00 p.m. CT start time in Fayetteville, Daniels could theoretically get cleared to make his first start for Georgia in a few hours. However, he is coming off a torn ACL and Mathis has looked great in 2020.

Mathis’s ascension in Todd Monken’s offense at practice may have had more to do with Newman opting out than the coronavirus. Obviously, there is no way to confirm that, but the dual-threat playmaker from Oak Park, Michigan has at least earned the opportunity to make his first Georgia start on the road vs. arguably the worst team in the SEC. This is all about confusing Sam Pittman.

This is Pittman’s first year leading the Hogs, as he had been Smart’s offensive line coach and ace recruiter at Georgia the last few years. Pittman had said previously he would not announce a Week 1 starter until his mentor Smart did. In truth, we know it’s going to be former Florida Gators starter Feleipe Franks for the Hogs. Interestingly, Franks is who Mathis draws comparisons to.

The good news for Georgia is the Dawgs have a major talent advantage over Arkansas. Georgia is a national title contender, while Arkansas will struggle to win pretty much every game it plays in a 10-game, SEC-only slate. This game may be closer than expected but look for Georgia to put on the afterburners and win this one comfortably in the second half with defense and the run.

Though Daniels might get cleared to play in a few hours, Georgia will do just fine with Mathis.

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