There’s a new leader in the clubhouse to become Jake Fromm’s successor as Georgia’s quarterback. Jamie Newman is a done deal.
Newman, Wake Forest’s starting quarterback for this season and part of the one before, announced via his social media accounts Saturday morning that he is joining the Bulldogs as a graduate transfer. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound resident of Graham, N.C., is in Athens and enrolled at UGA.
“After careful evaluation and guidance from my family, I have decided to enroll at the University of Georgia as a graduate transfer,” Newman wrote on his Twitter account. “As I look ahead, I am excited about joining such a great football program under the leadership of Coach Smart and offensive coordinator coach James Coley. I believe in UGA’s amazing staff, great football program and the passionate fans supporting this team. Most importantly, I’m ready to get to work.”
Fromm, a junior and Georgia's starting quarterback from 2017-19, announced Wednesday he was entering the NFL draft. The Bulldogs have three other scholarship quarterbacks on campus in rising junior Stetson Bennett, redshirt freshman D'Wan and early-enrollee freshman Carson Beck. They also have a well-respected walk-on in Nathan Priestley, a redshirt freshman who arrived from California last year and because Georgia's No. 3 quarterback. But what they don't have is experience.
Newman brings that, not to mention size, speed and athletic ability. He is considered a true dual-threat quarterback.
Pro Football Focus rates Newman as the No. 3 quarterback in the nation (behind No. 1 Trevor Lawrence and No. 2 Justin Fields) among returning players, and wrote this about him:
“The tight-window passing he has put on display has been next level and a large reason why he is highly sought after on the transfer market. Joe Burrow is far and away the highest-graded quarterback throwing to a tight window, but Newman is second — and third isn’t anywhere near him. He also limited his uncatchable pass rate to the fourth lowest. ...
“While some may say it’s his rushing that can be his greatest weapon, it’s clearly his arm. He’s the second highest-graded on 20-plus yard throws and was worth the 12th most wins above average in college football, despite playing in fewer games than everyone else.”
This season, Newman completed 61 percent of 361 passes for 2,868 yards and 26 touchdowns with 11 interceptions in 13 games for Wake Forest, which went 8-5. He also had 574 yards on 180 rushing attempts (including sacks) and six scores.
He played in six games in 2018, starting four, and he completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns with four interceptions. He had another four touchdowns and 247 yards rushing. He leaves Wake Forest with 4,785 yards total offense and 45 scores.
Former Georgia quarterback turned college-football analyst D.J. Shockley has seen Newman play.
“A tough, heady kid,” said Shockley, who works for the SEC Network now but used to do games on the ACC Network. “He throws a really good deep ball. Athletic. Will be good in (the run-pass-option) game and makes pretty good decisions. Really strong with the ball in his hands. A big-time competitor.”
Newman graduated from Wake Forest and has one season of eligibility remaining.
Staff writer David Wellham contributed to this article.
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