Jamie Newman, a Grad Transfer, Headed to UGA

ATHENS - Former Wake Forest QB Jamie Newman will play Between the Hedges this fall. 

ESPN reported the news citing sources. The move means the Bulldogs now have four signal callers on scholarship for the 2020 season - Newman, junior Stetson Bennett, redshirt freshman D’wan Mathis and true freshman Carson Beck. 

All four will compete for the starting quarterback job that was left open on Wednesday by Jake Fromm, who declared for the NFL Draft. 

UGA last used a transfer quarterback in 2015 when Virginia graduate transfer Greyson Lambert started all but one game that season on the way to the Bulldogs going 10-3. A season later, Lamber started the opener against North Carolina, but was moved aside in favor of true freshman Jacob Eason in game two. 

UGA coach Kirby Smart has had very good success with transfer players. In 2016, Mo Smith transferred from Alabama to UGA and was a team captain. In 2017, Cameron Nizialek transferred in from Columbia, and had a stellar season punting for the Bulldogs. In 2018, Kirby added former 5-star WR and Cal transfer Demetris Robertson. Last year two grad transfers, Miami WR Lawrence Cager and Tennessee TE Eli Wolf, started a slew of games for the Bulldogs. 

Newman played in all 12 of Wake Forest’s games in 2019. He ended the season with 2,868 passing yards on 220 completions of 361 attempts (61%). He threw for 26 scores and 11 interceptions. Wake was 7-2 in games were Newman threw an zero or one interceptions. Wake was 0-3 in games were Newman had two interceptions. 

But Newman could add a running element to the Bulldogs’ offense in 2020. The grad transfer averaged just under 48 yards a game carrying the ball. Newman was Wake’s third-leading rusher. A UGA QB hasn’t ended the season with over 500 yards rushing since the 1980s. 

The Bulldogs have not announced the start of their spring football schedule yet, but the team typically starts practice in March, and has its annual G Day game in April. UGA’s coaching clinic is the final weekend of March.

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