The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
» QB Newman cites pandemic as his reason for opting out,
The “opt-out” trend that is sweeping through college football this week finally hit Georgia, and it arrived with a wallop.
Quarterback Jamie Newman, a graduate transfer from Wake Forest who was poised to be the Bulldogs’ starter this season, announced on social media Wednesday that he decided to opt out for the season and instead will begin preparing for the 2021 NFL draft.
In light of the still-raging coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA this summer announced that it would allow scholarship athletes to opt-out of 2020 fall athletics and retain their eligibility for another season. Players all across the SEC have chosen that option this week, including several for defending national champion LSU. But Newman’s comments indicate he’ll be moving on.
“I would like to thank coach (Kirby) Smart for extending the opportunity for me to be a part of the University of Georgia football program,” Newman posted on Twitter. “Although my time has been short I’ve built some great relationships and I’ve had a chance to continue my development. As I prepare for the journey ahead, I remain hopeful and excited about what the future holds especially during these challenging times in our world.”
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Smart said: “One of the guiding principles of both the SEC and UGA return-to-play protocols has been the health and safety of our student-athletes. We have emphasized continually that any student-athlete who decides to opt out because of health and/or safety concerns related to COVID-19 would be fully supported to include honoring scholarships, access to academic facilities, etc., and would remain in good standing with the team.
“While we will miss him being part of our program, I fully support Jamie’s decision and we will continue to regard him as a Georgia Bulldog. Certainly we wish him nothing but the best in his quest for an NFL career, and he knows he will always have a home at UGA.”
At this point, Newman is the only Georgia player known to have opted out of the season because of COVID19 concerns. On Tuesday, senior defensive back Mark Webb was asked why the Bulldogs seemed determined to stick it out and play.
“We love the game, I would say,” Webb said. “It’s nothing against those players; I’m sure they have many reasons to do what they’re doing. But I feel like everybody on this team is looking to push forward into the season and put the best thing we can on the field.”
As for why Newman decided to quit now, he wrote, “due to the uncertainties of this year amid a global pandemic.”
It’s not known exactly how many Georgia football players have tested positive for the coronavirus since they returned to campus for summer training June 8, but persons with knowledge of that number say it is “several.” Last week, UGA reported 173 positive tests among students, faculty and staff. That was more than twice as many as the previous week.
On Wednesday, the school website reported another 95 from the previous work week (Aug. 24-28). That prompted UGA President Jere Morehead to send out a message Wednesday urging students to take infection-prevention measures more seriously.
Newman recently was given the highest grade among SEC quarterbacks as a potential NFL draft choice by Pro Football Focus. At 6 feet 4, 230 pounds, he is considered a dual-threat quarterback who is as effective as a runner as he is a passer.
Newman transferred to Georgia in January after playing three seasons at Wake Forest. He was considered the prize transfer catch in college football for 2020. As such, he was expected to be the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback this season.
However, quarterback J.T. Daniels, a two-year starter at USC, surprised the college football world this summer when he announced he, too, was transferring to Georgia. Daniels’ waiver for immediate eligibility was approved in July. Although barely a year removed from ACL surgery, Daniels has been practicing with the Bulldogs and performing well, according to coaches and teammates. He has not been cleared for contact.
Daniels is one of at least seven quarterbacks to whom the Bulldogs can turn. The others are junior Stetson Bennett, redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis, freshman Carson Beck and at least three invited walk-ons.
Newman took the first snaps with the first-team offense in Georgia’s scrimmage Saturday. He was followed by Daniels, then Mathis and Beck also got snaps with the No. 1 offense.
Smart said too much shouldn’t be read into the QB rotation at this point.
“I don’t think anybody’s separated,” Smart assessed. “As far as a timetable for that, I don’t have one.”
Coincidentally, former Georgia quarterback Justin Fields, who played last season at Ohio State, was reported to be at the Bulldogs’ scrimmage Saturday at Sanford Stadium. The Big Ten has announced that it will not play football this fall. So, Georgia fans lit up social-media sites Wednesday with speculation about whether Fields could be contemplating a return to UGA.
Not likely. Because of the COVID-19 shutdown, the NCAA Council never got to vote on a initiative to liberalize its transfer policy for all college athletes. In Fields’ case, considering the circumstances he cited for needing to leave UGA, the fact that he already has transferred once, his status as a potential early first-round NFL draft choice and the time constraints of Georgia opening the season in just three weeks would all seem to make such a move unlikely, at best.
“I don’t think there’s anything to this at all,” said Tom Mars, the Atlanta attorney who represented Fields during his transfer from Georgia. “I’d think I’d get a phone call or at least a text from Pablo (Fields, Justin’s father). But I guess stranger things have happened.”