Edwards tackles Monken, Newman

Former Georgia wide receiver Terrence Edwards knows fans are excited about the prospect of Todd Monken loosening the reins on the Bulldogs’ offense this fall.

He believes that will happen to a large extent. But he also says fans shouldn’t go into the 2020 season with the idea that the Bulldogs will look drastically different than they have in previous years.

“I went back and looked at a lot of stuff that he’s done—his college days, not professional, because that’s totally different. In his college days, he’s been very balanced,” Edwards said. “Everybody wants to call it Air Raid, but he’s always had a 1,000-yard running back in his system.”

Edwards isn’t kidding.

During Monken’s final year as the head coach at Southern Miss, the Golden Eagles not only had one 1,000-yard rusher, but two in Jalen Richards (185-1,098 yards, 16 touchdowns) and Ito Smith (171-1,128 yards, 13 touchdowns).

Quarterback Nick Mullens, meanwhile, completed 331 of 521 passes for 4,476 yards and 38 touchdowns. He gave Southern Miss not only one of the nation’s most balanced offenses, but one of the most explosive.

“I like the approach,” Edward said. “I hope he sticks to what he’s done in the past in the college ranks, having a 4,000-yard passer, along with 2,000 yards rushing, because we’ve got some great backs who I think need to touch the ball.”

When it comes to quarterback Jamie Newman—who is expected to take over as the starting quarterback after transferring from Wake Forest—Edwards is a big fan.

“One of the things that stands out to me about Jamie Newman is that he can push the ball downfield. That’s one thing with Jake [Fromm] I think was a weakness: pushing the ball downfield,” Edwards said. “Jake was very accurate, so I hope the accuracy is also in Jamie’s game. But I do know watching the film of his highlights, he’s able to push the ball downfield on more of a regular basis than I think Jake is able to.”

Newman, who completed 220 of 361 passes for 2,868 yards and 26 touchdowns for Wake Forest last year, has also rushed for 826 career yards and 10 touchdowns.

Although the 6-foot-4 Newman isn’t considered a burner, the simple fact he will be able to extend plays with his legs is something Edwards feels will serve Georgia well.

“I sent out a tweet when I was watching Lamar Jackson play. I was like, I don’t need a Lamar Jackson, I just need a quarterback who can get me 10 yards instead of 39, and I think he’s (Newman) able to use his legs to move the chains,” Edwards said. “He’s a big kid at 230 pounds, so I think he’s going to be able to bring a different dimension for the first time since D.J. (Shockley) being able to run, being able to execute some called runs, getting out on the perimeter, where he’s able to scramble for first downs.”

Edwards can’t wait to see what Newman can do.

“Those unscheduled runs on third and nine—those are oft-scheduled plays. Jake wasn’t able to do that on a consistent basis; it just wasn’t in his game,” Edwards said. “Now, we’re bringing in a quarterback who can scramble for that first down, but also is able to push the ball downfield.”