Next Man Up: Examining Georgia's depth at quarterback

Having talented players manning each starting position is obviously the key to having a successful team. But what about the rest of the depth chart? Kirby Smart will tell you that championship-caliber teams go only as far as their depth will allow. We are going over the Bulldogs’ roster, taking a look at the backup options for each group. Today, let's take a look at quarterback.

It's a good thing this article didn't run Thursday as originally intended.

A lot has certainly changed since then.

The decision of former five-star J.T. Daniels to transfer from Southern Cal to Georgia has suddenly cast some added intrigue into this fall's competition to become the Bulldogs' starting quarterback this fall.

There's still the matter of the redshirt sophomore getting a transfer waiver from the NCAA now that the governing body has shelved the one-time transfer proposal, but assuming he does, the upcoming competition is going to be even more interesting.

For those wondering, Daniels has three years of eligibility, but only if he's granted the ability to play right away after redshirting last fall due to the ACL he tore in Southern Cal's opener against Fresno State. If Daniels does not gain immediate eligibility and is forced to sit out, he'll have only two years to play.

Kirby Smart will tell you he hasn’t decided on a starter, and that every position on the team is open to competition.

With Daniels now part of the team, that obviously includes quarterback as well, where Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman, redshirt freshman D'Wan Mathis, junior Stetson Bennett and freshman Carson Beck.

During Thursday's Zoom interview with reporters, Smart was asked how much offensive coordinator Todd Monken might have to restrict his scheme due to missing out on spring.

His answer—which came before the news Daniels broke—was intriguing.

"We don't even know the threshold of some of our players," Smart said. "We didn't get to go through spring ball with necessarily some of the positions, especially on offense, of guys to see what they can handle."

So, what will it all mean?

Before Daniels' announcement, it was assumed Newman would be the slam dunk starter when the Bulldogs are scheduled to open the season Sept. 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Virginia.

From what we've been told, Newman has been working his you-know-what off with noted quarterback guru Quincy Avery, and appears in tremendous shape.

Hopefully, the extra prep time teams are given will make up for the loss of spring drills, from the standpoint of building chemistry with the receivers and learning the offense under Monken.

Although Newman’s status as the presumed starter is not expected to change, the addition of Daniels now make the competition a bit more compelling.

Prior to tearing his ACL in last year's opener against Fresno State, Daniels completed 216 of 363 passes for 2,672 yards, with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a freshman in 2018.

Of course, Daniels isn't the only other quarterback on the roster.

Bennett, Mathis, and Bennett are also anxious to prove to Monken they're capable of directing the offense—this year.

Come next spring, Newman will be out of the picture. But Daniels, Bennett, Mathis, and Beck are slated to jockey for the starting role, along with incoming freshman Brock Vandagriff.

Safe to say that quarterbacks will be a talking point for several years to come.

Talk about having a full deck. That's a good way to look at Georgia's quarterback room following Daniels' addition.

Daniels gives the Bulldogs five scholarship quarterbacks, a number that would remain in place with next year's addition of Vandagriff in the mix.

It also reminds us of the 1998 Georgia squad, when former head coach Jim Donnan entered the season with five scholarship quarterbacks of his own.

The Bulldogs already had four quarterbacks on their roster—Mike Usry, Daniel Cobb, Nate Hybl, and Jon England—when Quincy Carter left pro baseball and joined the Georgia program over the summer.

After the season, Carter was the only one who remained.

England gave up football and Cobb went the JUCO route before transferring to Auburn. Hybl went to Oklahoma and Usry transferred to South Florida.

Ironically, Cobb, Hybl, and Usry wound up starting for their respective new teams.

So that begs the question. What are Mathis, Beck, and Bennett thinking?

Vandagriff has no problems.

In a text to UGASports, Vandagriff's father Greg said his son has absolutely no problem with the Bulldogs' new addition.

“We are all good. Life is about competition and proving yourself over and over. The only time you don’t have to prove yourself again is when you retire! If you wanna win a National Championship or any Championship, you have to beat out someone to get onto the field," Greg Vandagriff said. "It’s the nature of the beast, and competition is something you'd better embrace or go play somewhere everyone plays 2.43 quarters, and we will all celebrate the participation trophy.”

Still, in regard to Mathis, Beck, and Bennett, it bears mentioning. However, discounting either from making an impact would also be a mistake.

Bennett may not be the biggest, but he’s a heady sucker and isn’t afraid of sticking his nose in there to pick up an extra yard.

He’s got the ability to avoid tacklers, and has been successful throwing on the run. With his experience, the Bulldogs could do worse than the Mailman, who delivered for Georgia, completing 20 of 27 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns.

Mathis, meanwhile, is a very promising candidate.

For those who don’t know, Mathis has been officially cleared for competition following his brain surgery from a year ago, and is primed to make a statement this fall.

Folks who attended last year’s G-Day game caught a glimpse of Mathis’ speed and running ability, but this is no one-trick pony.

Mathis is a better passer than many give him credit for, and is actually one of the better athletes on the team. Although Newman will be the starter, it won’t be a surprise to see Monken find ways to take advantage of that ability this fall.

Beck’s not ready to concede anything.

From what we understand, the freshman has been busting his rear end back home in Jacksonville, training for his opportunity, and won’t be taking a back seat to anyone.

Beck’s ready to show Monken and Smart that despite his youth, he’s ready to make an impact right now and put himself square in the middle of the competition, come 2021.