Bauta to Graduate, What It Means for UGA’s QB Competition

According to Seth Emerson of the Macon Telegraph, Redshirt Junior QB Faton Bauta is graduating from the University of Georgia this week.  It will have only taken Bauta three and a half years to earn a sports management degree.  This is an interesting wrinkle in the 2015 Georgia Bulldogs quarterback competition.  Bauta, along with Redshirt Sophomore Brice Ramsey and Redshirt Freshman Jacob Park are still in the midst of a battle for the starting spot in new OC Brian Schottenheimer’s offense.

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Through his hard work in practice and in the classroom, Faton has made himself a serious contender to lead the Dawgs this fall.  While he doesn’t have the rocket arm of Ramsey or Park, Bauta plays with grit, moves very well in the pocket, and delivers catchable balls to his receivers.  His style of play could fit nicely into Schotty’s offensive system that plans to feature the Dawgs’ loaded backfield.

It doesn’t serve Mark Richt and his staff to name a starter anytime soon.  They want the QB competition to drag on as long as possible to derive the very best out of their three scholarship quarterbacks.  But perhaps most importantly, the Dawgs cannot afford to lose a scholarship QB to transferring.

Because Bauta will have already received his undergraduate diploma before the start of fall training camp, he could theoretically switch schools and start right away.  Being that he is in a serious competition with a major SEC school, Faton would have little to no problem leading a mid-major or bottom feeder Power 5 team if he left the UGA program.  If Bauta were to lose out to Ramsey or Park and transfer, Georgia will only have two scholarship QB’s on their roster.

Yes, highly touted QB prospect Jacob Eason will arrive on campus early in January, but Georgia cannot have a quarterback transfer this fall.  If that requires Richt and Schotty to go with two quarterbacks splitting snaps this season, I’m okay with that.  But the Dawgs cannot afford to have only two scholarship QB’s on their roster, especially if one gets hurt in the early part of the season.

Georgia will tee it up Between the Hedges on Saturday, September 5th when the Dawgs take on the ULM Warhawks.  Only four months until college football is back and it’s Saturday in Athens!