Georgia Bulldogs Quarterback Decision: When?
The Georgia Bulldogs still have yet to announce who will be their starting quarterback this fall. With just two weeks remaining until the season opener…what are the Dawgs waiting for?
Unfortunately, there is still no answer as to who will be the starting quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs this season. While the Florida Gators managed to name Luke Del Rio their starting quarter back this week, several other high-profile universities have not – including the University of Georgia.
As of right now, it seems that maybe head coach Kirby Smart is taking a page out of his old mentor’s playbook. For several seasons, Alabama head coach Coach Nick Saban has always waited until the last possible minute to name a starter. In previous years, he has cut it very close to their season opening game with naming starting quarterbacks, including Blake Sims and Jacob Coker. This year seems to be no different for Coach Saban and coach Gus Malzahn at Auburn who is also taking his time weighing his quarterback options.
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Is this trend intentional? If fans are not being naive, it would only seem rational to believe that all three – coaches Saban, Malzahn and Smart – already know who their starting quarterback will be. With each team playing a very accomplished opponent in their first game, who will be willing to roll the dice with an untested, unproven quarterback?
Lambert or Eason?
Coach Smart technically has three choices: Jacob Eason, Greyson Lambert, or Brice Ramsey. Though the option to start Ramsey is out there, at this point it doesn’t seem to be likely. Coach Smart can have a safe bet in the more experienced Greyson Lambert, or give the promising five-star freshman Jacob Eason a shot.
It appears that there would be no reason to rush Eason‘s debut, other than to make a statement that the “Kirby Smart – Jacob Eason Era” has begun. Whether we’re ready to admit it or not, Kirby Smart’s future success with the Georgia Bulldogs is directly tied to the success or failure of Eason.
On the other hand, Lambert has proven himself as a solid game manager. He’s low risk, low reward. Last season he led the Bulldogs to 10 victories. If the Dawgs have the services of Nick Chubb and or Sony Michel early in the season, Lambert should be successful against the likes of North Carolina, Nicholls State, and Missouri. This option would also give Eason time to get acclimated to the speed of SEC football. However, if Lambert were to be named starting quarterback and struggles, there is no doubt that the Dawg Nation would embrace a quarterback change to Eason.
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When it comes down to it, everything that we have seen and heard from Coach Smart thus far would lead us to believe that Jacob Eason will be the starter. Think about it. The Kirby Smart Era has begun at the University of Georgia, and what better way to prove it than to take a chance on the freshman quarterback.