So Who Starts at QB for UGA Now?
By John Buhler
With yesterday’s confirmed transfer of former University of Virginia quarterback Greyson Lambert to UGA, the Bulldogs now have four scholarship quarterbacks on their roster and no clear-cut starter heading into the summer. Lambert joins Faton Bauta, Jacob Park, and Brice Ramsey in the UGA QB room with new OC Brian Schottenheimer. So who starts for the Dawgs in 2015 under center?
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At the end of the 2014 season it looked like redshirt sophomore Brice Ramsey’s job to lose, but with former OC Mike Bobo leaving Athens to go coach the Colorado State Rams, it’s been an open competition for starting quarterback under Schotty. Through spring practice and G-Day, it felt like Bauta and Ramsey were neck-and-neck with Park trailing considerably. Now with Lambert’s starting experience in the ACC thrown into the mix, HC Mark Richt and Schottenheimer have some tough decisions to make entering the 2015 season.
Greyson Lambert has more playing experience than any of the other UGA QB’s combined. Ramsey and Bauta saw limited playing time backing up Hutson Mason last fall and Park red-shirted in 2014. It certainly feels like Richt and Schotty want to avoid a dual-quarterback system at all costs in 2015. They would prefer to have another transitional quarterback like Mason to bridge the gap to the Jacob Eason era that is rapidly approaching. Eason will enroll at UGA in Spring 2016 and bring his Matthew Stafford-like cannon down from the Pacific Northwest to the Classic City.
In the NFL, Coach Schottenheimer’s offenses featured more methodical passing as opposed to vertical gunslinging. His offenses worked the best when tight ends and slot receivers made plays in space instead of trying to beat a man-coverage corner with the deep ball. Though Ramsey and Park both have howitzers neither throw for a high completion percentage. The last thing Richt wants is to have his quarterback overthrowing a slant route by ten yards and into the arms of CB Vernon Hargreaves III during GA-FLA for a pick six. I believe this transitional quarterback will be either Faton Bauta or Greyson Lambert, whomever shows greater leadership qualities during this summer’s player-run workouts.
Nov 22, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Brice Ramsey (12) drops back to pass against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Charleston Southern 55-9. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
I have a feeling that if Ramsey loses the starting job that he will transfer to Colorado State to play for the man who recruited him to UGA , CSU HC Mike Bobo. Park, who is from Goose Creek, SC, might find himself too buried on the UGA depth chart to earn playing time. I could certainly see him transferring to an ACC school if he wishes to become a NCAA starting QB.
It’s still too early to tell, but unless Lambert comes in a takes charge immediately, then Faton Bauta would be the guy I want leading the Dawgs in 2015. Nobody wants it more or works as hard as Faton. He’s transformed himself into an accurate passing, dual-threat quarterback in three seasons with the Dawgs. His leadership and other intangible qualities lead me to believe that he can hand the ball off to Nick Chubb on most downs and complete third-down passes to Jeb Blazevich.
This story line between the four UGA scholarship quarterbacks will dominate the headlines for the Georgia Bulldogs football program all summer long. As badly as we want to know who the next starter will be, I’m afraid Richt and Schottenheimer won’t divulge that information until the ULM Warhawks come to town in early September. Or maybe not until UGA hosts rival South Carolina a few weeks later? Here’s to running the darn ball in 2015! Go Dawgs!