In Greek mythology, a three-headed dog named Cerberus keeps the dead from escaping and the living from entering the underworld. Though the Georgia quarterback situation is slightly less morbid than life-and-death, there truly is a three-headed monster – or “Dawg”, if you will – competing for the opportunity to lead the Bulldogs to ultimate glory in 2015.
The three quarterbacks in question are redshirt sophomore Brice Ramsey, junior Faton Bauta and redshirt freshman Jacob Park.
While many assume there’s already an heir apparent in Brice Ramsey after watching him serve as the primary back-up for Hutson Mason last season, that is simply not true. Not only is the open competition legitimate, but it is wide open. With the departure of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and arrival of Brian Schottenheimer to the same position, any true advantage Ramsey might have had disappeared. All three players will be learning the new offensive system together – for better or for worse – while Georgia also figures out who is best fit to play the center position after the loss of David Andrews.
The UGA Quarterback Race
Here’s what you should know about each contender:
Brice Ramsey
Ramsey has the most playing experience of the three, by far, which would seem to give him a leg up. But, as noted earlier, the new offensive scheme has a dampening effect on any perceived advantage. He played in six games during the 2014 season, amassing 333 yards with a completion percentage of 61.5 and three touchdowns against two interceptions. He was 5-for-5 against Kentucky and played nearly the entire second half against Charleston Southern, going 8-for-12 with one touchdown and one interception. Ramsey has the arm strength, athleticsm and size (6-3, 220) to be a major star at Georgia, but it’s hard to get too excited about his potential until it translates into a strong spring and summer, followed by points on the field in the fall.
Faton Bauta
Bauta offers an interesting dichotomy from Ramsey and Park – he is a dual-threat quarterback. While he has good size for a prototypical pocket passer, he also can burn defenses on the ground with his speed. He has had limited opportunities to showcase his ability as a passer in live game situations, having only thrown five passes (completing four) in his two years at Georgia. He also has ten carries for 46 yards (4.6 average) and two touchdowns on the ground. In the 2014 G-Day Spring Game, Bauta showed off his arm, going 16-of-28 for 232 yards and two touchdowns. Bauta has a reputation as being a hard worker, which could draw comparisons to a rather popular former Georgia quarterback – Aaron Murray. Consider him the dark horse for the starting job in 2015.
Jacob Park
If ever there was a wild card in this competition, it’s Park, the 2014 South Carolina Mr. Football Award winner. He spent his entire redshirt season on the Georgia scout team, and generally earned rave reviews for his versatility – both as a pocket passer and a mobile quarterback. Park was recruited as a pro-style quarterback, and that’s what he’ll be in Georgia’s system, but it’s nice to know he has enough speed to mimic a mobile quarterback on the practice field. With great size, good mechanics and a strong arm, Park possesses many of the characteristics of a successful quarterback. As with Ramsey, the star potential is there, but it’s going to take a lot of work in the film room and on the practice field for Park to rise to the top and start under center on September 5.
For Georgia, the three-headed monster of quarterbacks is a good problem to have. They have three potential stars that will likely learn more together in competition than they would if the position was already locked up. Another major thing to remember going into the 2015 season: Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are back and ready to run. If there’s a better backfield to inherit than Georgia’s as a new quarterback in a new system, please share. Chubb gained 1,760 yards from scrimmage last season, and he will look to improve upon that total as the starter from day one. That will certainly take some pressure off whoever wins the quarterback battle.
There’s a lot of time left for the competition to heat up, as spring practice, G-Day (April 11, 2015) and summer practices will separate the three potential starters, but as it stands now, the UGA quarterback race is anyone’s game.
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