Georgia Football: Jake Fromm ready to become an elite QB

Georgia Football has been quiet about who is the starting QB for the 2018 season but Jake Fromm is ready to step up and become an elite player.

With the first game of the 2018 season this week, we’re finally going to get to watch some Georgia Football! After signing Justin Fields in the offseason, the storyline of there being a QB controversy in Athens has been popular among many news sources. With game week now here, it looks like Jake Fromm will go into the season as the starting QB.

That’s not surprising to anybody who actually watched Fromm play last year. As a true freshman, he continued to improve as the season went on and played really well in the CFP. Now a sophomore, it was likely that he would continue to grow and get better, especially with the situation that he’s being put in.

The Dawgs have given Jake Fromm the grow this offseason. Now, the former 5-star will head into 2018 better than he’s ever been. He doesn’t get the hype of Tua Tagovailoa, but I think that Fromm is on the cusp of becoming a truly elite QB. If he does, there will be three key reasons why he’s hitting those heights.

Great OL play:

I can’t imagine there are many QB’s in the country who are happier with their offensive line than Fromm. The sad days of 2016 are long gone and the Dawgs enter this year with a line that is not only elite in terms of starters but is also deep with 5-star talent pushing for playing time.

This unit will not only give Fromm time and protect him from the pass rush, but it will also provide the perfect base for a strong running game. Nothing will make Fromm’s life easier than the fact that teams still have to worry about stopping the run every game. Pushing safeties into the box to try and stop UGA will give Fromm more space to throw in to and that is a scary proposition for opponents this season.

Weapons on weapons:

It’s scary because good lord does Fromm have weapons to throw to. With Demetris Robertson joining the wide receiver room, the Dawgs are loaded with talent. Mecole Hardman, Terry Godwin, and Riley Ridley all showed last year that they should be great this year. They are also deep at tight end and many expect Issac Nauta to fully break out in his junior season.

Then there are the running backs. Yes, the Dawgs lose Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. Yes, they have also lost Zamir White for the season. But, D’Andre Swift and James Cook are naturals in the passing game, catching not only out of the backfield but also getting motioned into the slot. I expect both to catch quite a lot of passes this year and turn many short throws into big gains.

In short, there are weapons everywhere for Fromm to throw to. Whether it’s play action or designed passing plays, Fromm should have players open on almost every throw. He should also have a line that gives him the time needed to find that person. That’s a dangerous combination.

Iron sharpens Iron:

Last but not least is the competition. I have to say that Kirby Smart and his coaches deserve a lot of credit so far for the way that they have handled the Jake Fromm/Justin Fields situation. They haven’t forced Fields into a box of just being a running QB like some other would have. Instead, they are helping him become the best passing QB he can by running the same system as they do with Fromm.

In doing so, they are also pushing Fromm to keep improving. Every report suggests that Fields is even more impressive in practice than Fromm was last season. He’s forced Fromm to take the step up that he has because standing still would likely lead to him losing his job. Fromm has done just that, but even so, the Dawgs will likely find ways to put Fields in the game most weeks.

That’s not a slight to Fromm, it’s a necessity because Fields is the only option to save the season should Fromm get injured. The Dawgs need him to be ready to go should the worst happen. They also know that Fields’ athletic ability is going to cause defenses headaches and so forcing them to gameplan for him is never a bad thing.

Now that the season is here, it’s up to Smart and his offensive coaches to continue to manage their QB’s effectively. That might mean that Fromm doesn’t get as many snaps as people think and he doesn’t put ‘video game numbers’, but that won’t stop him from becoming a truly elite QB this season.

2018 is going to be the year where college football fans realize that Jake Fromm is more than just ‘that good freshman kid from Georgia’. He’ll be the offensive leader for one of the best teams in the nation and a player every NFL scout has their eye on for the 2020 draft. Everything about Fromm suggests that this is the year that he shows the rest of the country that he’s an elite level QB. So buckle up Dawg fans, because his ascension is going to be very fun to watch!