Georgia football: Jamie Newman’s Heisman odds increase
Georgia football newcomer Jamie Newman rose in the list of players with the best chances of winning the 2020 Heisman Trophy.
Despite not playing a down for Georgia football, the odds of quarterback Jamie Newman winning the 2020 Heisman Trophy continue to increase.
William Hill Superbook sets Newman’s odds at 10/1, third best behind Justin Fields (7/2) and Trevor Lawrence (4/1). Fields, the former Bulldog, finished third in the Heisman voting this past season. The odds maker’s infatuation with Newman is one part transfer-hype and another part Newman just being a solid quarterback.
Around the nation, transfer quarterbacks have made a big splash with their new teams. The aforementioned Fields lead Ohio State to the playoffs. Former Buckeye-turned-LSU Tiger Joe Burrow won the Heisman on route to a National Championship this past season. Georgia is banking on Newman having a similar impact in Athens this season.
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While there is no guarantee Newman will live up to expectations, but he likely won’t be a bust either. Newman missed one game with an injury last season and still had 2,858 passing yards with 26 touchdowns. He added 574 yards and six more touchdowns as a rusher.
Some have dismissed his success because he played in the ACC and claim he’ll struggle transitioning to the SEC. Just watch Newman’s highlight film. He isn’t just another scrambler, he wasn’t just a big fish in the small ACC pond. Newman has some legitimate attributes that translate to any conference.
Newman has a quick release so opposing defenses can’t waste time getting to him. He has a strong arm, but he’s under control. In fact, his arm-strength helps his accuracy. Newman throws the ball with so much velocity, it doesn’t detour from its target. Most of his 500-plus rushing yards came on designed runs, so he doesn’t stop looking for receivers when he does scramble.
Most importantly, Newman builds relationships with all his receivers. Three receivers had at least 600 yards for Wake Forest last season, and two (Kendall Hinton and Sage Suratt) passed 1,000 yards. Six receivers averaged at least one catch per game.
Newman is a good, mature quarterback. There’s a reason why Kirby Smart wanted to bring him to Athens. Carson Beck is probably a good quarterback in his own right, but Newman brings experience and refinement. The odds makers obviously see that in him. Fans won’t have to wait much longer to see a glimpse of it either. Newman will compete in the G-Day Game on Apr. 16.