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Georgia fans are dying for Kirby Smart’s program to finally dethrone Alabama and looking ahead to the Sept. 19 showdown between the Bulldogs and Alabama in Tuscaloosa, ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy believes UGA has a major advantage in one key aspect of that game.
When it comes to which team has the edge at the game’s most important position, McElroy doesn’t believe there’s much of a discussion comparing Jamie Newman and Mac Jones entering the 2020 season.
Here’s what the ESPN analyst had to say during a recent appearance on Atlanta-based sports radio program “Xtra 1063” this week.
“I think Newman’s way more talented. I mean, I don’t even think it’s really, I don’t think it’s really comparable just given Jamie Newman’s upside. I mean, guys, we’re talking top five pick upside here. I mean, he has that kind of upside — he’s ridiculous,” McElroy said on the show. “There are some nuances to his game that he needs to learn, but just as far as talent is concerned, there’s not many out there and college football like him.
“He’s extremely accurate, big arm, needs to learn how to layer the football a little more. Mac Jones is a solid player as well and performed, like I said, very admirably but I think part of the reason why everyone will feel real good about him is the fact that he’s surrounded by an all-star team in a lot of ways.”
Those are some bold comments for a player that’s not taken a single snap in the SEC but given the amount of talent that will be surrounding Newman in Athens this fall, he’ll have every opportunity to show his best football is in front of him this season playing in a Bulldog uniform after starting several seasons for a Wake Forest program that could never match up in terms of overall talent with the powers in the ACC.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
