G-Day Game, April 20, 2019
At first glance, one might think that Georgia’s representatives at this year’s edition of SEC Media Days would be a group of experienced veterans of the annual football feeding frenzy. After all, Fromm, Reed, and Thomas are post-practice and post-game frequent flyers. However, only Reed is making a second appearance, having spoken last year in Atlanta (when SECMD left Alabama for the first time). Quarterback Jake Fromm and left tackle Andrew Thomas will run the Media Days gauntlet for the first time next Tuesday in Hoover. These three team leaders will give reasoned responses that include no hint of bulletin board material for any of Georgia’s opponents.
Jake Fromm
Career Highs:
* 326 passing yards vs. Missouri, 2017
* 4 passing TDs vs. Georgia Tech, 2018
* 25 completions vs. Alabama, 2018
* 39 passing attempts vs. Alabama, 2018
* Long completion of 80 yards, vs. Alabama, 2018
2018: Started at QB in all 14 games…5th among all FBS quarterbacks in passing efficiency (171.2) and 12th in completion percentage (67.3)…ninth nationally in yards per pass attempt (8.98)…one of 11 finalists for the 2018 Manning Award, given to the nation’s top QB and includes bowl-game performance…one of 16 semifinalists for the 2018 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award…named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his performance vs. Florida (17×24, 240 yards, 3 TDs)…threw for at least two TDs in nine of 14 games this season…career-high four TD passes vs. Georgia Tech…threw a pair of TD passes in the final 2:47 of the first half vs. Auburn…completed 15 of 18 passes for 194 yards vs. South Carolina…completed 12 of 16 passes for 157 yards and two TDs in opener vs. Austin Peay…matched his then-career high with three TD passes vs. five teams: vs. MTSU, Missouri, Vandy, Florida and Texas…selected as one of four game captains vs. Tennessee and Texas.
2017: Freshman All-America by ESPN and USA Today…Coaches’ SEC Freshman of the Year…Associated Press SEC Co-Newcomer of the Year…Coaches’ Freshman All-SEC Team…played in 15 games, making 14 starts…ranked ninth nationally in passing efficiency (160.1)…third-most passing yards in a single season (2,615) by a UGA freshman…season high in passing yards (326) came in win over Missouri…named SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance…won the honor again after completing 12 of 16 passes for 224 yards and two TDs at Georgia Tech…completed 16 of 22 passes for 183 yards and two TDs in SEC Championship Game…also had a 17-yard designed rush in the game…hit 20-of-29 passes with two touchdowns in the Rose Bowl…one of his most efficient games came vs. South Carolina (16×22, 196 yards, 2 TDs)…also threw a key block on Georgia’s first TD run of the game, an 8-yarder by Sony Michel…completed 7-of-15 passes for 84 yards, with one passing TD and two more by rushing, at Tennessee… named to Maxwell Award Watch List…named SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance in the win against then-No. 17 Mississippi State…started the MSU game with a perfect 8-for-8 passing through the first two quarters, including a career-long 59-yard TD pass to Terry Godwin on the first play of the game…finished the night against Miss. State 9-of-12 for 201 yards and two touchdowns…hit 8-of-13 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns against Samford…picked up first career start in a road win at Notre Dame the second week of 2017 season…completed 16-of-29 passes for 141 yards and one TD against the Irish…only the second Bulldog freshman in school history to record his first career start on the road (Eric Zeier, ‘91)…made collegiate debut after an injury to starter Jacob Eason in the first quarter against Appalachian State…completed 10-of-15 passes for 143 yards and one TD against the Mountaineers…put UGA up 14-0 against Appalachian State with a 34-yard strike to Javon Wims – the first TD pass of his career…early enrollee who participated in spring drills…completed 14 of 23 passes for 277 yards and 2 TDs for the victorious Red team in the G-Day spring game.
High School: Houston County, coached by Von Lassiter…Selected to represent the East in the 2016 U.S. Army All-America Bowl…American Family Insurance 2016 USA Today All-USA Second Team offense…PrepStar Magazine five-star prospect, #41 player nationally on the Top 150 Dream Team… ESPN.com four-star prospect, #132 player nationally, #7 QB nationally, #17 player in the state of Georgia…247Sports.com four-star prospect, #47 player nationally, #3 QB nationally, #5 player in the state of Georgia…Rivals.com five-star prospect, #20 player nationally, #3 QB nationally, #3 player in the state of Georgia…Scout five-star prospect, #28 overall prospect and #3 QB prospect nationally…Dawg Post #3 prospect in the state of Georgia…Named to the 2016 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia Super 11 and 2016 Class AAAAAA Offensive Player of the Year…2016 Georgia Sports Writers Class AAAAAA Offensive Player of the Year…Passed for 12,745 yards and 116 touchdowns throughout 46 career games … Completed 244 passes of 383 attempts for 3,910 passing yards during the 2016 season to lead his team to a 7-3 record … Led Houston County in rushing yards during his senior season, totaling 363 yards and four touchdowns … Also completed 249 of 421 attempts to total 4,073 passing yards and 36 touchdowns during his junior season.
J.R. Reed
Career Highs
*11 tackles vs. Auburn, 2017
* 1 Interception (4x) vs. Miss. State & USC, 2017; vs. Alabama & USC, 2018
2018: Started at safety in all 14 games and finished with 66 tackles, second-most on the team…team’s top tackler in four games: vs. Alabama (eight stops + red-zone interception); Sugar Bowl vs. Texas (eight tackles); at Missouri (eight tackles); and Austin Peay (six tackles)…nine stops vs. LSU…had a tackle for loss and an interception (his third as a Bulldog) at South Carolina…pass breakup in win over Vanderbilt…selected as one of three game captains for the South Carolina, Tennessee, Auburn and Georgia Tech contests.
2017: Associated Press All-SEC 2nd Team…started in all 15 games…ranked 2nd on team with 79 total tackles, including 5.0 for lost yardage, 1.5 QB sacks, 2 INTs, 5 pass breakups, 6 QB pressures and two fumble recoveries…named defensive Newcomer of the Year at team’s post-season awards gala…recorded seven tackles in the Rose Bowl…named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his 8-tackle, assisted sack and fumble pickup for a TD vs. Florida…had 11 total stops against Auburn…against Tennessee, had a hand in two of four Georgia takeaways, including one fumble recovery and one interception with a 34-yard return…posted three tackles (two solo), with one for a loss of a yard…led the team with 10 (3 solo) tackles, including three pass breakups and an assisted tackle for a loss of one yard vs. Miss. State…blocked a field goal and tallied one tackle vs. Samford…led the team with nine total tackles against Notre Dame with two quarterback hurries…In first career start against App State, had five tackles (4 solo) with one TFL for a loss of nine yards, one sack and one forced fumble…defensive winner of the Most Improved Award after spring drills…Had six tackles and a pass breakup for the victorious Red team in the G-Day spring game..
2016: Sat out the 2016 season after transferring to UGA in the summer of ’16.
2015 (Tulsa): Played in 13 games, totaling five tackles and a pass breakup.
High School: Prestonwood Christian, coached by Chris Cunningham…was the only two-way starter as a senior at Prestonwood in 2013 as a senior…started as a receiver and defensive back his senior season…helped lead his team to a 12-2 record and the state championship game as a senior…caught 18 receptions for 308 yards and three TDs … tallied 53 tackles, three TFLs and five interceptions, while returning three for touchdowns his senior season … earned first-team all-district and second-team all-state accolades as a senior.
Personal: JAKE RASHAAN REED…father, Jake, played in the NFL for 12 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints…Major: Communication Studies..recipient of the Col. Robert L. Jackson Family Scholarship…received his undergraduate degree at Fall 2018 commencement exercises.
Andrew Thomas
* 2018 SI.com All-America First Team *
* 2018 Associated Press & Walter Camp All-America Second Team *
* 2018 Coaches All-SEC First Team *
* 2018 Associated Press All-SEC Second Team *
2018: Started at LT in all games (13) in which he played…earned SEC Offensive Line Co-Player of the Week honors after Georgia’s win at Kentucky, against which the Bulldogs racked up a then-season-high 331 rushing yards…left South Carolina game early in 3rd quarter with an injury and missed the subsequent contest vs. MTSU…still managed to play in 72 percent of the Bulldogs’ offensive plays vs. SEC teams…selected as one of three game captains vs. Vanderbilt, Auburn and Georgia Tech….was selected as the student-athlete speaker at the Bulldogs’ new West End Zone dedication in August…one of two players to win Offensive Up Front award at team’s post-season awards gala.
2017: Named to Freshman All-America Teams by ESPN, USA Today and the Football Writers Association of America…played in all 15 games, making 15 starts as a true freshman at right tackle…one of three offensive Newcomers of the Year, given at team’s post-season awards gala…earned his first-team status from early days of pre-season camp.
High School: Pace Academy, coached by Chris Slade…Selected to represent the East in the 2017 U.S. Army All-America Bowl…PrepStar Magazine five-star prospect, #37 player nationally on the Top 150 Dream Team…ESPN.com four-star prospect, #40 player nationally, #7 OT nationally, #5 player in the state of Georgia…247Sports.com four-star prospect, #42 player nationally, #9 OT nationally, #4 player in the state of Georgia…Rivals.com four-star prospect, #88 player nationally, #10 OT nationally, #10 player in the state of Georgia…Scout four-star prospect, #55 player nationally, #9 OT nationally…2016 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11 in Georgia and Class AAA All-State Offense…Helped Pace Academy to a 14-2 record in 2015, winning the Class AAA State Championship…played both offensive tackle and defensive line, recording 59 tackles his senior season.
Personal: ANDREW KEN THOMAS…Major: Business…recipient of the Wayne McDuffie and Statesboro Bulldog Club scholarships.