As Jake Fromm begins preparation of for his third season at UGA, he will be tasked with beating out his third challenger in three years. Actually, it was Fromm, who was the newcomer in 2017 when he took over from an injured Jacob Eason. The Warner Robins native promptly secured his spot as the Dawgs signal caller and Eason departed Athens for his native Washington and an opportunity for playing time.

As s sophomore, Fromm faced another challenge. This time it was the number one rated quarterback recruit in the nation, Justin Fields. Fields enrolled early, but as the season progressed, it quickly became apparent that Fromm had a firm grip on the offense. Fields too, left Athens in search of playing time, landing in Columbus, OH to the glee of Ohio State fans across the country.

When the Bulldogs begin spring drills in mid-March, Fromm will confront another highly rated quarterback. This time it is Dwan Mathis, a 4-star recruit from Belleville, MI. One might assume that Fromm will quickly dispose of this challenger since he has out-performed a pair of 5-star challengers in the preceding two years, and that is likely the case.
However, Mathis will hit the practice fields in Athens with the same determination shown by Fromm in 2017.

I am not suggesting that Fromm is in serious danger of losing his starting spot. However, I expect Kirby Smart to affirm his oft-stated position that all jobs are open for competition when asked in his opening presser on March 19th. Smart has demonstrated repeatedly that he is not one to anoint starters in advance of competition.

I am hearing that Mathis has benefitted from the weight training and nutrition programs since his arrival in January – adding good weight to his long (6-4) frame.

Dwan Mathis has the skills to compete for playing time as a freshman, but a healthy Jake Fromm, with his experience on several big stages in his freshman and sophomore seasons, should continue his run while Mathis learns the system and prepare for 2020 and beyond.