Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman said Wednesday he is opting out of the 2020 season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Newman, a graduate transfer from Wake Forest, joined the program in January and had been competing with Southern California transfer J.T. Daniels to replace departed starter Jake Fromm, now a rookie with the Buffalo Bills.
He is the first Georgia player to opt out of the upcoming season due to concerns about the coronavirus.
“With much prayer and discussion with my family I would like to announce that due to the uncertainties of this year amid a global pandemic that I will officially opt-out of this football season to prepare for the upcoming 2021 NFL draft,” Newman posted to Twitter.
“I would like to thank Coach [Kirby] Smart for extending the opportunity for me to be a part of the University of Georgia football program,” he continued. “Although my time has been short I’ve built some great relationships and I’ve had a chance to continue my development.”
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Newman is projected by most NFL draft experts to be selected in one of the first three rounds.
In his only full season as a starter for the Demon Deacons in 2019, he completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,868 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and added 574 rushing yards and six scores. He led Wake Forest to an 8-5 season, which ended with a 27-21 loss to Michigan State in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27.
Georgia, ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, is scheduled to open the season at Arkansas on Sept. 26.
Daniels passed for 2,672 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 11 games as a true freshman for the Trojans in 2018. A torn ACL limited him to one game last season.
