So I got bored and decided to watch all of Wake Forest's games from last year just to see what all the hype was around the QB transferring to UGA, Jamie Newman. He's got the third best preseason odds for the Heisman so I figured he had to be one hell of a player, but the more I watched him the more confusing the hype around him became. Here's my notes on what I saw:
- Newman's film reminded me of guys like EJ Manuel, Jeff Driskel, and Kellen Mond.
- He's not a bad QB by any stretch, but his accuracy is all over the place on intermediate to deep throws leading to most of his INTs.
- He struggles with defenses that disguise their pressure well and often makes mistakes when a rusher gets into his face.
- He's a good runner and will force a defense to play disciplined but he isn't going to take over a game on the ground.
- His pocket presence is okay, but he doesn't move as well in the pocket as you would expect from someone with his athletic ability, and in addition to that once he begins to scramble he rarely looks downfield.
Overall, my impression is that Newman is good but not great, and against more talented defenses he struggles and tries to force too many plays. He'll benefit from having more talent around him at UGA vs. Wake but he's still being hyped up way more than is appropriate.