Numbers game: Comparing new Georgia QB Jamie Newman to Jake Fromm

NEW ORLEANS — There’s a lot more to football than just numbers, but as with most other sports, metrics are the most universal form of evaluation.

Georgia graduate transfer Jamie Newman ran a much different type of offense than former Bulldogs’ quarterback Jake Fromm did in Athens last season.

RELATED: Jamie Newman directs modified Georgia attack

Both offensive coordinator James Coley and incoming offensive line coach Matt Luke — a former head coach and offensive coordinator at Ole Miss — have both worked with mobile quarterbacks before.

Georgia will have four mobile quarterbacks competing this spring.

In addition to Newman, there’s redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis, incoming freshman Carson Beck and redshirt junior Stetson Bennett.

Newman, however, has a much larger body of work at the collegiate level.

Newman was 220-of-361 passing for 2,868 yards last season with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also had 180 rushing attempts for 574 yards and 6 touchdowns, including a 50-yard run.

Pro Football Focus, which produces weekly analytics, recently ranked Newman as the No. 3 quarterback returning behind Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields.

According to PFF, Newman was among the three highest-graded quarterbacks in the country through the first 11 weeks — Joe Burrow and Justin Fields being the other two.

Here’s a look at how Newman’s NCAA passing statistics compared with Fromm’s at Georgia last season.

It’s worth noting both Fromm and Newman lost their top pass catchers and biggest targets nine games into the season.

Lawrence Cager (6-4, 220) was re-injured the first half of the Missouri game (Game 9) and didn’t play the second half, and then played one series against Auburn.

Wake Forest’s Sage Surratt (6-3, 215) was the ACC’s leading receiver when he got hurt against Virginia Tech in the ninth game of the season.

Fromm, who operated out of a pro-style offense, played in 14 games. Newman appeared in 12.

Fromm attempted 385 passes for the 12-2 Bulldogs to Newman’s 361 attempts for the 8-4 Demon Deacons.

The Bulldogs’ new quarterback, however, had 180 rushing attempts in Wake Forest’s uptempo offense to Fromm’s 38 at Georgia.

Newman and Fromm 2019 statistics

(with national rankings)

Passing yardage

44th Jamie Newman, 2,868 – 12 games

46th Jake Fromm, 2,80 – 14 games

Completion percentage

59th Jamie Newman, .609

62nd Jake Fromm, .608

Completions per game

49th Jamie Newman, 18,33

64th Jake Fromm, 16.71

Passing efficiency

40th Jamie Newman, 145.30

51st Jake Fromm, 141.20

Yards per pass attempt

38th Jamie Newman, 7.94

66th Jake Fromm, 7.43

Passing touchdowns

T-25th Jamie Newman, 26

28th Jake Fromm 24

Total offense

15th Wake Forest, 464.0 yards per game

61st Georgia, 408.1 yards per game