Georgia QB Jake Fromm shares advice on how to handle 2-quarterback situation

NEW ORLEANS — Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm is the unquestioned leader of the Bulldogs’ offense, but the talented sophomore has had to look over his shoulder every snap this season.

Georgia’s quarterback competition stayed open from wire to wire, as coach Kirby Smart promised it would.

Fromm never knew when freshman Justin Fields might enter a football game, as it often had little to do with how well Fromm was playing.

“The plan is there is no plan,” Smart said throughout the season, even now maintaining the Bulldogs will stay the course with how they manage quarterbacks in the Sugar Bowl at 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday night.

The two-quarterback phenomenon is nothing new to college football, and if anything, teams and coaches figure to utilize it more with hopes of preventing players from transferring.

Fromm, who managed to have the nation’s No. 3 pass efficiency mark despite coming out of games for Fields and in the fourth quarter or blowouts, explained how he dealt with what had to be a challenging situation.

“I think the biggest thing is control what you can control,” said Fromm, who was never technically named starting quarterback this season leading up to the opener, even after leading UGA to the SEC championship and College Football Playoff Championship Game appearance as a true freshman.

“You can’t worry about things you can’t control.”

The playing time and substitutions, Fromm said, “that’s not up to you, you can just come to work and control what you can control.”

Georgia’s offense might not have the same challenges next season if Fields decides to transfer.

Fields, a talented freshman appeared in 12 of 13 games this season, but he informed the coaching staff after the SEC title game that he was exploring a transfer.

The Bulldogs staff had to scramble to add a quarterback in the recruiting class and was able to persuade 4-star prospect Dwan Mathis to flip from Ohio State to the Bulldogs.

Fields, meanwhile, has been speaking with other teams even as he has practiced with Georgia for the Sugar Bowl.

Fromm said the transfer talk hasn’t come up between him and Fields leading up to the game against Texas.

“I want to be a good teammate, so any way I can help him, I definitely am,” Fromm said. “Me and him, personally, have not really talked a whole lot about it, that’s been more on him.

“But right now I think both of us aren’t really worried about that, we’re worried about this football game and how we can make the team the best we can make it.”

Fromm said outsiders should hold off on casting judgement on Fields or any other quarterback who’s considering a transfer.

“I think every situation is unique in it’s own way, and it’s different for different people and different families, depending on what’s going on, how everything is being assessed,” Fromm said. “You can’t say because one person wants to leave and go somewhere else, and another person wants to stay, which one is right, which one is wrong, you can’t do that, you can’t put everyone in a box. I think it’s unique, and everyone is going to do them.

“For us, the only thing we can do is respect decisions.”

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