ATHENS — Greg McElroy has quickly become one of the top ESPN analysts with bold commentary like his recent comparison of Georgia and Alabama quarterbacks.
The teams are scheduled to meet on Sept. 19 in Tuscaloosa this season.
Former Bulldogs’ quarterback Hutson Mason was interviewing McElroy on the Tug and Hut show on Xtra 1063 (106.3 FM and 1230 AM) when he asked the former Alabama QB to compare Jamie Newman and Mac Jones.
WATCH: Jamie Newman works out with Justin Fields
Which quarterback situation would McElroy rather have?
McElroy ultimately said Alabama has the better quarterback situation.
But, McElroy made clear, Georgia has the better quarterback.
“I think Newman is way more talented, I mean, I don’t even think it’s really comparable just given Jamie Newman’s upside,” McElroy said. “Guys, we’re talking about a top 5 pick upside here. He has that kind of upside. He’s ridiculous.”
Newman, a graduate transfer from Wake Forest, has been widely rated as the third-best quarterback talent returning in 2020 behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields.
And yet, Georgia has yet to come close to settling its starting quarterback duties.
The Bulldogs recently added USC transfer JT Daniels, a former 5-star QB recruit, to a room that already included high-ceiling quarterbacks D’Wan Mathis and Carson Beck.
WATCH: Former UGA star D.J. Shockley sings praises of JT Daniels
But McElroy, like many NFL scouts, sees the greatest upside in Newman.
“There are some nuances to the game that he needs to learn, but as far as talented is concerned, there’s not many in college football out there like him,’ McElroy said. “He’s extremely accurate, big arm. He needs to learn how to layer the football a little more.”
Indeed, former UGA coach Mark Richt told DawgNation that Newman could fit into any system, and he felt he could be the best quarterback in the SEC.
Richt had a chance to study Newman while working as an analyst for the ACC Network last season.
McElroy said that Alabama’s Mac Jones, who is competing to hold off 2020 early enrollee Bryce Young, is a “solid” player.
“I thought (Jones) performed very admirably, but I think part of the reason everyone will feel really good about him, is the fact that he’s surrounded by an all-star team in a lot of ways,” McElroy said.
“You’ve got two receivers that are as good as anyone in the country in (Jaylen) Waddle and DeVonta Smith, you have an experienced running back (Najee Harris) and a decent offensive line coming back as well.
“I think when you take into account the known commodities that Alabama brings back as compared to the unknowns that Georgia brings back, I would favor the situation that Mac Jones is playing in,” he said.
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“But if I’m going strictly on talent, I would absolutely favor Jamie Newman.”
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