I’ve got a hunch about who wins Georgia’s starting QB job

Urban Meyer was discussing quarterbacks on Fox, where he’s now an analyst. As he’s said many times, Meyer listed the five characteristics that he looked for when recruiting quarterbacks:

• Competitive spirit

• Toughness

• Leadership

• Intelligence

• Adaptability

“We would not take a guy that didn’t have those qualities,” Meyer said. “Notice, I didn’t say arm strength and release point because you can teach that. You can’t teach those other qualities.”

In an earlier interview, Meyer listed those same qualities and added this:

“We’ve all seen what happens to the really skilled guy without the competitive spirit. It’s awful. Not only that, it destroys your team.”

Given the level of universal contempt for Meyer throughout the SEC, it may seem like sacrilege to invoke his words when discussing quarterbacks, especially Georgia’s. But give Meyer his due. He knows what he’s talking about when it comes to quarterbacks.

It also matters that Meyer recruited D’Wan Mathis at Ohio State before the dramatic chain of events that caused his resignation from the Buckeyes, Justin Fields’ transfer to Ohio State, and Mathis’ late flip to the Bulldogs.

How Georgia’s quarterback situation eventually unfolds remains to be seen. It’s still unclear whether Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Todd Monken will go with Mathis or Southern Cal transfer J.T. Daniels, who still has not been medically cleared to play after having knee surgery. Daniels has the edge in game experience.

But Daniels will have to be demonstrably better than Mathis in practice and scrimmages to win over the rest of the team.

Most of Georgia’s players have been around Mathis for nearly two years. His skills are evident. When I interviewed linebacker Monty Rice last spring for Lindy’s magazine, I asked him about Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman, at the time the expected starter. Rice was complimentary enough of Newman, but then was quick to gush about Mathis’ abilities.

As for the qualities that Meyer listed, it would be hard for anyone to surpass Mathis in those areas. His teammates saw him fight back from emergency brain surgery that could have taken a tragic turn. No one could have blamed Mathis had he decided that continuing his football career would not have been worth the risk of taking a shot to the head.

There’s no question about Mathis’ competitive spirit, his toughness, his leadership or his intelligence.

And adaptability? Meyer was talking about a quarterback’s ability to extend plays. Going back to Alex Smith at Utah, Meyer’s quarterbacks have always had the ability to beat teams with their feet as well as with their arms. And this may be Mathis’ greatest advantage over the rest of the competition.

Mind you, all of Georgia’s quarterbacks will be an upgrade over Jake Fromm in this regard. Freshman Carson Beck has impressed with his mobility. Even Stetson Bennett, a former walk-on and Fromm’s backup last season, was called “a beast” by former defensive coordinator Mel Tucker when he emulated Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield on the scout team in preparation for the Rose Bowl matchup with the Sooners.

It’s also important to remember this: The final decision rests with Smart. He learned everything from Nick Saban. Saban has never felt compelled to tip his hand when it comes to naming a starter. He’s often let the first game serve as an audition for winning the job. It’s noteworthy that Jalen Hurts didn’t start his first game at Alabama against Southern Cal. But he did finish it, and he never relinquished the job for the next two seasons.

Likewise, who starts at quarterback for Georgia against Arkansas Saturday might not matter nearly as much as who finishes. The hunch here is it will be Mathis.