Kirby Smart made it clear the Bulldogs wanted to get to four scholarship quarterback. But few could’ve envisioned that Georgia would grab Jayden Maiava out of the transfer portal as the Bulldogs did on Monday night.
A season after the Bulldogs exclusively took SEC transfers, the Bulldogs go and grab a Mountain West quarterback. Even with Carson Beck firmly entrenched as the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs.
The addition of Maiava should be seen as a move for the future for the Bulldogs. While wide receivers Colbie Young and Michael Jackson each have one year of eligibility remaining, Maiava has three.
For 2024, he gives Georgia a backup quarterback with 11 career starts under his belt. Maeva helped lead UNLV to a 9-5 record this past season. Maiava took over in the team’s win over Vanderbilt and went on to throw for 17 touchdowns while rushing for another 3. He threw for 3,085 yards while running for an additional 277.
Beck will almost certainly be unbothered by Maiava’s presence. The returning starter has other things to focus on this offseason for the Bulldogs.
“There’s so many things that I can improve on and just continue to get better at,” Beck said prior to the Orange Bowl. “Even the confidence piece of just going out there and believing in this team, believing in myself, and understanding exactly what defenses are trying to do. But I think that there can be a huge improvement from year to year.”
It’s a different story though for Gunner Stockton. Maiava and Stockton both have three years of eligibility remaining. And while Stockton has an advantage on time in the Georgia system, Maiava has a huge leg-up when it comes to game reps.
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