Kirby Smart’s decision to stick with Jake Fromm as the UGA starter at quarterback for the 2018 season is one that he will have to live with for the rest of his coaching career….or at least until he wins a national title.
Nobody will ever know it was the right decision, but many can speculate.
Fromm was fresh off of a season in which he led the Bulldogs to the national championship game while Fields was the young stud on campus, being ranked as the No. 2 player in the country before enrolling at Georgia.
Fields was signed by Georgia out of Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, in 2018. Fromm took the Bulldogs to the national title in 2017 and kept the job over Fields the next season, prompting Fields to find another home through the transfer portal. 2018’s No. 2 overall recruit behind 2021 NFL No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence, Fields chose Ohio State and led the Buckeyes to two straight playoff appearances and a national championship game run in 2020.
Smart continues to take heat about his decision, and ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit says enough is enough.
“SO RIDICULOUS this keeps being brought up!” Herbstreit tweeted. “NO CHANCE of ANY QB dethroning the QB, the year before, led the Dawgs to the Natty as a FR! Obviously Justin is a special player-but this argument is TIRED! Please stop this!”