Georgia's quarterbacks take center stage in scrimmage

ATHENS -- Saturday marked Georgia's first spring scrimmage, and it also was the new coaching staff's first opportunity to evaluate its three quarterbacks in a game situation.

And given the Bulldogs' lack of depth at running back, Saturday's scrimmage was all about the passing game, with Sony Michel getting eight to 10 carries and Tae Crowder getting 15 to 20.

Head coach Kirby Smart said overall he was impressed with the way his quarterbacks threw the ball -- with a completion percentage between 60 to 70 percent -- but that the way that they managed the huddle needs a lot of work.

"I do not think that we're where we need to be organizationally. We took too long getting in and out of the huddle on offense," Smart said. "It just shows that we've got to do a better job as coaches of getting off the field and letting the players play."

Smart also gleaned light on the current status of the quarterback battle, acknowledging that Brice Ramsey and Greyson Lambert split reps "50-50" with the first-team offense, while freshman Jacob Eason worked mostly with the third team and got some situational work with the second team.

"Both kind of did (as) expected," Smart said. "I want Brice to manage the huddle a little better, be more efficient, get the call out, get to the line faster. I think Greyson's doing a nice job of managing the huddle right now, the call and executing the play. He's got to be a little more mobile in the pocket; he's got to be able to create a little bit more and get out of there and make some throws."

On the heels of Smart recently calling out Ramsey, his ability to manage the huddle seems to be a sticking point for his development. Smart went as far to say that Lambert "does a better job" managing the huddle and that other players need to step up and help Ramsey with the huddle.

"It is not natural for him to go in there in the huddle and command that. I think that other people around him have got to help him," Smart said. "I think that Brice needs those guys in the huddle, the Isaiah Wynns, the Brandon Kublanows, the Sony Michels, to help him out with that command and getting that conducing rocking and rolling. Get in and get out of the huddle."

For the most part, however, those two players have remained pretty consistent in their standings in the battle. The real intrigue is Eason, who would have the chance to be Georgia's first true freshman starter since Matthew Stafford.

Smart said that Eason was nervous early in the scrimmage but that he "made some throws" later. Eason also had an opportunity to throw with some of the first-team receivers during his second-team work. While Eason definitely has the "arm talent" as Smart puts it, he'll have to develop the other aspects of his game to get his opportunity to start.

"Sometimes, arm talent can get you in trouble if you make poor decisions," Smart said. "We're trying to make sure he's doing the right progression, doing the right check and throwing the ball to the right place. He's had several times that he threw it to the wrong place, but he made a hell of a play.

"You don't want to take that out of the guy, you don't want to over-coach the guy, and I think (offensive coordinator Jim) Chaney does a great job. I sit in some of those meeting and he tells him that, 'Hey look, this is not really where you're supposed to do it, but you did a great job.' So as he earns that, he'll get a chance, hopefully, to move up and get a chance with the ones."

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Georgia's quarterbacks take center stage in scrimmage ."