Drew Butler on Brice Ramsey: 'I don’t think he got his fair shot at quarterback'

It didn’t surprise former Georgia punter Drew Butler to see Brice Ramsey punting at the tail end of the 2015 season.

After all, Butler knows the kind of athlete Ramsey is, considering he’s maintained close ties to the Georgia program in the midst of his NFL career beginning to take off. At the same time, Butler, who has been the Arizona Cardinals' punter the past two seasons, believes Ramsey’s first position is at quarterback, a spot he thought the fourth-year junior deserved more consideration for a year ago.

“I don’t think he got his fair shot at quarterback,” Butler said. “I’m rooting for him. When he got his chance to shine he turned a lot of (punts) over and had some big punts. It’ll be interesting to see if he competes again as a punter and gets a few reps at quarterback. He’s a competitor and a football player. If you can make plays at the punter position, hey, I’m cheering for you.”

Ramsey is competing for the starting quarterback job with fifth-year senior Greyson Lambert and freshman Jacob Eason. Entering the 2015 preseason, Ramsey was considered the leader for the job before Lambert beat him out. Ramsey saw some game action but didn't start a game, all while Lambert started 12 and Faton Bauta started one.

Ramsey will also soon compete for the starting punter job with freshman Marshall Long once preseason practice starts in August.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart stated early this spring that he was worried about special teams. The Bulldogs will be breaking in a new kicker, long snapper and potentially a new punter if Long beats out Ramsey, or if Smart and the coaching staff decide that Ramsey is better suited to spend all of his time at quarterback.

At kicker, Smart and special teams coordinator Shane Beamer will be deciding on redshirt freshman Rodrigo Blankenship and sophomore William Ham.

With Georgia losing kicker Marshall Morgan and punter Collin Barber to graduation, Butler said it’s important for the program’s new starting specialists to step up.

“I can tell you right now, there are going to be one or two games where it’s going to come down to special teams,” Butler said. “They say five plays each game creates the outcome. There’s no doubt a big punt or a big kick is going to be a win or a loss for Georgia. As a Bulldog fan and as a former Bulldog, I hope it’s a win. I know coach Smart, coming from Alabama, they know the importance of special teams and how important special teams can be winning national championships. Let’s let the coaches do their work and hope the players can respond.”

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Drew Butler on Brice Ramsey: 'I don’t think he got his fair shot at quarterback'."