He started Georgia’s 2020 opener. Now QB D’Wan Mathis has left the team, reports say

Georgia quarterback D’Wan Mathis has left the team ahead of the Saturday game at South Carolina, multiple media outlets reported. He hasn’t yet entered the transfer portal, according to 247Sports, but is expected to.

Mathis last played on Nov. 7 against Florida and threw his first-career touchdown.

Mathis’ decision to leave the program comes after nearly two seasons in Athens. He flipped from Ohio State as a four-star recruit in the 2019 recruiting class and redshirted last season. Mathis suffered a brain injury last summer and it required surgery and an extensive recovery.

Mathis was fully cleared for contact in May after Georgia consulted with a variety of doctors on his health condition. His journey to returning soon found its reward. After weeks of fall practice, the Michigan native emerged as a No. 1 option as a five-deep rotation at the position suddenly looked bleak with graduate transfer Jamie Newman opting out due to COVID-19 concerns.

“He’s been so resilient, earned the respect of so many people with the way he managed it and the way he came back from it and the way he worked last year,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said before Georgia opened its season. “He’s been a model of consistency in terms of staying the course and continuing to work.”

Mathis earned a start for Georgia in its opener at Arkansas. Seemingly, he was the guy to lead the Bulldogs’ offense under a new coordinator in Todd Monken and a season that held national title aspirations. It only lasted a few drives.

Mathis played for four series against the Razorbacks. He looked out-of-sync, showed some scrambling ability, Ultimately, he threw an interception as Georgia neared the end zone and his starting dreams were squashed. Georgia replaced Mathis with former walk-on signal caller Stetson Bennett, who held the job until Southern Cal transfer J.T. Daniels took over last week.

Mathis’ one-game run finished with an 8-of-17 line with 55 yards and an interception.

Another year means another chapter in Georgia’s quarterback carousel. The Bulldogs have now lost Mathis, Jacob Eason (Washington), Justin Fields (Ohio State) and former walk-on Matthew Downing (TCU) to transfer. Former quarterback Jake Fromm left after three seasons to pursue the NFL and become a member of the Buffalo Bills.

Mathis’ journey becomes the next to be short-lived at Georgia.