Georgia Bulldogs Football

Georgia Bulldogs 2019 signee Tyrique Stevenson was arrested Sunday on a charge of disorderly conduct, according to Mike Griffith of DawgNation.

Police took Stevenson into custody at 2:42 a.m. ET, and he was released at 3:26 a.m. ET after posting bond.

The Homestead, Florida, native was the No. 3 cornerback and No. 37 player overall in the 2019 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Stevenson committed to Georgia in January and announced his intention to enroll at the school that month.

Griffith noted two other Georgia players have been arrested in the span of one month.

On Feb. 28, Athens police charged Bulldogs defensive back Latavious Brini with simple battery. Brini allegedly slapped a man on Feb. 23 after getting into an argument with three women at an Athens bar and allegedly making verbal threats.

Campus police then arrested Bulldogs linebacker Jaden Hunter this past Wednesday and charged him with "illegally stopping, standing or parking a vehicle and driving with a suspended/revoked license."

Trevor Lawrence is the most promising quarterback in the country. Tua Tagovailoa was the Heisman Trophy favorite for a majority of the 2018 season. Both players have won national championships and are viewed as potential No. 1 overall NFL draft picks.

For good reason, the Clemson and Alabama stars are typically the first players mentioned when the topic of best college football QBs comes up. When NFL potential is considered as well, Oregon's Justin Herbert quickly joins the list.

But what about Jake Fromm?

The rising junior is mentioned among the top 2020 NFL-eligible quarterbacks, but he's not always a focal point. Fromm has an SEC title. He has guided Georgia to the College Football Playoff once and nearly to a second appearance.

Through two years, he's tossed 54 touchdowns with only 13 interceptions. Whether for his reliability and leadership or some other combination of traits, Fromm has captured the complete trust of head coach Kirby Smart, which contributed to the high-profile transfer of Justin Fields. The 5-star rarely saw meaningful snaps in 2018 and decided to bolt for Ohio State.

Yet Fromm may still seem unfairly overshadowed. While there are several contributing factors, one important reason is what has usually kept Fromm one tier below the others.

Under the brightest lights, someone else stole the show.

As a true freshman, Georgia did a tremendous job putting Fromm in manageable situations on the field―and the scoreboard. Of the team's 13 wins, 11 featured a margin of 14 points or more. He wasn't asked to make high-pressure throws often.

To Fromm's credit, he oversaw a clutch drive at Notre Dame. However, excellent defense and Georgia fans' takeover of South Bend owned the recaps. Otherwise, there was Auburn's 23-point beatdown of UGA, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel running all over Oklahoma, and Tagovailoa's stunning comeback in the national title.

Last season, each of the Dawgs' 11 victories was by 14-plus points. Their three losses were LSU's impressive 20-point triumph, Jalen Hurts' heroics for the SEC crown―plus the infamous failed fake punt―and Sam Ehlinger declaring after the Sugar Bowl that Texas is back.

There were no game-winning drives to celebrate, no dramatic touchdowns. Just blowout wins or losses.

Another issue is all five of Georgia's defeats since the beginning of 2017 have coincided with the team's worst rushing performances. The Bulldogs are 24-0 when averaging four-plus yards per carry. When failing to reach the mark, they're 0-5.

The evidence plainly says Fromm, as talented as he is, fails to elevate Georgia when the rushing attack isn't successful. It's also seen in the team's performance when his volume is highest:

https://twitter.com/archerqb16/status/1080332837914591237

Now, the 30-attempt benchmark is not an absolute standard. More passes typically mean a team is trailing, just as more rushing attempts likely means an advantage. That's not always the case, but it's a general guideline.

Further, offensive tempo and style dictate a quarterback's usage. For example, Clemson averaged 71.7 plays last season, while Alabama ran 67.3 and Georgia notched 65.9. Fromm has a smaller role simply based on Georgia's preferred philosophy.

Simultaneously, though, it remains true Fromm trails his star counterparts. They're better suited for high volume.

Clemson was 7-0 when Lawrence hit 30-plus attempts, and he starred in the 2018 CFP with two 300-yard, three-touchdown games. Fromm has one of those in his career. Alabama was 3-1 with Tagovailoa at 30-plus, and he recorded 300-plus yards or three-plus scores eight times in 2018. Fromm, in 28 career starts, has eight such games.

That alone doesn't mean he's a lesser player; high efficiency is an essential part of being a quarterback. Besides, NFL teams are closely monitoring Fromm and his appealing skill set.

But massive production and timely excellence earn headlines. Unlike Lawrence and Tagovailoa, Fromm cannot claim either.

Now that Jacob Eason and Fields are no longer breathing down his neck, 2019 is a perfect chance for Fromm to change it.

            

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

Highly touted wide receiver George Pickens has flipped his commitment from the Auburn Tigers to the Georgia Bulldogs, Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports reported Wednesday.

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports broke down the impact this has on the loaded Bulldogs class:

Kirby Smart recruiting machine keeps rolling: 5-star WR George Pickens, an Alabama native, flips from #Auburn to #Georgia. Dawgs now have 5 of 247Sports top 26 recruits.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 6, 2019

The 5-star Pickens is the No. 4 wideout and No. 24 player overall in the 2019 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Hoover, Alabama, native originally committed to Auburn in July 2017. Unlike many other top recruits, he opted against signing a letter of intent during the early signing period in December.

"It can slow me a down a lot," Pickens said of his decision last October, according to AL.com's Josh Bean. "A lot of other guys sign with schools early, [and] they're in the playbook, in the offense already, and I'll still be in high school. It can hurt me, but it also can help me."

The move allowed Pickens the freedom to weigh all of his options before finally putting pen to paper.

In January, he spoke highly of Auburn but left the door open for flipping his commitment, per Bean: "Auburn is home-state feel. It's like me at home, but I already know what to expect. Auburn is a good school, but I want to see everything. If other schools present the same feeling as the other schools I've been to, it's probably going to be Auburn."

Beyond the obvious impact Pickens' reversal will have on Auburn's plans for the future, losing his commitment is a symbolic blow following a disappointing 2018 season.

Auburn opened the year ranked ninth and 10th, respectively, in the Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches Polls. But the Tigers won just eight games, the fourth time in five years they've registered fewer than 10 victories.

Head coach Gus Malzahn was assembling the framework for a dynamic offense through the 2019 recruiting class. Bo Nix and DJ Williams have already enrolled at the school. Nix is the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback, while Williams ranks 21st among running backs.

Now, the Tigers face the prospect of having Ja'Varrius Johnson (No. 43 WR) be the only wideout they add in this recruiting cycle.

Auburn's loss is Georgia's gain.

Head coach Kirby Smart has been excellent on the recruiting trail since joining the Bulldogs, and 2019 is no different. Georgia sits second behind Alabama in 247Sports' composite team rankings.

Pickens is the second blue-chip wideout to sign with the Bulldogs. They also landed Dominick Blaylock, who's the No. 5 WR nationally.

Georgia's top two receivers, Mecole Hardman and Riley Ridley, declared for the 2019 NFL draft, leaving a void in the team's passing game.

With Jeremiah Holloman, Tommy Bush and Kearis Jackson, the Bulldogs still have plenty of talent at the receiver position. The opportunity could be there for both Pickens and Blaylock to figure prominently in the offense as true freshmen, though.

As Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Justin Fields considers his transfer options, he is reportedly seeking a waiver from the NCAA to play at his new school immediately rather than have to sit out a season.

Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde reported on Friday that Fields' waiver request will focus on Fields being the target of a racial slur from a member of the Bulldogs baseball team during a football game in September. 

First baseman Adam Sasser was later dismissed from the baseball team for making the remarks. Sasser tweeted in October that he and Fields were on "good terms" after having a conversation following the incident.

Fields played baseball in high school, and Forde reported he was considered a potential college player but now feels "uncomfortable" about joining Georgia's team.

Per Forde, Fields is close to finalizing his transfer to Ohio State.

Coming out of high school, 247Sports rated Fields as a 5-star recruit and the No. 2 overall prospect in his class, ranked behind only now-Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Fields, however, spent his freshman season behind sophomore Jake Fromm on the Bulldogs' depth chart.

Fields played sparingly in 2018, completing 27 of 39 passing attempts for 328 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions while rushing for 266 yards and four additional scores.

If he does transfer to Ohio State, Fields could have the opportunity to start in 2019. Heisman finalist Dwayne Haskins is expected to declare for the NFL draft, potentially leaving Fields and redshirt freshman Tate Martell to battle for the starting job.

Of course, Fields would not be eligible to play next season if the NCAA does not grant him a waiver.