While Georgia did not lose any established starters during the December transfer portal cycle, the portal did drain the Bulldog roster of depth at several key positions. On Monday, however, Georgia shored up its depth at perhaps the sport's most critical position when it added transfer QB Jayden Maiava to its 2024 roster, in the process infusing the Bulldogs' quarterback room with valuable experience and athleticism.
As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Maiava started 11 games at quarterback and led UNLV to the program's second winning season since 2000 and the first appearance in the Mountain West Championship Game in program history. Maiava took the reins of the UNLV offense during the team's week three matchup with Vanderbilt when he came off of the bench to replace injured starting quarterback Doug Brumfield. The Las Vegas native came into the game with his team trailing 17-0 in the second quarter and promptly led the Rebels to a thrilling 40-37 victory over the Commodores, passing for 261 yards and accounting for two touchdowns in the game. Maiava finished the season with 3,085 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Maiava brings prototypical size to Georgia's quarterback room, and his skills as a passer were on full display during the 2023 season. He possesses a big arm with the ability to effortlessly complete passes from the opposite hash, but he has also showcased the ability to layer the ball into difficult windows with impressive touch. As an 11-game starter, he also instantly becomes Georgia's second-most experienced quarterback behind only Carson Beck who, himself, has only started three more games than Maiava has. Florida State's recent experience of being excluded from the College Football Playoff after starting quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury late in the 2023 season has provided a stark lesson on the necessity of having a capable and effective backup option at quarterback and Maiava's presence on the Georgia roster helps potentially insulate the Bulldogs from suffering a similar fate to that of Florida State suffered in this year's Orange Bowl game.
With a 3,000-yard passing season under his belt in his first year as a starter, Maiava is a talented passer, but he also adds more than a dash of athleticism to Georgia's quarterback room. At UNLV, Maiava operated offensive coordinator Brennan Marion's innovative "Go-Go offense" which can be described as a fusion between the triple-option offenses of the past and modern-day spread offense concepts. In that offense, Maiava functioned as a run threat on a high percentage of UNLV's run plays. While he does not possess Anthony Richardson or Jayden Daniels-level athleticism, Maiava was an effective runner for the Rebels and consistently demonstrated strong pocket mobility. In total, he amassed 277 yards rushing with three rushing touchdowns on the season.
While Maiava brings experience and talent to the Georgia roster, he is still very much an unfinished product. The talent is obvious and substantial, but the young quarterback still needs to add polish to various aspects of his game. At times during the 2023 season, Maiava would unnecessarily force the ball into tight windows, as evidenced by the 10 interceptions he threw in the 11 games that he started, and put his team in tough situations. As is the case with most young quarterbacks, his footwork and fundamentals also tend to deteriorate when he is pressured, leading to inaccurate throws and turnovers. After running UNLV's unique "Go-Go offense," Maiava will also require time to develop Georgia's more pro-style offensive system.
Fortunately for the Bulldogs, with Carson Beck returning for the 2024 season, Maiava will have the luxury of apprenticing under one of the nation's top quarterbacks in preparation for the competition that is to come at Georgia's quarterback position heading into the 2025 season.
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