Jamie Newman may be a Heisman Trophy frontrunner, at least based on the early preseason odds released for the award, but before the Georgia quarterback rises to national acclaim, he’s got to win the starting job in Athens first.

That’s according to Kirby Smart, who recently joined Atlanta-based 93.7 FM radio show “The Front Row” to discuss Georgia’s plan at quarterback heading into the summer.

While most assume Newman’s place in the starting lineup has been etched in stone, Smart says that’s never been the way he’s run his program when it comes to incoming transfers.

“I don’t know that you’d have a No. 1, to be honest with you,” Smart said on the show. “I mean, every kid we’ve ever had that grad transferred in, competed and earned the job. That’s all the way back to the Tyler Catalina that came in for the job, kickers we’ve had come in to compete for the job. So [Newman] knows that it’s a competition, he knows he’s got to beat guys out. That’s the way it’s always been.”

The starting quarterback position in Athens may be open but according to Georgia’s coach, all the signal-callers on the roster will be given the opportunity to earn the starting role before a decision has to be made.

“Certainly [Newman’s] going to be thrust to the forefront and be given reps, just like Stetson Bennett, just like D’Wan [Mathis] and Carson [Beck] is going to be given that opportunity,” Smart added. “I don’t ever look past it and say it’s just this guy job. He just has the most game experience and that’s the advantage he has.”

It may be Newman’s job to lose but don’t expect the Bulldogs to hand the graduate transfer from Wake Forest anything. He’ll have to earn everything he gets in Athens.