Kirk Herbstreit sees similarities between Jake Fromm and Heisman winner Baker Mayfield
By Cody McClure
Published:
Longtime ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit recently compared Georgia’s Jake Fromm to Oklahoma quarterback — and Heisman Trophy winner — Baker Mayfield.
Herbstreit said he thinks Fromm is like a younger version of the Sooners QB, according to a Sunday article from Gridiron Now.
It’s tough to speculate on what Georgia’s season would have looked like with Jacob Eason at quarterback, but judging by the Bulldogs’ 12-1 record and their SEC Championship, it certainly wouldn’t have been any better.
“I think it’s a little bit of a blessing in disguise,” Herbstreit said of Fromm stepping in for Eason, who went down in Week 1 against Appalachian State. “You hate to see guys get hurt, but it opened the door for Jake Fromm to step in. I think he’s a young Baker Mayfield.”
Herbstreit noted that he thinks Fromm’s skill set fits better with what Georgia wants to do on offense.
“Jacob Eason is a great quarterback that throws the ball well,” Herbie said. “But he’s challenged when it comes to his mobility. I think there’s a different approach with Fromm. Even though he’s not back there running a 4.4 (second 40-yard dash), he does enough. To me if I’m a defensive coordinator, if I have Jacob Eason back there it’s very different. Because I know we have to stop this running game. The last thing we have to worry about is a quarterback moving around.
“He’s just one of the guys, where the stage is never too big,” Herbstreit added. “He plays with incredible poise. He’s become a really good complement to their running game.”
The stage will be as big as it has ever been for Fromm on Monday evening when the third-ranked ‘Dawgs battle No. 2 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl for a chance to move on to the national championship game.
Kickoff for the first College Football Playoff semifinal is set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Cody McClure is an SEC Football Writer for Saturday Down South. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he also co-hosts a midday sports radio show for FOX Sports. Cody previously worked for Athlon Sports.
