The Georgia Bulldogs have turned to a variety of talented quarterbacks in the last several seasons. From Matthew Stafford, the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, to Aaron Murray, the SEC leader in career passing yards. While Junior Greyson Lambert may not have had the same notoriety coming into the season as some of the past Bulldogs’ quarterbacks, he is quickly proving why he should be considered among the elite in the nation – and why he is gaining interest of NFL teams.
By Cory Burrell
The start of Lambert’s collegiate career showed little promise of his season this year. Although Lambert went to high school in Georgia (at Wayne County High School), he chose to attend the University of Virginia. Despite being a four-star recruit out of high school, Lambert redshirted his first year in 2012.
Lambert’s on-the-field debut for the Cavaliers came in 2014 while backing up sophomore David Watford. Lambert made little impact in the limited time he had on the field. Lambert threw for only 340 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions, all while completing less than half his passes.
After a disastrous 2-10 season for Virginia, Watford lost his starting job to Lambert and was dropped all the way to the third string role on the Cavaliers’ depth chart (Watford transferred to Hampton University, where he starts for the Pirates).
Virginia, coached by Mike London, hoped Lambert would be able to turn around an anemic offense that averaged less than 20 points a game in 2013. The Cavaliers did make some steps in the right directions, Lambert did not establish a strong claim to his position. While Lambert completed 59 percent of his passes, he averaged a paltry 6.3 yards per attempt and threw more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (10). Virginia suffered another losing record and did not qualify for a bowl game, while Lambert failed to improve.
By the end of spring practices before this season, Lambert was demoted in favor of Matt Jones, his backup in 2014. It marked the fourth consecutive season Virginia would replaced the previous season’s starting quarterback.
London said Lambert was disappointed he would not enter the season as the starter, but guaranteed he would “win that spot back.”
Less than a month after the end of spring practices, however, Lambert had a change of heart. He began to look into transfer options, eventually settling on Georgia by early June. As a graduate transfer, Lambert was able to play immediately.
Lambert’s transfer did not seem extraordinarily impactful for either the Cavaliers or the Bulldogs at the time. Virginia seemed ready to move on from Lambert, as they had with Watford. Meanwhile, Georgia had three quarterbacks already in heated competition for the starting spot, the favorite being Brice Ramsey, Georgia’s backup the prior season. Georgia’s offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer seemed to admit Lambert’s transfer was mainly being used to foster healthy competition between the existing quarterbacks on the roster.
“I think obviously it speaks to the fact that we’re trying to create competition,” Schottenheimer said. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s quarterback or offensive line, we’re trying to create competition. We think that leads to guys raising their level of play and raising the standard.”
The low expectations for Lambert were shockingly disproven when Lambert emerged from the preseason as the starting quarterback. Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt announced Lambert as the starter for the first game against Louisiana-Monroe, but added that the permanent starter was “still being contested in my mind.
“There may be other or others who get in the game,” Richt said. “But right now the thing that I know that he’ll start the game. ”
In his first start for the Bulldogs, Lambert had a successful, mistake-free start. While he only threw the ball 12 times, he completed eight passes and tallied 141 yards and two touchdowns, all without an interception. The then-ninth-ranked Bulldogs easily ran past Louisiana-Monroe 51-14.
Lambert got the start for Georgia’s second game, which did not go Lambert’s way to start. Lambert’s first seven pass attempts fell incomplete, but Lambert eventually settled down to finish with 116 yards while completing more than half his passes. Fortunately for Lambert, strong special teams play and a 200-yard day by star sophomore running back Nick Chubb gave Georgia a comfortable 31-14 win.
Despite a somewhat-shaky start against Vanderbilt, Lambert once again headed Georgia’s offense against South Carolina. In this start, Lambert put on a clinic while putting an end to virtually all doubts and quarterback controversies the Bulldogs may have still had.
Lambert led a 52-20 rout of the Gamecocks, throwing for 330 yards and three touchdowns while completing 24 of his 25 passes – breaking an NCAA record for pass completion percentage in a single game.
“I can’t believe he threw an incompletion,” Georgia coach Mark Richt joked after the game. “I’m disappointed in that, but we’ll forgive him.”
“I’ve never felt that exhilarating feeling before,” Lambert told reporters shortly following the win.
With Lambert’s rapid progression in just three starts at Georgia, compared to his relative stagnation at Virginia, the big question is what has elevated Lambert’s play so suddenly. There are several factors behind Lambert’s growth.
The most obvious reason is the quality of Lambert’s teammates. The previous two seasons, Lambert played for Virginia teams that finished well below .500. In contrast, Georgia is coming off a 10-win season, boasting a powerful offensive line and their star running back Chubb.
“Just to be as precise as he was, you need protection, you need good route running, you need good scheme,” Richt said following the game. “You need a lot of things to happen, but again, you have to physically put it on the money. There were very few balls that weren’t right on the money, too.”
Another reason for Lambert’s early success is a better coaching staff with a knack for coaching and improving quarterbacks. At Virginia, head coach Mike London has a 24-40 record in six years and a tendency to seemingly give up on his starting quarterbacks in favor of the backup, as he has done in the past four consecutive seasons.
In comparison, Georgia’s offensive coordinator is Marty Schottenheimer, a former NFL head coach who had famous coaches such as Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy on his staff. As head coach of the San Diego Chargers, Schottenheimer coached Philip Rivers through some of Rivers’ most productive seasons of his career.
A reason some may overlook, however, is the simplest one: Lambert is in a better situation for himself and is allowing his talents to finally shine. Lambert has an ideal build for a quarterback, coming in at 6’5” with a powerful, accurate arm. Lambert has played in a pro-style offensive since high school, a perfect fit for Schottenheimer’s NFL-based schemes.
“I am a pro-style quarterback,” Lambert said in an interview in June. “I love to be able to survey the defense and try to figure out what they’re doing and get the ball to the playmakers. Because ultimately that’s our job as a quarterback, is to facilitate the football, get it there accurately, on time, and make the right decisions.”
Lambert will need a more-complete body of work to prove without a doubt his early start is more than a fluke. Still, Lambert seems to have finally found the right fit for his talents. In an SEC already off to a chaotic start, Georgia is emerging as likely candidate to take the SEC crown. At the same time, Lambert has gone from relatively unknown to a potential NFL prospect. With another season of eligibility remaining, Lambert’s stock should only continue to rise if he maintains his success throughout the year.
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