FAYETTEVILLE -- University of Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom got the news as he stepped off the practice field Wednesday that projected Georgia starting quarterback Jamie Newman won't be available for the season opener against the Razorbacks on Sept. 26.
Newman, a transfer from Wake Forest, announced Wednesday he was opting out of the season to prepare for the NFL Draft.
The Razorbacks are just more than three weeks away from facing the Bulldogs.
"We're going to have to really study that," Odom said on a video call. "I heard that news before I walked into the room. So, that maybe changes the dynamics of who they are.
"I know personnel wise what they have, and I know what I've gone up against the last few years. They've been a very disciplined, tough football team that attacks you in every area. We'll get on that this weekend for sure, heavy. And into next week, starting for us defensively at least, trying to gather our thoughts on what maybe gives us the best chance."
Writing on his Twitter account, Newman said his decision was made in part due to "the uncertainties of this year amid a global pandemic."
Newman passed for 2,868 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and rushed for 574 yards and 6 touchdowns last year while leading the Demon Deacons to an 8-5 record in his first season as a starter.
Newman's decision leaves the Georgia quarterback race open, though Southern Cal transfer JT Daniels is the likely front runner. While Daniels has been practicing during camp, Georgia Coach Kirby Smart said last weekend he had not been fully cleared to engage in game situations yet.
The NCAA's decision to grant Daniels immediate eligibility with the Bulldogs now takes on greater meaning. Daniels passed for 2,672 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a starting freshman at USC in 2018. He suffered a knee injury in the 2019 season opener and was lost for the year.
Stetson Bennett, a former walk-on who was Jake Fromm's top backup last year, and redshirt freshman D'Wan Mathis are also possibilities.
QB plan
Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles said the game plan for Friday's scrimmage at quarterback is to run Feleipe Franks with the first offensive unit, have KJ Jefferson with the twos, and then mix the trio of John Stephen Jones, Jack Lindsey and true freshman Malik Hornsby in periodically with the third unit.
Briles reiterated his beliefs from just before the start of camp that the starting job was still Franks' to lose.
Respect for 16
Defensive coordinator Barry Odom, whose last game as head coach at Missouri included game-planning for the Razorbacks, was asked who on the Arkansas roster impressed him now that he sees the squad every day.
"There's a lot of stuff that has happened in the world, isn't there, since then?" Odom responded. "The guy going into the game last year, we were ultra on alert for wherever No. 16 [Treylon Burks] was lined up. And now being around him and watching him compete, I've got even more respect for him because, No. 1, he is as talented as a guy I've gone against. He also works so hard, extremely hard, every day.
"You're going to get his best every single day, and my respect factor has... I know he was a good player last year game planning, but now seeing him live and up close and in person every day, I've got a lot of respect for the kid."
Toughest slate
Noted college football analyst Phil Steele's updated strength of schedule rankings released Wednesday should shock nobody in SEC country.
The Arkansas Razorbacks, as expected, landed the No. 1 spot on Steele's rankings of the 76 FBS schools (out of 130) currently on track to play this fall. The all-conference schedule features all seven SEC teams ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, including six in the top 13.
The Razorbacks, who were assigned preseason No. 4 Georgia and No. 8 Florida as their two additional games, are not alone among their conference brethren.
SEC teams make up the top 11 teams in Steele's rankings, and all 14 SEC programs are in the top 25.
Just behind the Razorbacks is No. 2 Vanderbilt, followed by Auburn, South Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and Texas A&M, in that order, to complete Steele's 11 toughest schedules. The rankings for the other three SEC teams are No. 17 Florida, No. 23 Georgia and No. 25 LSU.
The toughest schedule for a non-SEC team, Steele calculated, belonged to Georgia Tech at No. 12, followed by Kansas, Baylor, Miami (Fla.) and TCU leading into Florida's No. 17 ranking.
New linen
The Razorbacks unveiled white road jerseys Wednesday that are in the same style as the ones worn from the "Darren McFadden era" of 2005-07. They are the companion look to the red home jerseys the Razorbacks reintroduced last season.
The white tops feature "Arkansas" in all caps across the chest, a thick red collar, and Razorback logos on each sleeve. The white pants have double red stripes down both legs that will pair with both jerseys. Ace tailback Rakeem Boyd modeled both the home and road jerseys in a social media post.
A team spokesperson said the Razorbacks would sport the McFadden-era jerseys exclusively this season.
Coverage sacks
Coach Sam Pittman said for receivers, fighting their way off press coverage has been a point of emphasis early in camp.
Pittman said the defense has been getting pressure and "sacks" on the quarterback through the first two practices this week, and it wasn't all due to pass protection issues.
"We continue to have to work on getting off man press and getting open," Pittman said of the entire receiving group after being asked about Trey Knox's camp. "Part of the sacks and things we've had are we've got to get people open."
Return of Catalon
Safety Jalen Catalon, who was back at practice this week two weeks removed from a procedure to clean up a meniscus issue in his knee, has been cleared for full participation, including Friday's scrimmage.
"Oh yeah, he practiced full go today," Coach Sam Pittman said Tuesday night.