QB Hutson Mason considers transfer due to lack of playing time
ATHENS – Georgia backup quarterback Hutson Mason said he is seriously considering transferring due to a lack of playing time behind starter Aaron Murray.
Mason, a sophomore from Marietta, said he would prefer to remain at Georgia — “I love this place even more than I expected,” he said – and would consider taking a redshirt year next season to put a year between him and Murray.
In any case, Mason said he will have to make a decision after the Bulldogs’ season is completed with the Jan. 2 Outback Bowl against Michigan State.
“I’ll just try to sit back and get away from the every day stuff and people telling me what I should do,” Mason said. “I’ll go home after the bowl game and talk to my family and talk to people I look up to. I talked to D.J. Shockley. He’s somebody who has been very valuable to me. I’m just trying to look at it from every angle. I ponder on it a lot and it’s extremely tough.”
Mason (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) signed with Georgia in 2010 after becoming the state high school record holder for passing yards (4,560) and touchdowns (54) as a senior at Lassiter High. But after his second full season with the Bulldogs, he has gotten minimal playing time and then only in mop-up duty.
In two seasons, Mason has appeared in eight games, completing 57 percent of his passes for 356 yards with 3 TDs and no interceptions. His first college play from scrimmage was a TD pass to Logan Gray.
“He’s got an uncanny ability to hit the open receiver,” quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “He has great vision and feel. He has great pocket presence and a very quick release. He throws all the intermediate balls extremely well. The deep ball is something we continue to work on that he’s got to improve on. But his ability to get rid of the ball quickly and spread it out underneath, he does very well.”
Bobo said that the Bulldogs are considering redshirting Mason next season and have current redshirt freshman Christian LeMay and walkons handle the backup duties. But it’s not something they’ve decided on yet.
“It’s something we’re going to talk about after the season,” Bobo said. “I’d rather not get into it now.”
Redshirting is something Mason said he would consider.
“I would. It’s something I’ll have to sit down and talk to Coach Richt about and see how they feel about it,” Mason said. “I don’t think that would be something that they’d be opposed to. I want to stay here. I really do. I want to be here; I want to be at UGA. I love this place more than I expected I would. My goal is to stay here and I want to stay here. I just need to find out whether that allows me to play the most or not.”
Mason probably would have played more by now if he hadn’t been behind one of the most durable quarterbacks in the business. Despite taking numerous shots the last two seasons, Murray has missed only a couple of snaps in any significant, meaningful games.
“You can’t take away from Aaron being that tough,” Mason said with a laugh. “It’s just the way the ball rolls. You see guys have severe injuries when they barely get hit and then you see Aaron take a shot like he did against Auburn, where he did a quadruple flip and landed on his neck. I’m like, ‘he’s got to come out after that.’ But he just gets up and trots back to the huddle.”
Malcome on top of depth chart
Redshirt freshman Ken Malcome is currently running No. 1 at tailback for the Bulldogs. Leading rusher Isaiah Crowell is No. 2 and Brandon Harton is No. 3.
That’s the way it was as of Saturday, at least, as Richard Samuel (ankle) and Carlton Thomas (knee) remained sidelined. Samuel, however, was able to practice in a limited role on Saturday. He is returning for the bowl from Nov. 1 ankle surgery.
“We expect both those other guys back, but it’s hard to have a real full-fledged competition when they’re not getting an reps,” Bobo said. “So Ken and Isaiah and Brandon are the only three we’ve got right now.”
Injury update
Starting right guard Chris Burnette did not at practice Saturday due to an illness, line coach Will Friend said. . . . Middle linebacker Mike Gilliard (ankle) and defensive end DeAngelo Tyson (ankle), both starters, still were not practicing on Saturday. . . . Wide receiver Rantavious Wooten, out since late September with a concussion caused by a car accident, is practicing in a green jersey. He will not play in the bowl, however, to preserve a medical redshirt season.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
542 comments Add your comment
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
4:51 pm
Did TEBOW throw another pass?
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
4:52 pm
Bay Bay with a bad pass DAMN.
Dawg48
December 18th, 2011
4:52 pm
Smart
You should be smart enough to know that!
Dawg48
December 18th, 2011
4:55 pm
If knowshon was not hurt Denver would be unstoppable!
Paul in NH
December 18th, 2011
4:56 pm
Isn’t Moreno supposed to be on the Broncos?
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
4:57 pm
Hahaha NoShow Denver Unstoppable. I bet TEBOW would be throwing perfect spirals too.
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
4:59 pm
NoShow has Fatt Matt Stifforditis. He likes the hot tub & bank teller more than the playing field.
Bad Dawg
December 18th, 2011
4:59 pm
I said given the circumstances Dawg48. I am aware of the triple option at Georgia Tech versus the pro style at UGA. My point is if Georgia Tech could recruit at the level of UGA with CPJ as coach I think they would win more games than Richt would with the same players. Imagine a Cam Newton or Tim Tebow running the triple option with the ability to hand it off to Knowshon Moreno and the downfield threat of Aj Green ala Stephen Hill and “Bebe” Thomas. That would be unstoppable. I am a dawg fan though, its just my opinion.
Bad Dawg
December 18th, 2011
5:01 pm
It looks the Broncos don’t need Moreno. Send him back to Athens!
Dawg48
December 18th, 2011
5:05 pm
Shovel pass!
I love that play……
But if it went to moreno it would have been a TD!
Dawg48
December 18th, 2011
5:06 pm
Lol
A kicker with tattoos …….
Now that is funny!
Bad Dawg
December 18th, 2011
5:06 pm
Dawg48, Take off your UGA glasses. You’re embarrassing dawg nation.
Dawg48
December 18th, 2011
5:08 pm
Bad dawg
Lol
I’m messing with smart enough to know, he is a tech fan.
We like to throw jabs at each other.
bitter QB
December 18th, 2011
5:14 pm
dawg48—tide troll twin———–hahahah—looooser
Bad Dawg
December 18th, 2011
5:14 pm
Oh well carry on then lol. Go Dawgs!
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
5:17 pm
Looks like TEBOW will have to compete in a back and forth game with Brady. This could the Apocalypse of the NFL.
Dawg48
December 18th, 2011
5:20 pm
Smart
Are you saying the NFL
Does not like tebow?
just a fan
December 18th, 2011
5:20 pm
@BadDawg
If CPJ were such a good coach why not go to a school that would allow him to recruit better athletes?
Bad Dawg
December 18th, 2011
5:25 pm
just a fan, Name one coach that came from Navy that went on to coach at a national powerhouse
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
5:26 pm
48 no they(coaches and owners) really don’t. He screws with the balance of things. MV7 did it to for a minute. Tebow can’t throw but he can run. He is not easily taken down by 1 defensive player. Spying on TEBOW is difficult because of that.
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
5:27 pm
Bad Dawg I can name 2 that did it from a service academy.
Dawg48
December 18th, 2011
5:30 pm
Smart
That means he is a game changer…..
just a fan
December 18th, 2011
5:30 pm
I know where he came from that wasn’t the question? His offense is from the 70’s and athletes don’t want to play in that type of offense because they can’t get to the NFL. That is why no other school wants him.
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
5:35 pm
Bobby Knight & Coach K both started at Army and went on to build Powerhouses.
Bad Dawg
December 18th, 2011
5:36 pm
My point is that CPJ gets more out of his players than Georgia’s offensive staff. Check the talent level of Tech and tell me you saw them winning 8 or 9 games. You look at UGA’s roster and see future NFL starters at various positions yet no national championship since 1980. The state of Georgia is one of the top states for high school talent. If Ga Tech can win 9 games with 3 star players UGA should be able to at least win an SEC championship with 4 and 5 star players.
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
5:37 pm
48 exactly. He drives Defenses and coordinators Crazy.
Dawg48
December 18th, 2011
5:41 pm
Bad dawg
Don’t let smart enough to know…….know that I said this.
The acc is weak! That has a lot to do with it.
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
5:41 pm
Turnovers are killing the Broncos.
Dawg48
December 18th, 2011
5:44 pm
Smart
The only bad thing with a “tebow” type QB is, if the QB is having a bad day then the team has a bad day.
Bad Dawg
December 18th, 2011
5:45 pm
Well I was just talking about football Smart but those are great examples that I was not aware of. Thank you and just a fan it is clear you have a lot of bad feelings toward Tech and that is ok I do not hate Tech. The point is even though most recruits are turned off by the triple option offense which limits Georgia Tech’s recruiting, CPJ and staff can still find less heralded players and win 8-9 games a year which is good for Tech. 8-9 wins at UGA is to be considered mediocre with the available resources.
Dawg48
December 18th, 2011
5:50 pm
All the navy head coaches
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_Midshipmen_football#Coaches
Bad Dawg
December 18th, 2011
5:51 pm
You are right dawg48 but the SEC East could be considered weak as well. Also the Mississippi schools were below average so I can’t harp on the ACC too bad. I think Florida State, Clemson, and the Virginia schools were pretty good teams this year. Wake Forest and Georgia Tech did well given their team’s circumstances. The others are a little ehhh.
Bad Dawg
December 18th, 2011
5:54 pm
Thanks Dawg48, I checked that earlier for reference.
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
5:56 pm
48 do you figure Bill Walsh fits as a big time coach that went on to a Powerhouse after Navy?
LHarding Dawg
December 18th, 2011
6:17 pm
This is a typical BS artical from the AJC to get 10 pages of post. Nothing more, nothing less.
Laughing Out Loud
December 18th, 2011
6:18 pm
@this dog want hunt” That’s because that dog is either a gator or a nerd. Look at his use of the word “want” in his moniker for proof. He also uses 27 lines of space to say nothing but garbage. Mason and the coaching staff will do what’s best for him and the team. That’s what it is all about…the team not an individual. Go Dawgs!!! Take Spartie on your way upward!
duronimo
December 18th, 2011
6:23 pm
There’s been plenty of opportunities to get this guy some playing time. However, the philosophy of the coaches doesn’t allow for such a thing. Their penchant to get locked into concrete on a number of football issues can be shown by their sitting on leads instead of seeing those situations as a chance to build depth against a live opponent. Mason has a stronger arm and is noticeably more accurate on long passes. Many other coaches not locked into the hyper-loyalty deal (maybe it’s a Christian rule) would play their best guy.
Football GuY
December 18th, 2011
6:32 pm
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahaha…………………..
just a fan
December 18th, 2011
6:36 pm
@BadDawg where did I say anything negative about Tech? I do not like them and I do not pull for them ever, but I did not say anything negative about them in my post.
ABAC-North doggies
December 18th, 2011
6:53 pm
Come to GaSt ASAP!
TampaNudist
December 18th, 2011
6:54 pm
I can’t figure out why many bloggers on here state that “Mason is a great QB; he is a DGD; etc. WTF has the kid done at UGA? Zero, nothing, nada. He was a overated QB from Lassiter HS in East Cobb Co. who threw from the shotgun every play against crappy teams in Lassiter’s region…hence his lofty numbers. ALl the recruiting agencies REALLY questioned his ability for the college level. If it were not for UGA having a last second,unplanned, unused schlorship pop up, he would have been riding pine at Clemson. This spoiled, whiney ass, cry baby little boy does not need to be playing this out in the media. He should realize his worth to UGA and ride the pine with pride as he runs the scout team during practice.
aw
December 18th, 2011
7:05 pm
Seems to be a real problem at UGA. Richt knows from the beginning who is going to play and who is NOT. Example: MARLON BROWN (should have gone elsewhere)
A person SMART enough to know......
December 18th, 2011
7:13 pm
Nudest………..he has don nothing at UGa because he was never given a real shot to play and prove how good he is.
Old Dog
December 18th, 2011
7:30 pm
“Had Mr.Richt recruited Cam Newton to play qb instead of a TE, he probably would of won 3 national championships”
Unless Cam was expelled for stealing laptops.
Frankly
December 18th, 2011
8:14 pm
The back up quarterback is always one play away from being the starter, I would hate to see HM transfer and then have AM go down to injury, then HM would always think about what might have been for the rest of his days.
Frankly
December 18th, 2011
8:16 pm
Calamera del Lago please give me UGA and 32 points for $$$$$, please, please, please. We are going to beat you straight up dreamer.
Raiderbeater
December 18th, 2011
10:06 pm
Ken Malcome Is the best pure tailback on the team.
bitter QB
December 18th, 2011
10:23 pm
great work chip towers—–but your buddy —cravell—stinks—try reading his latest dribble—-does anybody want dream team2
–no fool –we want to no about our target recruits———-looooser————hudson mason rules
———murry is like a tampa c igar—–he chokes you—–hahahahabig game looooser
KakNiqueTree
December 19th, 2011
12:10 am
Second-string qb’s just like the vice-president — you’re only one heartbeat away….
“Personal attacks will NOT be tolerated hate-filled harassing posts unacceptable”
December 19th, 2011
12:27 am
nc dawg December 18th, 2011 12:41 pm
“One reason UGA QBs make mistakes in big games is that they know they are not coming out no matter what”
___________________________________________________________________
bitter QB December 18th, 2011 1:02 pm
“—–all dawg fans are on to richt and the fact he cannot even handle a freshman dope smok-in running back”
____________________________________________________________________
A person SMART enough to know…… December 18th, 2011 1:02 pm
“Murray benefited from a Weak schedule and padding stats against nobodies.”
____________________________________________________________________
Paul in NH December 18th, 2011 1:27 pm
“Heard at the Waffle House at 230 AM December 18th, 2011 12:09 pm UGA’s fabulous OUTBACK BOWL was #5 Best Bowl Game, ONLY trailing the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Cotton and Capital One.”
—–———————-
“Who knew that UGA was playing in a better bowl game than LSU and Alabama?”
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Actually, The BCS NC game is ranked # 1 Bowl Game by Fox Sports. The Peach Bowl is ranked # 23, as the Peach Bowl always pits The SEC # 6 team UNRANKED AUBURN without Michael Dyer their only RB all season long Michael Dyer amid losing both OC and DC and now their only RB. Maybe Gus Malzahn took a lesser job at Arkansas State because he plump wife says what should never be said in a copyright Church TV show “Dyer has an attitude; Cam is cute; 20 year old kids are not very smart at Auburn” just stupid silly stuff from wife of a coach – not like Barbara Dooley, who obviously learned football and what to say from Vince. But, Fox Sports Ranking of Bowl Games is based up
WHO PLAYS IN BOWL GAME FOX SPORTS RANK of bowl
There are some compelling bowl games to watch this year. This is not because the BCS got it right this season. This is because the BCS took the top 2 SEC AGAIN. This left open Great Bowl Games. Not a BCS coup because it GOT IT RIGHT. I saw criticism on this blog about the bowl games. I haven’t commenting on those yet, but I noted them. Oklahoma State Stanford is a game I will watch, and this is the Fiesta Bowl – typically a game I care very little about. I will watch this 1 because (1) Andrew Luck and (2) Okie State was supported by the clique on this blog for some odd reason as the team INSTEAD OF ALABAMA who gets no DO OVER they say but Okie State gets a DO OVER having LOST to 6-6 IOWA STATE. Normally, too, the BCS gives the Rose Bowl a CRUDOLA GAME; but again this season they get Wisconsin against Oregon. I will watch that game too when again, I hardly give any notice to any Rose Bowl game – they have been notoriously hideous teams in the past. Cotton Bowl is Kansas State vs Arkansas. Like the # 12 Michigan State vs # 18 UGA Bulldogs, the Cotton Bowl is just like the Outback Bowl ONLY BETTER because both Arkansas and Kansas State are BETTER than the Outback Bowl Opponents. South Carolina Nebraska CapitalOne Bowl pays $ 9.2 million and is the game we wanted, but did not deserve over South Carolina.