Faton Bauta became the recent starting quarterback at Georgia, but he has been part of the Bulldogs team for quite some time. He has not taken a snap during the 2015 season. He last played in a game last November against Georgia Southern where he attempted two passes. He played briefly in a total of three games in 2014.
Bauta only has 48 passing yards during his career at Georgia. The Bulldogs coaching staff want to see what Bauta can provide and hope it can create a spark in the big rivalry game against Florida.
Here is what you need to know about the Georgia quarterback:
1. Todd Gurley Tweeted Out His Support of Bauta
Happy for my boy Faton. The hardest working guy I ever been around, now it’s finally paying off. Congrats you deserve every bit of it.#HWPO
When news of Bauta’s move up the Georgia depth chart broke, St. Louis Rams running back tweeted out his support for Bauta. The two were teammates during Gurley’s time at Georgia. Gurley has spoken about Bauta’s great work ethic.
2. His Parents Owned a Restaurant Frequented by Celebrities
According to Dawg Nation, Bauta’s family owned a small Italian restaurant located in Manhattan. Trattoria Alba was frequented by celebrities like Randy Johnson, Tiki Barber and Sarah Jessica Parker.
“My mom and her [Sarah Jessica Parker] were pretty good friends at one point in time. It’s a quiet little place. Awesome food,” Bauta told the website. The restaurant closed earlier this year.
3. Bauta Was a Three-Star Recruit
According to Yahoo Sports, Bauta was a three-star recruit coming out of West Palm Beach, Florida. He received offers from a number of schools including Alabama, West Virginia, and Louisville. Schools were intrigued by his dual-threat capabilities. He eventually committed to Georgia but was not named the starting quarterback until 2014.
Bauta is listed at 6’3″ and 225 pounds. It is a good size for a quarterback especially one who is capable of running and hurting teams in the pocket.
4. He Is a Redshirt Junior at Georgia
Bauta is one of the veteran members of the Georgia team. He is majoring in sport management in Athens. He has been attending Georgia for four years as he was red-shirted his freshman year.
5. Bauta Offers the Bulldogs a Dual-Threat Attack
Bauta has the ability to throw the ball, but he also offers the Bulldogs more athleticism than they are used to seeing at quarterback. However, Bauta has noted that he is not just a running quarterback. He told Dawg Nation:
I consider myself a pocket guy. I don’t consider myself a guy that just has to run around all the time. My abilities, I think I’m definitely capable of running this offense. Whether I do it well or not, that’s up to the coaches. No doubt in my mnind I can run this offense, pro style or whatever.”