Georgia Bulldogs' Aaron Murray Quietly Becoming Star Quarterback

Aaron Murray was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday following his stellar performance against the Tennessee Volunteer's defense this past weekend.

Murray led the charge in Georgia's 41-14 blowout of their rival from Knoxville, completing 17 of 25 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns. Murray also avoided throwing an interception, and rushed for two scores.

His dual threat ability has been apparent throughout the season, however Murray's success and efficiency as Georgia's starting quarterback has been overshadowed by a 2-4 start and 11 player arrests.

The hype for the redshirt freshman was down at the start of the year, mainly thanks to a poor showing in Georgia's spring game. The battle for Georgia's starting quarterback position appeared to be a three horse race with the presence of Zach Mettenberger and Logan Gray.

After Gray's switch to wide receiver, as well as Mettenberger's dismissal from the team, Murray and true freshman quarterback Hutson Mason made up Georgia's quarterbacking personel.

With the likes of Ryan Mallett, Jeremiah Masoli, Cam Newton, Stephen Garcia, and John Brantley leading SEC teams, Murray's name and his hype got lost in the shuffle.

Not many opposing fans likely even knew anything about Murray heading into the year, despite the fact he was a Parade All-American coming out of high school. A broken leg in his senior year lowered his recruit grade, and a year on the bench behind the miserable Joe Cox saga quieted his presence.

And, heading into the year, the only mention of Georgia players seemed to come from reports of arrests, as well as the A.J. Green suspension.

Aaron Murray continued to stay in the shadows. Generously listed at 6'1", 209 pounds, he doesn't have that NFL type body--he's no Ryan Mallett.

Word was that Murray didn't have the strongest arm, or threatening mobility. Maybe his modest, take no credit, team player attitude had something to do with his modest scouting report.

So far, Murray has proved those reports wrong. Through six games he has a 152.1 quarterback efficiency rating. He has completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 1,366 yards and 10 touchdown passes.

And, the freshman has only thrown three interceptions, one of which was nowhere near his own fault. He's on track to throw for 20 touchdowns, just six interceptions, and over 2,600 yards.

Also, minus sacks, Murray has rushed 45 times for 221 yards and four touchdowns. His runs can make linebackers look silly, which was evident in his 35 yard scamper to start the scoring against Tennessee.

Earlier in the season Murray's rushing was scaring Mark Richt, who told Murray to tone down on the extracurricular runs.

So far it appears Murray hasn't listened, but that's not a bad thing. Plus, his athleticism and toughness has to have gained tons of respect from teammates.

Aaron Murray has done all of this despite having a lackluster running game, struggling offensive line, and four games without A.J. Green. Put his performance in contrast to Matthew Stafford's freshman year, where Stafford completed seven touchdown passes to 13 interceptions.

To Georgia fans, Aaron Murray has been one bright spot in a dark season. He's already a fan favorite and a reason to watch Georgia play on Saturdays.

But, to the rest of the college football world he may still be an unknown. Upcoming contests versus John Brantley, Cam Newton, and Josh Nesbitt could help magnify Murray's brilliance.