Does Georgia really have a quarterback competition? Head coach Kirby Smart certainly thinks so

What a difference a year can make.

In his first spring as Georgia’s head coach, every person interested in the program asked Kirby Smart about the team’s quarterback situation. Smart was quick to downplay 5-star savior Jacob Eason’s ascension, and he grew increasingly tired of talking about the subject as the summer wore on.

Now, Smart is the one fanning the flames of competition.

“I expect him to come out and compete like he’s trying to win it,” Smart said Monday on his weekly Bulldogs Live radio show appearance. “I look at him no different than I did with Jacob Eason this time last year.”

This is what any coach would be expected to say, but it’s an interesting contrast to Smart’s approach with Eason last year.

As the No. 2-ranked QB in the 2016 class, Eason was the primary subject of conversation long before he arrived in Athens. Smart took a page from his old boss’ playbook, however, and de-recruited his freshman quarterback throughout the spring and summer. Rarely did Smart pay Eason many compliments, and he constantly pointed out the areas in which he needed to improve.

After a full year of experience, it seems that Smart is still challenging his sophomore gunslinger. Instead of reasserting Eason’s status as the incumbent starter, the Bulldogs’ head coach praised incoming quarterback Jake Fromm on Monday’s radio show.

“He’s coming in, highly regarded, a heralded recruit, but he’s very serious, very professional about his work,” Smart said on air. “He’s a great leader in the locker room. Guys in the locker room respect him, he’s got good arm strength and he’s a good decision-maker.

“He’s got a little leadership to him that he’s not afraid to jump out there and tell guys where to line up, what to do, and get after it with a little fire. I think that dynamic, Jacob sees that, and Jacob’s sitting there watching this young kid that comes in with a little more fire and brimstone than even he had. … I think Jake’s in a good place and I think he’s ready to go compete.”

Fromm, whose 12,817 career passing yards at Houston County High School were just 260 yards short of Deshaun Watson’s Georgia state record, is an accomplished quarterback in his own right. He’s drawn rave reviews for his poise under pressure. It certainly seems like Georgia’s head coach is a fan of what he’s seen.

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While Eason’s potential has always left coaches and scouts salivating, he struggled some during his freshman season. Late reads and poor throws plagued Eason, who finished 11th in passer efficiency rating among the 12 SEC quarterbacks who qualified.

Still, there were flashes of brilliance that showed the type of heights he could reach at Georgia.

Smart is aware of all of this, which is why his comments should be considered a challenge to Eason as much as they are an affirmation of Fromm.

Eason remains the Bulldogs’ quarterback, and his year of experience should be considered a big plus.

“Any time you have a discussion about a true freshman playing you’ve got to acknowledge that it is a steep learning curve,” ESPN National Recruiting Director Tom Luginbill told Saturday Down South. “We saw that from Jacob Eason a year ago. Georgia was not very good around him and was not very good in the offensive line. I think what we also saw is that when you’re not good in the offensive line and you don’t have a dynamic player behind center, it can be hard to extend plays and create on your own. They went through that last year.”

Eason doesn’t just have more experience in the SEC, he also possesses more natural talent. Fromm might be a more complete player as a true freshman than Eason was, but the sophomore’s ceiling is higher than most. He’s a player worth investing in.

For fans who believe Eason already has the position locked up, however, this competition might be closer than they expect.

Fromm is much more Aaron Murray than Matthew Stafford, and he will push Eason. Eason’s biggest learning curve came in the mental and management aspects of the game, which appear to be Fromm’s greatest strengths. He might not be able to match Eason’s arm strength and throw the ball 60 yards, but “intelligent” and “leader” are two common descriptors associated with Georgia’s new quarterback recruit.

“Jacob was more raw, coming in, than people gave him credit for, Luginbill said. “He came from an offense where the coach ran it, the coach told him where to go with the ball and he was purely a shotgun guy. Then he comes to a pro-style, multiple-set offense where a lot of it’s under center, a lot of it is play action and that was really foreign to him.

“When that happened with Jacob, there was maybe some more upside for him to grow into that role. With Jake Fromm, I think he’s probably a little further ahead in that sense, having played against a higher caliber of competition as well as being more involved in a more diverse offense.”

This is the exact scenario that the Bulldogs need. Competition often brings out the best in great athletes, and if there is anyone capable of helping Eason tap into his massive potential it’s Fromm.

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With all due respect to Greyson Lambert, few fans wanted to see the fifth-year senior start ahead of Eason. That’s why Smart worked so hard to keep Eason grounded. Now, he’s got another quarterback capable of challenging for the starting job.

“You always want to have an environment of competition at the quarterback position,” Luginbill explained. “So, when you bring in a guy like Jake Fromm, now all of a sudden, the talent gap gets closed and there’s a sense of awareness. I think there’s a sense of urgency for Jacob Eason, which is really healthy. And then, what it also does, is it motivates and inspires Jake Fromm. He truly believes he’s in the mix to be the starting quarterback.”

By praising Fromm, Smart issued a challenge to his returning starter: It’s time to show what you’ve got, because there’s someone coming for your job.

The most likely outcome is that Eason remains the starter with Fromm serving as his primary backup and taking a redshirt if things go according to plan. But Smart came from a program that valued production over recruiting hype, and he will give Fromm a long look.

For the first time since Murray and Zach Mettenberger went toe to toe, Georgia has two exciting young quarterbacks to pit against each other. The daily competition should make them better, and the starting role appears to be truly up for grabs.

Regardless of who’s behind center, Georgia’s quarterback play should be vastly improved in 2017.

William McFadden covers the University of Georgia for Saturday Down South. For news on everything happening between the hedges, follow him on Twitter @willmcfadden.