The Jacob Eason era will start in earnest Saturday at Sanford Stadium.

Eason will make his first college start against Nicholls State, according to an Online Athens report.

Eason came off the bench in the opener against North Carolina and played a pivotal role in helping the Bulldogs secure a victory, completing 8 of his 12 passes for 131 yards.

Flashing his strong arm and willingness to stretch an opposing defense vertically, Eason certainly looks capable of becoming one of the best quarterbacks to ever don the red and black.

While the true freshman’s career is just getting started, Saturday he will accomplish something only four others have done since 1945: Start at quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs as a true freshman.

For such a storied program to have so exclusive a club is a testament to both how talented Eason is and how difficult of a situation he faces. Sure, high school football is much more advanced now than it was a decade ago, but so too are SEC defenses, and Eason has a tall task in front of him.

He can find comfort in the knowledge that he’s not alone, though. Four players in Georgia lore have risen to that challenge. As Eason aims to become the fifth, it’s time to remember each quarterback’s first start as a true freshman.

John Rauch (1945): A true pioneer, Rauch is still considered among the best quarterbacks in Georgia history. Coach Wally Butts decided to run a new offense before the start of the 1945 season that featured the quarterback as the team’s primary passer, and he wanted Rauch to be that man.

In the Bulldogs’ opener, Rauch started at quarterback and began a record-setting career. Georgia defeated Murry State 49-0, and Rauch completed 3 of his 5 passes for 36 yards and 1 touchdown. While not an impressive achievement statistically, Rauch’s performance marked a point where the quarterback’s passing ability became more prominent for the Bulldogs.

Rauch ended his career as the NCAA’s all-time leading passer and his 36 career wins stood as another NCAA record for 30 years.

Eric Zeier (1991): Nearly 50 years after Rauch started the season, another record-setting quarterback got his chance as a true freshman. Eric Zeier initially split time with veteran Greg Talley during the 1991 season before earning his first start against Ole Miss after he led the Bulldogs to an incredible upset over No. 6 Clemson.

It was the sixth game that season and Zeier was 18-of-30 for 216 yards. It was another highlight in a spectacular freshman season that ended with Zeier earning the SEC Freshman of the Year award.

Quincy Carter (1998): Only two quarterbacks have started Georgia’s season opener as a true freshman quarterback. Rauch was the first, and Quincy Carter became the second in 1998.

After spending two seasons pursuing a career in baseball, Carter joined the Bulldogs and won the team’s quarterback battle in preseason practice. Georgia faced Kent State to begin the season, and Carter quickly showed why he was chosen for the job. He completed 12 -of-16 passes for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns.

It was the beginning of an electric season for Carter in which he broke many of Zeier’s freshman passing records and earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors.

Matthew Stafford (2006): The most recent quarterback to start as a true freshman, Matthew Stafford holds a spot in the hearts of many Georgia fans.

But even he had to wait a bit.

Like Eason, Stafford was a highly-touted prospect who many expected to take over the starting role sooner rather than later. An injury to Joe Tereshinski III in Week 2 against South Carolina ushered in the Stafford era at Georgia.

Making his first start in Week 3 against Alabama-Birmingham, Stafford went 10-of-17 passing for 107 yards and scored a rushing touchdown. After a loss at home to Vanderbilt, Mark Richt named Stafford the starter for the rest of the season.

Stafford finished his true freshman season with a 6-2 record as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, including wins over No. 5 Auburn, No. 16 Georgia Tech and No. 14 Virginia Tech and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.

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