Every fan of Bulldog Nation is anxiously awaiting the inevitable moment when true freshman Jacob Eason seizes control over the starting quarterback duties for Georgia this season. While fans deservedly praised Eason after viewing his incredible arm talent in the spring game, one former UGA coach who knows a thing or two about quarterback play warns against hyping up the freshman into something he can never be in Athens.
While serving as Georgia’s offensive coordinator for eight seasons, current Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo helped develop Matthew Stafford and Aaron Murray into star performers and even turned Hutson Mason into a very solid SEC starting quarterback his senior season in Athens.
After initially helping recruit Eason to Athens and having continued to maintain his relationship with the five-star recruit after moving to Fort Collins, Bobo is very familiar with both the young quarterback prospect and the Georgia football program. That being said, Bobo has a unique perspective on the expectations that should be placed on Eason in Athens and recently shared those thoughts.
“You’ve got to realize that he’s not the savior,” Bobo said according to Dan Mathews of Gridiron Now. “Everybody thinks he’s the savior of a program. No one person is a savior. He’s got to grow and develop. Hopefully it’s at a pace where he’s ready to play sooner than later. But you’ve got to make sure they’re ready before you play them.
“Like any young guy, you’re going to have to learn through the mistakes that you make and gain confidence. He’s confident because he’s got a strong arm, but he’s still got a lot to learn. They’re going to do a great job with him there and he’s got a bright future.”
Bobo is dead on, as no one player should be burdened with the task of carrying a program, not to mention a true freshman for a program with incredibly-high expectations entering the Kirby Smart era. But does Georgia even need a savior to truly be successful?
The Bulldogs are coming off a 10-win season and won a combined 40 games over the last four seasons. What Georgia really needs is a difference maker under center who can pull out a win or two per season that the Bulldogs otherwise wouldn’t win without him. If that is the rational expectation for Eason heading into his first season on campus, Georgia fans are likely to be pleasantly surprised by what they get from the five-star recruit this season and beyond.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
