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Much has been made about the nation’s No. 1 quarterback for the Class of 2016 Jacob Eason (Lake Stevens, Wash.) sticking with a longstanding commitment to Georgia or flipping to SEC East rival Florida, which has made a strong push.
The prediction here, and we will find out this week for sure, is that Easton sticks with the Bulldogs.
There are several reasons why there is a belief on this end that Eason will play college football in Athens next year.
1. He has never de-committed
Eason committed to UGA on July 19, 2014. At the time, the Bulldogs appeared to be a picture of stability with the longtime, quarterback-friendly coaches at head coach (Mark Richt) and offensive coordinator (Mike Bobo). Then, things started to change. First, after the 2014 season, Bobo left to become the head coach at Colorado State and was replaced by Brian Schottenheimer. Still, Eason remained committed. Fast forward a year later and Richt is out and replaced by Kirby Smart with Schottenheimer being replaced by Jim Chaney just a few days ago. That’s a lot of change from the time Eason, who is located on the other side of the country in the Seattle area, committed, yet he has remained firm with his pledge. Typically, high-level prospects committed to a far-away school that has a coaching situation that has changed that dramatically since the pledge are looking for a reason to de-commit. It seems like Eason is looking for every reason to stay with it. It seems as if he’s been a Bulldog for too long to make a change at the 11th hour.
2. He still fits the Georgia offense
Eason is a 6-foot-5 pocket passer with better feet than many give him credit for. He’s got a high-level skill set in the right system. He’s not a zone-read/spread guy. He’s a pro-style guy that uses his arm talent and decision-making skills to perform at an elite level. Chaney’s system is almost the perfect match for him. Let’s take a look back at what Chaney was able to do with a less-talented and less-focused Tyler Bray at Tennessee (Bray ended up being pretty good and when he was not it wasn’t because of the system) or even the one year he had Jonathan Crompton (another with less talent that Chaney got the most out of). Imagine what he’s going to be able to do with Eason. Chaney also has gotten true freshmen ready to play at times (Justin Worley at Tennessee) who were less-than-ideal and certainly not as suited to step in as Eason. That’s to take nothing away from Florida. There’s no doubt that Jim McElwain and Doug Nussmeier also could get the most out of him, but remember, Easton is looking for a reason to stay with Georgia first and foremost.
3. Florida already has a quarterback in this class
The Gators certainly could use two and Eason could just as easily win the job this spring in Gainesville as he could in Athens, but Florida very wisely also flipped Felepe Franks (Crawfordville, Fla./Wakulla) from LSU. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound passer, like Eason, is an early enrollee. So even though both the Gators and Bulldogs have issues with their quarterback depth chart, and when you look at Florida’s overall it’s more favorable to early playing time (we may see Brice Ramsey take a big step forward at Georgia and Grayson Lambert is still there, but the Gators without Will Grier basically have Treon Harris and that’s it), there’s still something about being the only signal caller in the class that resonates with elite recruits.
Provided my prediction is accurate (and you never know with these things), keeping Eason in the boat will be another big victory on the recruiting trail for Smart, who is no stranger to major recruiting victories. It could usher in a new era in Athens both in terms of head coach and quarterback.
If there’s a surprise and he heads to Florida, well then that’s “next-level” good for the Gators, who already are on their way to doing big things under McElwain.
We will all find out soon enough.
Recruiting writer for Saturday Down South
