Jacob Eason remembered a message from Washington coach Chris Petersen as his situation changed at Georgia.

On Tuesday, the former Bulldogs quarterback officially announced his transfer to Washington. The result wasn’t surprising after Jake Fromm took over as Georgia’s starter in 2017, following Eason’s left knee injury against Appalachian State last September. Still, it marks a significant detour for Eason, who arrived as a 5-star member of the Class of 2016 and the assumed future at quarterback for Kirby Smart’s program.

In a piece by 247Sports’ Brandon Huffman on Tuesday, Eason revealed that he recalled particular words from Petersen as the Washington coach recruited Eason in high school. Eason is from Lake Stevens, Wash., and as his window to start again in Athens seemingly closed last fall, the quarterback thought more about returning to Washington.

“When I was being recruited out of high school, Coach Pete always said, if I ever needed to or had the opportunity to come home, he would have a place for me,” Eason told Huffman. “That was something he told me. When it was going down at Georgia, I had that in the back of my mind.”

It makes sense that Eason would turn to Washington as his next college destination, given his ties to the area. Fromm’s stellar play in 2017 forced Smart to keep the freshman’s hot hand on the field, even after Eason healed from his injury. The choice paid off for the Bulldogs, who won an SEC title, a Rose Bowl title and appeared in the National Championship Game with Fromm at quarterback.

In Huffman’s piece, Eason said, “It didn’t end up happening the way I thought it would at Georgia.” Sometimes, life produces unexpected results. It’s clear in Huffman’s story that Eason is eager for a fresh start in the Pacific Northwest.