Georgia coach Kirby Smart discussed former Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason in a radio interview on Monday, and he had plenty of nice things to say.

“First thing you say is first class,” Smart said on 680 the Fan’s The Official Visit. “The kid handled his recruitment the right way. The entire time, he had a lot of pressure and accolades his freshman year. He handled everything the right way and kept his chin up.”

Eason started the season after performing well as a freshman in 2016. However, he was injured in UGA’s first game against Appalachian State, and the play of backup Jake Fromm never gave him the opportunity to regain his spot.

On Friday, Eason announced his intention to transfer from the program just two season after he arrived in Athens as a 5-star recruit. With Fromm’s emergence and Class of 2018 5-star QB Justin Fields in the fold, transferring makes the most sense for Eason.

Smart was complimentary of how Eason handled the situation, including the impending transfer.

“I really thought it was sad that no one got to see the growth he made from Year 1 to Year 2. We never got to really see that, other than a series against App State,” Smart said. “He is a competitor. He saw the way the team was playing, he saw what was going on. He never said a foul word. He was the first one to support Jake Fromm; he helped a lot of other guys on the team through their freshmen year.

“He will always hold a special place in my heart, as well as his family, because of the way he handled everything.”

Eason has not announced where he will enroll. Eason is from Lake Stevens, Wash.