Jacob Eason: It’s UGA vs. Florida Gators
Jacob Eason granted an interview on Monday to the Everett Herald Staff writer David Kreuger and recapped the last hectic week of his life.
The same week that saw UGA go from Mark Richt to Kirby Smart saw the longtime commitment lose in the semifinal round of the state playoffs.
He also saw Richt — the coach he committed to approximately 18 months ago — dismissed at UGA.
Krueger’s interview with Eason covers the following topics:
- Eason said he’s still committed, but he will decide between UGA and Florida
- The 5-star quarterback has already spoken to Smart over the phone a few times and was excited to meet him tonight. Smart was flying cross country from Athens to see Eason
- The longtime UGA commitment said that Smart seemed like a great guy over the phone and felt that he’s going to try to get the best situation possible at Georgia
- Eason committed to UGA with Stephens County offensive lineman Ben Cleveland. He was the one who told Eason via text that Richt had been fired. He initially felt that Cleveland was joking.
Lavelle Durant, Eason’s personal quarterback trainer, also shared his view of Eason’s decision at this time. He said he viewed it as a “two-team race” between UGA and Florida. What might be one deciding factor?
“I do know that Jacob really cares about the relationships he has built with the Georgia fans, the Georgia players and the commits,” Durant said. “I feel that could be where his heart is with Georgia right now.”
Eason summed up his interest in Florida in the Herald report.
“I knew Florida was a pretty good option because coach (Doug Nussemier) and (Florida head coach Jim McElwain) are both from around here,” Eason told the Herald. “So I set up a trip there to go check that out and ended up really liking it. There’s a lot of good things. Coach Nuss coached at (Washington) and Coach Mac graduated from Eastern Washington and they’ve both got good track records.”
The nation’s No. 2 quarterback and No. 6 overall prospect told Kreuger that he will still fly to Georgia this weekend for his official visit.
“Right now I took my trip to Florida and I’m still waiting to see who Georgia hires as (offensive coordinator). I have a couple options opened, but I’m still committed so we’ll see what happens.”
The Lake Stevens senior also told the Herald that he will confer with his family and come up with a final decision after he returns from his UGA official visit. This week’s official to UGA will give him a chance to interact with UGA’s current commitments, including his good friend Cleveland.
Eason has signed a financial aid agreement with UGA, which allows for unlimited contact. That’s one advantage for UGA and Smart in the race to retain the most important commitment of the 2016 class.
“I’m still committed (to Georgia) but I’m going to have to decide between the two,” Eason told the Herald. “The positives and negatives and all that stuff. Over this year, with coach Richt getting fired and all that stuff (Florida) kind of popped up. The coaches have been wanting me to come down for awhile so I came down and I liked it a lot. Its a great school and a great opportunity there, too. It’s going to come down, ultimately, to what I decide and where I feel comfortable.”
Jeff Sentell covers UGA football and UGA recruiting for AJC.com and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow him on Twitter for the latest on who’s on their way to play Between the Hedges.
