The future is now at Georgia.
True freshman Jacob Eason has been tapped by Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart to start at quarterback this Saturday against Nicholls State, according to a report from the Atlantic Journal Constitution’s DawgNation.
Eason, a five-star recruit from the state of Washington at this time a year ago, did not start in the team’s opening 33-24 win over North Carolina but performed well in limited playing time. He finished 8-of-12 for 131 yards and a touchdown after coming in to replace senior starter Greyson Lambert.
The move to go with Eason is one that many Bulldogs fans have been pining for ever since he enrolled in January as the top pro-style quarterback prospect in the class of 2016. He will become the first true freshman signal-caller to start for Georgia since former No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford took the first snaps for the Bulldogs back in 2006.
Georgia moved to No. 9 in the AP Top 25 after their win over the Tar Heels.
Smart opting to start Eason against Nicholls State gives the freshman a chance to show what he can do under center before a season-defining stretch for Georgia over the next three weeks that includes trips to Missouri and Ole Miss before hosting SEC East division favorite Tennessee.