Washington has officially lost its starter under center, Jacob Eason, to a draft.
Early Thursday afternoon, UW confirmed that Eason has decided to forego his remaining eligibility and make himself available for the 2020 NFL Draft. Eason spent the past two seasons with the Huskies, sitting out 2018 because of NCAA transfer rules.
A native of the state, Eason played his high school football at Lake Stevens, about a 40-mile drive from Seattle.
“I want to thank everyone at the UW – my teammates, the coaching staff and the fans – for making these last two years so memorable,” Eason said in a statement. “I’m very happy that I was able to come home and play for the Dawgs, and will always be grateful.”
Eason was a five-star member of Georgia’s 2016 recruiting class, rated as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the country; the No. 1 player at any position in the state of Washington; and the No. 5 player overall on 247Sports.com‘s composite board. As a true freshman, Eason started the final 12 games of the 2016 season after playing well in the opener in place of Greyson Lambert.
A knee injury in the 2017 opener opened the door for Jake Fromm‘s ascension and, ultimately, Eason’s exit.
This past season, Eason started every game for the Huskies. He completed just over 64 percent of his passes for 3,132 yards and 23 touchdowns. In his last game, a win over Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl, he threw for 210 yards and a touchdown.
“We wish Jacob nothing but the best,” said new head coach Jimmy Lake. “He was a terrific teammate who worked very hard in his two years as a Husky. I’m looking forward to watching him succeed at the next level.”