College Football: 25 breakout players to watch in 2016
By John Buhler
If there is one true freshman in the SEC during the 2016 NCAA season most likely to have a breakout season, wouldn’t it have to be the Georgia Bulldogs freshman quarterback Jacob Eason? Eason committed to Georgia back in July of 2014 and his decision to play for the Bulldogs never wavered, even after Mark Richt’s November 2015 firing.
Eason projects favorably to former Georgia and current Detroit Lions starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. The similar arm strength with these two is undeniable, with a great deal of touch on deep fade routes into the back corners of the end zone.
To be fair, Eason probably won’t start Week 1 for the Bulldogs, as new head coach Kirby Smart will want a more reliable passer in redshirt senior Greyson Lambert to run an ultra-conservative offense in the toughest earlier part of Georgia’s schedule.
Once Eason has a full grasp of offensive coordinator Jim Chaney’s expansive playbook and he can prove to Smart that he won’t be a pick machine under center, Eason will take over the reins from Lambert and add more of a high-octane element to Georgia’s run-first offense.
Georgia has a ton of depth at tight end with players like Jeb Blazevich, Isaac Nauta, and Jackson Harris. Eason has the ability more than any quarterback on Georgia’s roster to expand the field vertically.
He may not be as accurate as an Aaron Murray or a David Greene, but don’t think for a second that Smart won’t let the second-coming of Stafford air it out on fall Saturdays between the hedges should Eason be ready. Patience will be key with this true freshman, but he has the makings of a real special ball player for the Bulldogs.
Next: 16. Carl Lawson.