Jacob Eason enjoying second spring at Georgia

Georgia sophomore quarterback Jacob Eason throws a pass during Thursday's eighth spring practice in Athens.
Georgia sophomore quarterback Jacob Eason throws a pass during Thursday's eighth spring practice in Athens.

The hype is still there for Georgia quarterback Jacob Eason.

What's different this time around is the experience.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound sophomore from Lake Stevens, Wash., is enjoying some normalcy during his second spring with the Bulldogs, which is very different from a year ago, when he was a five-star early enrollee.

"A lot of last year was the playbook and coming from high school," Eason said in a news conference after Thursday's practice. "Even going under center was a big part for me and learning how to take that snap. I was having to learn reads against SEC defenses.

"This year, having a season under my belt and having that experience is huge."

Thursday's nearly three-hour workout marked the eighth spring practice for the Bulldogs, who are scheduled to scrimmage Saturday inside Sanford Stadium.

Eason easily was the youngest in Georgia's quarterback competition last year, with that mix including graduate transfer Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey, who is helping the Bulldogs practice this spring but is looking to transfer. Georgia's only two scholarship quarterbacks this spring are Eason and early enrollee Jake Fromm.

"Jake is a great leader," Eason said. "He pushes me, and I push him. He makes plays and is not afraid out there, and that's a good thing as a quarterback."

Eason pushed Lambert and Ramsey last year, taking over the starting role from Lambert after the season-opening win over North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. He went on to complete 204 of 370 passes (55.1 percent) for 2,430 yards with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

His efficiency rating of 120.3 ranked just 13th among Southeastern Conference quarterbacks, but second-year coach Kirby Smart likes what he has seen so far this spring.

"He's got a long way to go, but he's come a long way," Smart said. "He understands the protections now, whereas last year he didn't. There was a lot on his plate last year, and it's challenging when when you come straight out of high school. He's at a better place.

"He's more confident, and he's throwing the ball well."

Eason is referring to this spring as a "whole new world," which includes his ability to make more play-changing decisions at the line of scrimmage.

"They're giving me a lot more control with that, and I feel a lot more comfortable with that than I did this time last year," he said. "Last year, I was still trying to figure out which way to turn. This year, there is a lot more comfort."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

Upcoming Events