People, it’s not like Georgia fans invented the hype: Jacob Eason is named USA Today’s ALL-USA Offensive Player of the Year.
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“We remember the Sugar Bowl, I think it my junior year of high school, we let Alabama beat us twice,” Brinson said of a team that also lost to the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game. “We’re not letting Alabama beat us twice. In the Sugar Bowl in 2018, they… thought they should have been in the playoffs and lost to Texas.” -- AB-H, 12/27/23
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Get The Picture · Bloviation for the Dawgnation
Get The Picture 
Why does this seem to have Face-plant written all over it? Admittedly, I am a complete Eeyore. But how can this kid possibly live up to the hype? Unless he’s the next Peyton Manning?
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He just has to be better than our current QBs.
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…. Dude, he has to do waaaaay more than that to live up to the hype.
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Living up to the hype is not what most fans will judge him by. Did Stafford live up to the hype? Was he still a DGD that played hiss ass off?
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Considering he was the #1 overall NFL Draft pick after his Junior year I’d say Stafford lived up to the hype. Considering what we’ve seen out of our current situation this year, I think a step above mediocre will have most of us pleased
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I will be pleased if he’s better than our 2015 QB’s, but I think if he’s going to “live up to the hype” he’d have to be at least another Murray.
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He’s better than Murray, right now. I loved Murray a DGD!
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Ditto! I hope he gets a chance to start in the NFL! Not wishing any harm to Alex Smith, but……
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He is not better than Murray right now. He throws off his back foot way too often and will have to learn to take a snap under center. He has rarely not been in the shotgun during his high school career so he will likely have to work a lot on his footwork. I’m not saying he isn’t extremely talented but there is a big difference in the SEC versus playing in the Pacific NW against high school level competition.
He is physically more gifted than Murray at this stage but that is about it.
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Really? Because I remember a lot of talk about all the titles Stafford would be bringing to Athens. I think Eason will be great whether he lives up to the hype or not.
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Stafford deliver3d. Richt did not.
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+1000
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Squirts …I’ve missed your trolling.
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Stanford did all he could but he was the 1 pick in the draft because he trained for the combine and got his combine rating where it needed to be, it’s not really tied to the performance in his collegiate career, per se.
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@Jared: He will have to save the world, raise the Titanic, cure all types of cancer, and for the final plume, win 3 National Championships, then go win multiple Super Bowls with the Browns.
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4! Only 4 National Championships would prove to Dawg Nation that he values his school over and above any multi million dollar, materialistic, fancies. Of course with Kirby at the helm this is already a foregone conclusion just awaiting the ticking of the clock for it’s fulfillment.
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Doesn’t he have to perform circumcisions, too?
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Bingo!!!
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Peyton manning wasn’t the top rated qb in his own state. Josh Booty was.
Winston and Tebow were very highly rated and did ok in college.
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I think Georgia was in Peyton’s final 3.
Wonder why the Manning family weren’t sold on Ray Goff?
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DOnt call him the next Peyton!!!!! Manning was 0-4 against the gators…
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I Could ask you, why be so negative? Would you rather him go elsewhere?
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Whatever the level of hype you identify comes from you, not from him. I have never read anywhere where he has promised any particular results.
If he works hard and does his best any “face plant ” is on the part of adults who, sign unseen, place expectations on him.
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The linked article has a list of the past 10 winners of the same award. Some clear hits there: Leonard Fournette, Dorial Green-Beckham (such as his brief tenure was) stand out. But let’s look at the 7 quarterbacks on the list:
2014 – Kyler Murray (A&M, transferred after 1 year)
2012 – Max Browne (USC, biding time behind established starter)
2010 – Kiehl Frazier (Auburn, 2 year QB, moved to safety and WR, eventually transferred)
2008 – Garett Gilbert (Texas for 2 years, back up in 3rd year and transferred to SMU where he played well under June Jones offense
2007 – Terrelle Pryor (OSU, started most of his 3 years there)
2006 – Jimmy Clausen (ND, 3 year starter)
2005 – Mitch Mustain (need an emoji to describe)
All these guys have very different situations, and it’s funny even to think about the situations beyond their control that overlapped with their time–for success or disappointment. But tell me you don’t see this list and think, “Yeah, let’s not get our hopes up too too much.” I think Eason looks to be different than a lot of these guys. I hope I don’t have red-colored glasses on for that. So excited absolutely–he’s as good a bet as we can make. But tempered expectations…
Thank goodness we Georgia fans have always done so well at that…
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Mixed bag…for sure.
Last UGA player who won the award? Andre Hastings!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Today_High_School_Football_Player_of_the_Year
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Does this mean these players failed to live up to expectations? Or does it mean USAToday is not very good at giving this title?
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He and his brother bought an old diesel Mercedes and he noted it was cool b/c it was a manual. We are going to be fine.
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Yeah, I thought that was a good sign. But he also listed as Ford Raptor as one of his “dream cars”. So, who knows.
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Meh…he’s still a kid. Cool truck. He will have moved on to a Ford GT after he’s drafted.
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Off the top o me head, I can think of only one not-yet-enrolled player who got this much chatter.
I know hope is delusional, but…..
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Believe he has better arm than Murray can make any type throw. What Murray had also was that will to win, the guy was just a winner, hope Eason can develop that mentality. Also we have an incredibly weak schedule next season with only 3 games that can be toss ups, so gret year for a new guy to play.
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Oh no!!!!! You have now set the standard! Minimum 9 wins mandatory given our weak schedule. Otherwise…different author (coach)- same story.
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There should be much enthusiasm from UGA fans about the potential Eason brings to Athens, would be crazy for there not to be, but it should always be tempered with the “no guarantee” attitude. Eason possesses much of what we all programs, except triple option offenses, look for. I DVRed that HS game he played in recently that was televised by ESPN. There was ample proof of his ability to throw all the different kinds of passes required to be considered an elite prospect.
But there were two concerns I was left with, neither of which was his fault. 1) He never took one snap from under center, not one, every play was run from the shotgun. This isn’t to say he cannot do so successfully when asked but reading defenses while dropping back and setting to throw has been an issue for many QBs. It is at least suggests there will be a learning curve. Given the urgent need at UGA for a 2016 QB, it is a blessing he is coming in early and will have some time to adjust. 2) The level of competition he faced in that game, and I assume most in that league exaggerates his abilities to where it is difficult to say how he will react when facing bigger, faster, stronger, athletes when he arrives and faces SEC talent. That can be said for all HS athletes making the big step, but it is a realistic concern, and especially for a QB who may be asked to step forward as a true freshman.
Regardless, landing him is an outstanding accomplishment and UGA should be optimistic, he is all you could ask for at this point. I am still amazed they didn’t lose him with all the recent changes as there are only a handful of programs who wouldn’t have taken him in had he switched his plans. We should all be cautiously optimistic until we have evidence not to be but I wouldn’t expect him to be an Aaron Murray level performer for a while, if ever. But he is a solid, grounded kid considering the years of hype he has been subjected to.
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Good post. I also heard a dude on a podcast point out some mechanics things like the fact that on his long throws he kind of falls back instead stepping into the throw….
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Watched the game live and had the same observations. On a positive note our new OC is a work with what you’ve got coach. I see him keeping Eason in the gun until he gets comfortable under center. If the offensive line is good he gets in quicker. If it is not I say don’t get the kid killed, he doesn’t need to get happy feet.
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He will only be as good as his OL
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+1
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“He will only be as good as his OL”
And his G-Day performance.
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He can only be the second coming if Kirby’s defense holds up like in the last 4 games of Georgia this season. Only then can he show his potential to win some squeakers which will make him look even better.
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I won’t be surprised if someone will have him early Heisman candidate as a freshman sooner than later. You know just to spark some controversy and add some hits to their site.
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I can’t wait who will have enough guts to do it.
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Too bad Beano Cook isn’t around to handle it.
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Of course expectations should be tempered. Those that get upset next October (and they will) need to remember he is a kid. He will throw some bad picks because DB’s will be much faster than he is used to. He will look bad because his mechanics aren’t great. But he can throw 60 yards with a flick of the wrist and with bad mechanics. He will learn and get better. He needs a defense. He needs a line. He still needs support. From coaches and from fans. Don’t forget he is not from the south and may not understand when his own fans vandalize his house. I don’t understand that myself.
But he has the potential to be very good. And that is what gets us through the off-season. I just hope everyone will appreciate it even if he just good or just solid. It’s very hard to be good in this league. It’s near impossible to be great. But, oh boy, he does have the potential. He seems smart and level headed with a canon for an arm. And he hits kids in stride. It might just get exciting.
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One thing we’ve got going for Eason is a relatively easy schedule next year. And we’ve got Pruitt’s D coming back…
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Let’s all dream big. Eason with Dawgs, National Champsionship. Then Falcons draft him.
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