Lake Stevens quarterback Jacob Eason, one of the top recruits in the nation for the class of 2016, verbally committed to the University of Georgia Saturday afternoon.
Eason announced his decision via Twitter after an unofficial visit to Georgia this weekend.
“I have officially made my verbal commitment to play football for the University of Georgia #GoDawgs #DawgNation,” Eason tweeted.
Lake Stevens head coach Tom Tri said Georgia had recruited Eason aggressively from the start.
“It’s exciting for him,” Tri said. “I just want him to go to the right fit and have a chance to be successful and get a good education and have a chance to play on Saturdays. I know they’ve been recruiting him very hard and have been very, very interested. It doesn’t really surprise me (that he committed to Georgia).”
Eason cannot sign an official letter of intent until February 2016.
As a sophomore, Eason threw for 2,941 yards and 23 touchdowns for the Vikings. According to 247Sports he is the No. 1 recruit for the state of Washington and the No. 14 player overall in the nation. ESPN.com ranks him as the top pocket passing quarterback recruit in the county.
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Eason was considering several other schools, including Washington, Notre Dame, Stanford, Alabama and Florida State. Eason is the son of former Notre Dame wide receiver Tony Eason, who is an assistant coach for the Vikings.
Tri believes Georgia will be a good fit for Eason. Aside from football, academics and a stable coaching staff were key factors in Eason’s decision.
“(Georgia Head) coach (Mark) Richt has been there, for heck, I don’t know how long,” Tri said. “He was looking for stability in the program. The right offensive fit and scheme. He was looking for the right group of coaches he could continue to flourish with. Georgia was definitely a good fit in that direction.”
Eason would be paired with Richt, who took over at Georgia in 2001, and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo, who returned to Georgia as a coach with Richt after serving as quarterback for the Bulldogs from 1994-97.
Bobo helped former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford get drafted No. 1 overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 National Football League draft.
“To his credit, he was locked and loaded. He knew what he wanted,” Tri said of Eason. “He enjoys the game and loves to have fun and continue to get better.”
Tri isn’t worried that the distance – Athens, Ga. is over 2,700 miles from Lake Stevens – will be a problem for Eason.
“I think it’s a good fit,” Tri said. “… He’s such an easy going, just tolerant personality that I don’t think he’s going to have a hard time adjusting at all.”
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