The Jacob Eason/Jake Fromm storyline is a great lesson in the context of Kirby's desire to change the culture at Georgia. Eason plays on Sunday for sure, but that's the optics of his recruitment hampering his performance at Georgia. He "expects" to play based on his resume. Jake Fromm, in contrast, makes his body of work his resume. Fromm is, in many ways, a fan's QB because he's willing to work for his accolades by embracing the system, wheras I get the sense that Jacob Eason expects a system to be built around him. I'm probably off on that speculation, but it speaks volumes that Eason hasn't, even with a year under his belt, separated himself from a kid who was playing on Fridays this time last year.
So, in the new culture at Georgia, it's the guy who brings it who gets the start. Don't get me wrong, the upside for Eason is huge, and his talent is undeniable. But this should be his team, based on his experience and growth. Maybe we're underestimating Jake Fromm's talent, and he's actually the better of the two. I don't know, I just see. When Jacob Eason gets healthy, I hope his ass is so burned by Jake Fromm's success that he lights it up at practice to the point that Kirby has no choice but to play him. That's a fan's fantasy, I know, but there's no other reason that makes sense to bench Fromm.
What appeals to me in all this is that you have two guys so good that they could likely play anywhere, and they still have to earn the spot. Not that this wasn't necessarily the case in the past, but we suffered Joe Cox simply because the former culture allowed mediocrity to trump performance. And, as a bonus, if we now have such a culture at the QB position, given the talent of both these kids, what does it say to those elite recruits considering Georgia. It tells them that if they are willing to put in the work, they will see the field instead of waiting in some ludicrous journeyman system that only rewards patience.
I hope the voices in Jacob Eason's ear are telling him that he needs to unleash the talent he possesses, instead of feeding the entitlement monster. Of course, this situation is a delight if you're a fan, but not so much for coaches or players. But it is part of the process, and if that process is part of the greater culture change that CKS is installing in the Classic City, then it can only mean good things for the program in years to come.
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