Jacob Eason is finally ready to wow his home
state fans. The quarterback was a five-star
recruit at Lake Stevens High, about 35 miles
north of the Washington campus. But he chose to sign with Georgia, where
he played in all 13 games for the Bulldogs in 2016 as a true freshman,
passing for 2,430 yards and 16 touchdowns. Then in the first game of the
following season, he suffered a knee injury and watched as freshman Jake
Fromm took his job and led the Bulldogs to the College Football Playoff.
Following the season, Eason announced he was transferring to
Washington. After sitting out last year (due to NCAA transfer rules), he
will take over the Huskies’ offense from four-year starter Jake Browning.
The 6' 6" Eason has a strong supporting cast to work with. Along with
five returning offensive linemen, the Huskies welcome back their three
leading receivers—Aaron Fuller, Andre Baccellia, and Ty Jones. And though
Myles Gaskin, the program’s all-time leading rusher, is in the NFL, Washington
does have Salvon Ahmed. The 5' 11" junior rushed for 608 yards, averaging a
healthy 5.8 yards per carry.
Browning led the Huskies all the way to the College Football Playoff in
2016—the second appearance by a Pac-12 team in CFP history. If Eason is
as good as advertised, Washington will be in the mix to make it again.
2018 RECORD: 10– 4
QB
JACOB
EASON
The Golden Knights were making a strong case for a spot in the College
Football Playoff when their 2018 season took a horrific turn. Star
QB McKenzie Milton suffered a gruesome right-knee dislocation against
South Florida, an injury that will keep him out this season. Darriel Mack Jr.,
a 6' 3" sophomore, showed promise in four starts as Milton’s replacement,
especially in the American Athletic Conference championship game. He
threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Memphis that
meant, for the second straight season, Central Florida went into its bowl
game at 12–0. But Mack struggled mightily in a 40–32 Fiesta Bowl loss
to LSU, and then he broke his ankle in spring practice. He’s expected to
be able to play this year, but Brandon Wimbush, a graduate transfer from
Notre Dame, will provide competition for the starting job.
The uncertainty at quarterback means that RB Greg McCrae will have to
be the offensive workhorse. Fortunately, he has the skills to take on that role.
The 5' 10", 175-pound former walk-on ran for 1,182 yards and 10 TDs last
season. The Golden Knights haven’t lost a nonbowl game in more than two
years. They have more than enough talent to keep that streak alive.
2018 RECORD: 12– 1
CHR
IST
OP
HER
MA
ST/
ICO
N^ S
PO
RT
SW
IRE
/GE
TTY
IM
AG
ES^
(EA
SO
N);
CL
IFF
WE
LCH
/IC
ON
SP
OR
TSW
IRE
/GE
TTY
IM
AG
E^ (M
CCR
AE)
SIKIDS.COM / 23
