Eason knows he's got a lot of work to do

Freshman quarterback Jacob Eason isn’t naïve; he knows there’s a lot about his game he needs to improve. And, that's just what he plans on doing.

“Oh, no question, there are things I still need to learn,” Eason said after practice Monday. “There’s footwork, progressions, there’s reading coverages … there’s a lot I still need to do. I know that and I’m working to be the best I can.”

If it seems like the first time you’ve heard from Eason in a while, you’d be correct.

Head coach Kirby Smart has made his freshman off limits to the media all year before surprising beat writers with the opportunity to not only interview Eason, but also fellow freshmen Riley Ridley, Julian Rochester and Isaac Nauta.

Monday’s interview was his first with the media since February.

“Yeah, it’s been a while,” smiled Eason. “But I don’t mind (talking to the press).”

Eason said lessons are still being learned.

In 12 regular season games, Eason comes into the upcoming Liberty Bowl game against TCU having completed 192 of 349 passes (55 percent) for 2,266 yards with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

“It’s definitely been a big learning curve,” Eason said. “But just getting in there, working with Coach (Kirby) Smart and Coach (Jim) Chaney, all the guys on offense, has been big. I’m learning something different every week; every day there’s something new to pick up on.”

Nauta says his fellow freshman has worked hard to get where he is.

“A lot of people don’t realize how tough it is to be a freshman quarterback; it’s a tough position to be in because there is a lot to learn,” Nauta said. “He’s had his ups and downs, but he’s stayed level-headed. He's a humble kid who comes to work every day wanting to get better.”

The speed of the game has been one of Eason’s biggest adjustments.

“No question,” Eason said. “In my first SEC game against Missouri, I’m telling myself this is a new deal. The DBs are fast, the linebackers are fast, everybody’s moving quick. It definitely wasn’t something I was used to.” He claims he’s getting more comfortable.

“I am. It's starting to get a little easier,” he said. “But it’s not easy. There’s some good defensive coordinators out there, and they were showing all sorts of different things to try and make it more difficult for me because I was a freshman.”

Although the starting job was never promised to him, Eason said that was always his personal plan.

“I wanted the job but I still had to come in and prove that I could do it,” Eason said. “But it was still a competition - Week 3, Week 4 of the season. Nobody was left out. It was still a competition as the season went on, but Greyson (Lambert) was there with me the entire way, helping me, coaching me. He’s been a great help for me.”

Eason said Lambert has been his biggest fan.

“He’s really helped me with everything,” he said. “He teaches me the little things that sometimes you don’t pick up. If he sees something in practice, he’ll let me know. I can’t say enough how much he’s helped me.”

Eason knows that next year will be his turn to be a leader.

Lambert will be gone, but the Bulldogs will welcome freshman Jake Fromm. Eason said he’ll be glad to help however he can.

“I had a lot of people who helped me my first year and next year it will be my turn, even though I’ll just be a sophomore,” Eason said. “We’ll all still be very young but I’m looking forward to giving my perspective to those guys.”