No. 16 Georgia: 'I Didn’t Think They Were Overly Tough'

Jacob Eason [sophomore quarterback] is a young guy, still developing. He’s got a chance to be a good one. He was a freshman who started 12 games in the SEC. Just to get on the field at that age against that level of competition, physically and mentally—that’s impressive. He’s a big kid [6' 5", 235 pounds], so he’s got good strength, and he’s only going to get stronger. He can take the hits.

I think seniors Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are both quality SEC backs. They’re not the premier backs in the league, but they’re good players. They have a big offensive line as always; I didn’t think they were overly tough last year.

On defense they’re solid. I didn’t think their corners were very impressive—they weren’t dynamic physically or with playmaking ability. Pretty solid guys, but they didn’t seem to be those big corners you see at LSU and some other schools in the conference.

They are a well-coached, disciplined team. Putting your stamp on a program, coaching the guys and training the guys and developing the guys—that takes a while. That transition can’t take place in six months, and that’s basically what [second-year head coach Kirby Smart] had last year before his first game. I think this year’s team will be a much better indication of what you’re going to see in the future from Smart.