One-and-Done: Eason Declares for NFL Draft
Jacob Eason, we hardly knew you.
Six days following the Las Vegas Bowl, the Washington Huskies quarterback has declared his intentions to enter the NFL draft early, making his decision known on Twitter.
Eason leaves after quarterbacking the UW for one season, showing flashes of his brilliance during an uneven 8-5 season. His time with the Huskies ended last Saturday in a 38-7 victory over Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Some had hoped he might return for his senior year, and polish his game before turning pro. Yet the lure of playing the game at the highest level and the riches that come with it proved too great to pass up.
“Playing this season for the University of Washington has been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” Eason said in a tweet. “UW has given me an incredible opportunity to develop as a football player and a person, and I am forever grateful and honored to be a Husky.
“After contemplating my future with my family and coaches, I have decided to forego my fifth year of college and enter the 2020 NFL draft. The opportunity to play quarterback in the NFL has been a lifelong dream, and my heart is set on the challenge ahead.”
The Huskies are left to find another starting quarterback from among the following: backup Jacob Sirmon, a sophomore to be; freshman Dylan Morris, who redshirted; and incoming recruit Ethan Garbers. Considering the way the college game has turned, a graduate transfer might not be out of the question.
“We wish Jacob nothing but the best,” UW head coach Jimmy Lake said in a statement released by the school. “He was a terrific teammate who worked very hard in his two years as a Husky. I’m looking forward to watching him succeed at the next level.”
A Lake Stevens product, the 6-foot-6, 227-pound Eason began his college career at Georgia, as a true freshman leading the Bulldogs to an 8-5 season and a bowl game. He transferred after getting injured as a sophomore and losing his job to freshman Jake Fromm.
Eason redshirted at Washington in 2018 and took over the starting job this season. He completed 260 of 405 passing attempts for 3,132 yards and 23 touchdowns in those 13 games. His yardage total was the fourth-highest in school history.
Pro scouts are enamored with his arm strength and have said he will be the fourth or fifth quarterback to go in the draft, either at the end of the first round or in the second.
