Hines Ward reveals who he thinks should start at quarterback for Georgia
Hines Ward is all about Georgia these days.
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Ward recently expressed interest in coaching for Kirby Smart. On Thursday, he was a guest coach at a Colorado State/Georgia Southern satellite camp held in Buford, Georgia. Though the camp wasn’t put on by Georgia, it did attract Smart, his staff and a number of former Bulldogs.
At the camp, Ward met with members of the media and offered Smart some advice: Name true freshman Jacob Eason the team’s starting quarterback from the beginning of the season.
“I say play him,” said Ward, according to Dan Matthews of Gridiron Now. “(That) is the best experience you can get. Just don’t overwhelm him and give him too much. By being on the field, you definitely learn a lot faster than being on the sidelines. You don’t really get that experience by being on the sidelines.”
Ward said he watched some of Eason’s high school games and was impressed by what he saw. Eason was a five-star recruit out of Lake Stevens, Washington, and was considered one of the best quarterbacks available for the recruiting class of 2016.
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When Georgia fired Mark Richt following last season, many wondered whether that would affect Eason’s commitment to Georgia. Once Smart was hired to replace Richt, Eason reaffirmed his commitment to play for the Bulldogs.
Eason is a big attraction for Georgia, which enters this season with sky-high expectations now that he and Smart are with the program. Eason turned heads with an impressive display during Georgia’s spring game back in April.
Though Eason is likely the popular pick among fans (and Ward) to lead the offense, he’s still battling to earn the starting job. He’ll have to overcome Brice Ramsey, a redshirt junior, and Greyson Lambert, a senior, to get it.
Ramsey has never started a game for Georgia, but he’s been serviceable in most of his relief appearances. Lambert, on the other hand, was a reliable starter all last season.
Lambert completed over 60 percent of his passes and threw just two interceptions. His efficiency may be enough to net him the starting job at the beginning of the season.
But if Ward had his way, Eason would already be the No. 1 quarterback in the depth chart.