Georgia football: What is the legacy of the 2016 recruiting class?

The 2016 Georgia football recruiting class was the No. 6 class in the nation and went on to win one SEC Championship and three SEC East titles before graduating.

Kirby Smart’s first Georgia football recruiting class has (almost) completely departed. Its resume includes three-straight SEC East Championships, the 2017 SEC Championship, 2018 Rose Bowl and a birth in the 2018 National Championship Game. The class leaves Georgia with a 44-12 record overall with five of its losses coming in its first year.

So the legacy of the 2016 recruiting class is that of a perennial divisional champion right? Not exactly. Smart’s first class as head coach is really a mixed bag from top-to-bottom with underachievers, overachievers and transfers. The class is overshadowed by its successors which each finished ranked in the top three nationally. So what is the true legacy of this class?

Starting at the top, the headliner of the 2016 class was five-star quarterback Jacob Eason. His recruitment to Georgia was a done deal until December 2015. Eason had a great relationship with former Georgia football head coach Mark Richt, but Georgia fired Richt after the regular season. Fortunately, Smart managed to keep Eason and it paid off with a solid freshman campaign.

But Eason wasn’t long for Georgia. An injury in the 2017 season opener gave freshman Jake Fromm a shot at starting and Fromm never relinquished the starting job. Eason transferred back home to Washington and ended his college career last season with a fantastic season for the Huskies.