Happy Hump Day, DawgNation! While watching the release of the College Football Playoff rankings yesterday, a scary thought hit me: Two-thirds of the football season has come and gone.
Some seasons are better or — in the case of this year — worse than others, but football is still football and I’ll miss it when it’s gone. Nothing is quite the same as watching a Saturday night game in the fall, or witnessing a player go from talented prospect to dominant star before our very eyes.
I know there are plenty of UGA fans who can’t wait to put this season behind them, but enjoy it while you can. Because before you know it, we will begin another long offseason without college football.
Today’s must-reads
1. What happens to Jacob Eason if Mark Richt goes?
The question on everyone’s mind: What would happen to the 5-star quarterback’s commitment to UGA, if the school parts ways with coach Richt? DawgNation reached out his father, Tony Eason, to find out the answer.
It’s certainly a fair concern to have as Eason, the nation’s No. 2-rated passer, is the most decorated quarterback prospect that UGA has had since Matthew Stafford. Eason has been one of UGA’s sturdiest commitments and a galvanizing force for his recruiting class.
Eason’s father did not hold anything back when talking about some of the biggest questions and rumors surrounding his son’s recruitment.
2. Has UGA put state’s No. 1 RB for 2017 on the backburner?
4-star running back Trey Sermon has drawn a lot of interest from some of the country’s top college football programs, but hasn’t heard from UGA in a while. Sermon, the No. 1 running back prospect in the state of Georgia for 2017, discussed his recruitment on Tuesday and it was clear that UGA has some catching up to do.
That’s if the school even plans on catching up. While UGA makes a strong effort to recruit the top in-state talent every year, there are a couple of reasons why its plans with Sermon might have changed.
Some consider the 4-star junior the best running back in the state of Georgia, period. If that is the case, UGA may want to contact Sermon again sooner rather than later.
3. Should fans worry about Eason’s latest Twitter follow?
The UGA commit recently followed Florida offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier on Twitter, leading many to wonder if Eason’s commitment is still rock-solid. Bleacher Report’s Tyler Donohue discussed that topic on Monday, and broke down the events that have people questioning if Florida has a shot at the 5-star quarterback.
Wrote Donohue: “(247Sports’ Luke) Stampini notes Gators offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier contacted Eason via social media, as the two recently connected on Twitter. Eason followed the veteran play-caller days after Georgia’s defeat at Florida.”
On the surface, it’s easy to see why UGA fans would see this as a bad sign. But outside of a massive program shakeup, Eason should still be considered a firm commitment who plans to enroll in January. For those who need more convincing, Eason’s father explained why the situation has been blown out of proportion.
4. There’s good Jacob Eason news, too
In case it isn’t clear by now: UGA fans are very excited about the Lake Stevens High School (Wash.) product. So much so, that some have traveled across the country just to see Eason play in person, according to a story written by Jim Hoehn for The Seattle Times.
Hoehn spoke with four UGA alumni who traveled from Georgia to Washington to “show (their) commitment to him.” He also mentioned the weekly highlight videos produced by Nate Gettleman for DawgNation that allows fans who can’t make the trip to experience Eason’s senior season.
The highlight videos truly are an experience, and you can watch the latest one here.
5. Top target taking official visit to Alabama
One of UGA’s highest remaining priorities for this year’s class is 5-star tight end Isaac Nauta. Nauta, the nation’s No. 1 tight end prospect, is taking an official visit to Alabama this weekend for its showdown with LSU.
Alabama was not originally on Nauta’s list of planned official visits, but he decided to swap it for Southern Cal. after the coaching changes. The IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) product took an official visit to UGA on Oct. 3 for the Alabama game, and fans may like the review Nauta’s mother gave.
Nauta won’t be the only major UGA target in Alabama this weekend, however. 5-star Mecole Hardman, Jr., the nation’s No. 1 athlete, will also be at the Alabama-LSU game for an unofficial visit. UGA is a major contender for Hardman, but he offered some strong comments about Alabama on Monday. In anticipation of the visit, Nauta tweeted out an edited picture of himself in an Alabama uniform.
William McFadden covers UGA recruiting for DawgNation and is an SEC multimedia reporter for SECCountry. Give him a follow on Twitter for sports news and opinions you probably won’t agree with.