Fromm’s G-Day shows he has ‘grown up a lot in the 15 practices’

Jake Fromm was able to able to prove his potential as a coveted prospect after his first deep pass in a Georgia uniform.

The Houston County product stepped back on a play-action fake, completed his reads and found that J.J. Holloman — a fellow early enrollee — had senior Tim Hill beat down the left sideline. Fromm fired a pass in Holloman’s direction, and the crowd of 66,133 went into a roar as the ball fell right into the hands of the freshman playmaker for a touchdown.

Fromm capped his efforts with another deep touchdown pass to Tyler Simmons and finished with 277 yards and two touchdowns on an efficient 14-for-23 passing. If stock is to be put into a spring game performance, the Bulldogs’ performance and competition behind center could be a strength in the coming seasons.

The Red team was led to victory by Fromm’s passes to Simmons and Mecole Hardman. A culmination of his efforts led his second-team offense to a 25-22 victory over the Black team and sophomore Jacob Eason.

“I’m excited about Jake Fromm,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “The guy has grown up a lot in the 15 practices.”

Fromm’s spring game performance was the second-consecutive showing by a newcomer as Eason wowed 93,000 Georgia fans a year ago with a 244-yard performance on 19-for-29 passing.

Fromm has become a welcomed addition to the Bulldogs and the quarterback room with Eason as the former five-star prospects provide motivation to one another to raise their game.

“He pushes me, and I push him,” Eason said. “Our off-the-field relationship has grown because of that. We kind of came in the same way, but when it comes down to it, you’re just playing the game of football. It’s good to have a guy like Jake there to push me.”

Fromm’s performance also allowed fans to have the first look at Holloman, and he had an impressive showing with 77 yards and the touchdown. Holloman had an up-and-down spring, according to Smart. But with a wide receiver group that doesn’t have a clear leader, the Bulldogs’ head coach was pleased with how the group — including Holloman — saved its best performance for last.

Smart continued to indicate Fromm’s familiarity with Georgia’s pro-style offensive system is a big reason for his strong start. At Houston County, a similar offensive scheme was run under head coach Von Lassiter. Entering spring practice, the now Bleckley County head coach came away impressed with how Fromm’s talents have transferred to the collegiate game.

Lassiter once called his offense a complex system and believed Fromm could flourish quickly as a result. After one game at Sanford Stadium, Fromm’s former coach is seeing it pay off.

“I’ve seen him be himself,” Lassiter said. “He has commanded the huddle, gotten everyone lined up and has made throws that I knew he would make no matter the level. He has had an unbelievable spring. Jake always finds a way to win.”

Throughout his prep career, Fromm was well-known for his personality and the energy he brought to the football field. Now as he has spent four months with Georgia’s program, he has brought that along with him, regardless of being an underclassman.

It’s something that Georgia is happy to see the extra element of a youthful personality at the next level, but it may have recently gone too far.

“He’s a great competitor who loves the game,” Smart said. “He’s in the huddle, he’s got spirit, and he’s talking to everybody. He gets excited. I had to jump him in the second scrimmage, because he threw a touchdown pass and started yelling at the defensive end. I told him that we don’t do that here. I don’t want to take the fire out of the kid, but he’s got that in him and has a moxie about him. He gets juiced in competition, but he has to learn two control that emotion.”

The 6-foot-1 freshman had an efficient day but Smart was told by head referee Steve Shaw that Fromm likely would have been sacked on multiple occasions in live action.

“He has a lot of things to work on,” Smart said. “He’s still got deer in the headlights when someone comes in the pocket, and he wants on to hold the ball. If it was live (Saturday), he would’ve gotten stroked a few times.”

This story was originally published April 22, 2017 at 7:37 PM with the headline "Fromm’s G-Day shows he has ‘grown up a lot in the 15 practices’."