With Georgia, Jake Fromm will battle for title against team he was once committed to

Jake Fromm would have never come to Georgia if a coaching change didn't take place after the 2015 regular season.

Fromm grew up a Georgia fan but didn't receive an offer from former head coach Mark Richt. Richt, and then-offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer accepted a commitment from McEachern's Bailey Hockman and shut down all other quarterback recruiting for the recruiting class of 2017. Fromm wanted a Georgia offer from Richt but it wasn't meant to be.

That opened a door for Alabama. Fromm committed to the Crimson Tide on Oct. 10, 2015. At that time, no one could have anticipated what would take place over the next couple of months.

Following a nine-win regular season, Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity fired Richt. Not too long after, he hired Kirby Smart, the Alabama assistant who developed a great relationship with Fromm. When Smart took over, he told Fromm he now had the Georgia offer he dreamed of.

The rest, as they say, is history.

"I grew up a Georgia boy. It’s where I always wanted to play," Fromm said. "Now I’m here playing football for the Dogs. I couldn’t be more excited about it."

The decision for any staff to pass on Fromm looks silly in hindsight. As a freshman, Fromm has completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 2,383 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. Fromm has done this while guiding Georgia to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

In storybook fashion, Fromm's Bulldogs will play the team he originally committed to, Alabama, in the national championship. During Saturday's media day event at Philips Arena, this was a recurring topic brought up to players and coaches of both teams.

"Jake being a Georgia fan growing up, I think it has always been his dream school, as any kid from the state of Georgia," Georgia defensive back Tyrique McGhee said. "It’s a blessing to have Jake here as a quarterback. He’s a great guy off the field, first. That’s why many guys pull to him. He’s confident, cool, calm. The moment’s not too big for him."

Alabama head coach Nick Saban didn't want to lose Fromm but understood that was a possibility once Smart took over the Georgia job. Saban did his best to keep Fromm with his program, too.

In the end, Fromm's love for Georgia and his relationship with Smart won out.

"No doubt that he had all the ingredients and intangibles that you're looking for for a guy to lead your team and be your quarterback, and we were disappointed that we didn't get him," Saban said. "But he's certainly done an outstanding job with the opportunity that he has right now."

Fromm flipped to Georgia on March 3, 2016. Little did he know then that 22 months later he would be leading his home-state program to a national title game as a true freshman.

All season long, as the outside world caught a glimpse of the young quarterback, coaches and teammates repeatedly said they were never surprised at his performance at the young age of 19. While Georgia hasn't had to throw much due to its strong running game, Fromm had his share of big-time moments.

His first came against Notre Dame, when he was able to hit a deep ball down the field to receiver Javon Wims to set up a game-winning field goal. Over the past four games, Fromm has proved efficient by completing 70.4 percent of his passes.

"He's advanced now. He was advanced when he walked in here, and God blessed him with a wonderful mind and good vision, the ability to process the field very well," offensive coordinator Jim Chaney said. "I mean, that's the things that are innate in him. He sees the field very well and can make quick good decisions. That's something that's difficult. It's hard to coach that. And he has that ability to do it, and he's playing good football right now."

In year one, Fromm has found himself on the game's biggest stage and against a program that has established a championship pedigree. Fromm is up for the challenge but, like he has in other big games, is not making the moment out to be any bigger than it should be.

“Alabama is Alabama. But at the end of the day you’re playing a football game," Fromm said. "It really doesn’t matter who you’re playing. The process never change. You go in, you do your work and you hope it pays off for you."

This story was originally published January 6, 2018 at 5:57 PM with the headline "With Georgia, Jake Fromm will battle for title against team he was once committed to."