Fran Tarkenton says Jacob Eason ‘has got to be a player when he steps on the stage’

Former Georgia quarterback Fran Tarkenton has a bold prediction for the start of Georgia’s season.

“I would be surprised if (freshman quarterback Jacob Eason) doesn’t start against North Carolina from what I hear about him,” Tarkenton said.

Eason generated a lot of buzz with his performance in the G-Day game in April. Some cautious optimism has arisen around the performance, however, since it was just against the second-team defense.

Tarkenton isn’t buying that.

“I haven’t seen him, but I get good reports about him,” Tarkenton said. “I understand he had a good spring game, and people say, ‘Well, he went against the second-team defense.’ That doesn’t make any difference. If you can play, you show it against the second-team defense or the first-team defense. You’ve got to make a throw, you’ve got to make a read.”

One of the most important decisions Georgia head coach Kirby Smart will have to make in his first season at the helm is who will start at quarterback. If nothing else, Eason’s 19-for-29, 244-yard performance made that decision more difficult.

Much of the decision for Smart boils down to whether or not he feels that a true freshman will have a good enough grasp on the offense and will be able to handle the speed of the college game.

For that line of thinking, Tarkenton has a response, too — if Eason is the right quarterback, play him now.

“I think if he’s the player you want, he’s got to be a player when he steps on the stage as a freshman or a sophomore or junior, and he owns the stage,” Tarkenton said. “If he steps on the stage any time and gets flustered and it’s too big for him, he’s not going to play. And that’ll never get better. It may get a little better, but not enough better to be a great player.”

Tarkenton drew on an example from his own career. Freshmen weren’t able to play when Tarkenton was in college in the late 1950s, but in his sophomore year, Tarkenton stepped in part of the way into the game on the road against No. 11 Texas.

“We hadn’t made a first down in two-and-a-half quarters, and we went on an 80-something yard drive,” Tarkenton said. “I didn’t flinch.”

Up to this point in his young career, most of Eason’s praise has been centered around his “arm talent.” Smart has recalled several instances from spring scrimmages where Eason didn’t make the right decision, but his arm allowed a play to be made anyway.

To Tarkenton, that’s the least important aspect for a modern day quarterback because “everybody that gets recruited can throw it.”

“I’m not so impressed whether he’s got a big arm or not a big arm, I’m more impressed does he have accuracy. No quarterback has ever been a great passing quarterback without accuracy,” Tarkenton said. “The most important thing about the quarterback, can he lead? Can he get on the stage and explode in a good way and be comfortable in the environment? Do you ever hear anybody talk about that? Never. They talk, he can make all the throws.”

Ultimately, Tarkenton said, being a quarterback is a lot like being a performer. When an actor gets on stage, they know right away whether or not they’ve got stage fright.

“If you’ve got to get him along for his mentality and poise, then it’s the wrong guy, because you see so many people have great talent,” Tarkenton said. “When the lights go on, and the people start playing real ball, do you (expletive) in your pants or do you come alive?”

This story was originally published May 10, 2016 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Fran Tarkenton says Jacob Eason ‘has got to be a player when he steps on the stage’."