Scan the newly released Top247 for the class of 2016. Once you register the nation's top overall prospect - offensive tackle Gregory Little - the next natural instinct may be to find the nation's top quarterback. You won't have to look long.
Jacob Eason plans to throw for visiting college coaches on three different dates this spring. The first is April 25.
Checking in at No. 5 overall, Jacob Eason has taken the early title of the nation's top arm for his class.
Hailing from Lake Stevens (Wash.) High School, Eason isn't from a high profile region of the country. He doesn't have a team of quarterback gurus behind him. In the winter he's focused on triple doubles on the basketball court. In the spring, he's touching 90 miles per hour on the mound and he hit a couple of home runs last week.
But make no mistake. Football is Eason's first love and he is soon to have loads of opportunities to pursue it. The first opportunity he received was during his sophomore season when Oregon State became his first offer.
“That came about halfway through the season or towards the end of the season,” Eason said of the Oregon State offer. “That made me realized what I was capable of and it motivated me to work harder and get more offers and be able to go where I need to go. It gave me more confidence too. That was a big thing.”
Eason had plenty of reason to be confident following his sophomore season. After splitting time as a freshman and getting limited snaps, Eason took over as the starter in 2013 and threw for more than 2,900 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Not long after the season, Washington State followed up with an offer. Last week he went national with an offer from Florida State.
“That got me up a little bit,” he said of the news. “I was pretty excited for that. It doesn't get much bigger than that. Hopefully that will open the doors for some other schools to see and get some offers but FSU, that was a really big offer for me.”
Even prior to the offer from Jimbo Fisher, Eason had been eyeing Florida State as a possible spot to camp over the summer. As the defending national champions, it was easy to catch Eason's eye, particularly with a two-sport quarterback.
“Obviously they won the BCS and they've got a great coaching staff. Jameis Winston is a dual-sport guy and he seems like he has my body type. He seems a little faster than me so maybe they can switch up the offense for my playing style.”
Other schools that Eason is currently considering for a summer visit or camp stops include Georgia, Washington, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Notre Dame. The Irish in particular have a special connection.
Eason's father, Tony Eason, played wide receiver for the Irish alongside Tim Brown. Understandably, the younger Eason grew up a Notre Dame fan.
“Actually I did (grow up a Notre Dame fan). He has his old football helmet in the TV room and a couple of pictures. I grew up through middle school with them as my favorite.”
The 6-foot-5, 210 pound Eason doesn't call Notre Dame his favorite anymore but the Irish do possess several of the qualities that he is looking for in finding the right fit for him.
“Coaching staff, the offense and academics are three of them,” he said of the important factors in his future college decision. “The number of quarterbacks in the NFL because I want to go after that. How long the coaches have been there, the facilities and the prestige at that school and the number of wins and that kind of stuff.”
With the top rating of any quarterback in the 2016 class, Eason is expected to get plenty of opportunities that fit his criteria. He's determined not to let that early hype limit his development though.
“I never really put myself on a national scale yet but it was awesome obviously,” he said of the honor. “But it makes me feel like I've got to keep working harder and harder and harder to stay at that level and not get passed up.”
Introducing Jacob Eason, the nation's top QB for 2016
