Sophomore backup quarterback Jake Haener decided to leave the Washington program, the school announced Saturday, one day after transfer Jacob Eason was named the starting quarterback.
Haener went 9-for-13 passing for 107 yards and one touchdown while playing in only four games last year as a backup to Jake Browning. Coach Chris Petersen, who on Friday announced his decision to make Eason the starter, said that Haener was likely to get playing time when the Huskies face Eastern Washington in the Aug. 31 season opener.
“It was awesome,” Petersen said of the battle between the quarterbacks. “Jake Haener and Jacob Eason, obviously two really good quarterbacks. Tight competition, and you take it as long as you can and you’ve got to make a decision and roll with it. Jake Haener will play in that first game. He should, he deserves it and he will.”
The remaining candidates to battle for the backup job behind Eason are redshirt freshman Jacob Sirmon and true freshman Dylan Morris.
Eason, who was raised and played his high school football in the Seattle area, began his college career at Georgia, heading to the Bulldogs as a five-star recruit in the Class of 2016.
He played in all 13 games for the Bulldogs in 2016, starting 12 of them. He completed 204 of his 370 pass attempts for 2,430 yards and 16 touchdowns against eight interceptions and led Georgia to an 8-5 record.
Eason entered the 2017 season as the starter over another five-star recruit, Jake Fromm. But Eason sustained a leg injury early in the season opener, and when he was ready to return, coach Kirby Smart elected to stick with Fromm.
