Kirby Smart, the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, announced on Saturday that Carson Beck will be the starting quarterback for the team. Beck, a junior, has been with the Bulldogs for four seasons and was the primary backup during their previous back-to-back national championship wins.
Beck, who was a four-star prospect in the Class of 2020, beat out Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton for the starting position. He will be taking the place of Stetson Bennett IV, a former walk-on who held the quarterback job for the past two seasons while the Bulldogs achieved success.
Over the past two seasons, Beck has completed 36 of 58 passes for 486 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions. He redshirted in his first season and played in four games in the 2021 season. In the last season, he appeared in seven games and completed 26 of 35 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns.
The Bulldogs will begin their season on September 2 against Tennessee-Martin from the FCS ranks, followed by a home game against Ball State on September 9. Their SEC play will start on September 16 against South Carolina. Along with having a new quarterback, the reigning national champions also have a new offensive coordinator, as Mike Bobo returns to the role after Todd Monken left to become the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.
Wide Range of Weapons
Beck will have a strong supporting cast to rely on, which will help alleviate the pressure of replacing a program legend like Bennett. One key weapon is tight end Brock Bowers, who was named a unanimous first-team 2023 CBS Sports/247Sports Preseason All-American. Additionally, top receivers Ladd McConkey and Arian Smith, along with in-conference transfers Rara Thomas and Dominic Lovett, will be catching passes from Beck.
The Bulldogs’ offensive line, led by center Sedrick Van Pran, is highly regarded and considered one of the best in the country. While their leading rusher from last season, Kenny McIntosh, has moved on, Georgia has a group of experienced and highly touted running backs, including Kendall Milton, Daijun Edwards, and Branson Robinson.
Questions About the Offensive Strategy
Although Georgia’s offensive personnel is highly regarded, there is some uncertainty about how the new offensive coordinator, Mike Bobo, will approach the team’s strategy following the successful three-year tenure of Todd Monken. Bobo previously held the offensive coordinator role at UGA from 2007 to 2014 and returns after serving as an offensive analyst for the Bulldogs last season. As a former Georgia quarterback, Bobo will face scrutiny as he takes on a prominent role with his alma mater. The program’s recent success puts pressure on UGA to continue performing well, but implementing a new offensive coordinator and quarterback simultaneously may come with early challenges.
However, with a formidable defense, the Bulldogs have room to find their offensive rhythm. Their schedule includes only two teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25, Ole Miss and Tennessee, and those matchups are scheduled for mid-November.
Implications for the Depth Chart
Beck, though not the most highly regarded quarterback in terms of recruiting pedigree, was the favorite to win the starting job. Brock Vandagriff, a five-star prospect in the Class of 2021, had high expectations but may now face challenges for playing time at UGA. The Bulldogs have also secured a commitment from quarterback Dylan Raiola, the top prospect in the Class of 2024, which could further complicate Vandagriff’s path to the field. Despite this, history has shown that under Kirby Smart’s leadership, backup quarterbacks who stay with the program can have opportunities to play. For example, Jake Fromm took over as the starting quarterback in 2017 when Jacob Eason got injured, and Stetson Bennett became the face of the program in 2020 after JT Daniels was injured.
