The Stetson Bennett era is over in Athens, Georgia. The Georgia Bulldogs are looking to win a third consecutive national championship. Either Carson Beck or Brock Vandagriff is expected to start for the Bulldogs.
College Sports Wire has Carson Beck ranked as the No. 12 quarterback in the SEC. Here’s what College Sports Wire has to say about Georgia’s projected starting quarterback:
Beck has waited three years for his opportunity to start for the Georgia Bulldogs. He looked great in mop up duty over his 10 games in the last two seasons. Beck is inexperienced but he showed why he was a highly-touted four-star prospect out of Florida in the 2020 recruiting class.
Yes, Carson Beck has not started any games in his career, but he has a lot of familiarity with Georgia’s offensive system. At a minimum, Beck (or Vandagriff) is a top 10 quarterback in the SEC.
Whoever starts for Georgia will have an excellent supporting cast and will be in a great situation. Ultimately, it is tough to separate a quarterback from the talent around them. Whoever Georgia starts at quarterback will put up great numbers.
At the very least, Carson Beck deserves the benefit of the doubt over a player like Alabama’s Tyler Buchner. Buchner, a Notre Dame transfer, failed to defeat Marshall in a ugly loss last season.
Georgia’s offensive line allowed Stetson Bennett to be sacked only nine times last year. The offensive line play at Georgia will allow Carson Beck, who is not the most mobile of quarterbacks, to play to his strengths and work primarily from the pocket. Combine that with Georgia’s running game, defense, and pair of All-SEC receiving targets and the Bulldogs will rarely put Beck or Vandagriff in a tough situation.
Carson Beck’s situation will ultimately help him resemble a player more similar to the 2022 version of Stetson Bennett than a bottom tier SEC quarterback.
Georgia’s schedule is another factor that will help either Carson Beck or Brock Vandagriff adapt to the starting role. Georgia avoids having to play LSU, Alabama, or Texas A&M from the SEC West. The Bulldogs open the season with four straight home games against Tennessee Martin, Ball State, South Carolina, and UAB.
Carson Beck practices against one of the best defenses in the country every week. Saturdays will often be easier for him than in practice. Additionally, Beck looked pretty sharp in Georgia’s spring game.
Overall, Carson Beck’s talent and previous solid performances make it much more likely that he will end the season as a top five quarterback in the SEC than a bottom five quarterback.
Currently only two SEC quarterbacks have higher Heisman odds than Carson Beck.
