The Georgia football team has plenty of talented of players. Brock Bowers and Malaki Starks were First Team All-Americans. Sedrick Van Pran was voted the best offensive lineman in the SEC.
Yet ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg went with a different answer for selecting Georgia’s team MVP for this past season.
His choice was Georgia quarterback Carson Beck.
“A finalist for the Manning Award, Beck rose into the top 10 nationally in passing yards, passing efficiency and completion percentage, connecting on at least 65% of his attempts in every game,” Rittenberg wrote. “Beck twice completed 80% of his passes and played arguably his best football even after star tight end Brock Bowers went down with an ankle injury, recording multiple touchdown passes in wins over Missouri, Vanderbilt and Tennessee. ‘He can win them the national championship,’ an SEC coach said. ‘He’s that good.’”
This was Beck’s first season as the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs. After winning the job in fall camp, Beck seamlessly stepped into the starting quarterback role for the Bulldogs.
He threw for 3,941 and 24 touchdowns. Beck added another 4 rushing touchdowns while also setting the school’s record for completion percentage at 72.4 percent.
Perhaps most encouraging for Georgia is that Beck will be coming back to Georgia for another season, as he announced in December he would be returning to Georgia for his senior season.
Prior to Georgia’s Orange Bowl win over Florida State, Beck explained why he wanted to return to Georgia for another year.
“I waited three years, didn’t play,” Beck said. “And then obviously, I’ve gotten the opportunity to play this season. And it’s fun. It’s a lot more fun to be on the field than not be on the field. So knowing that I get another opportunity and chance to come back and play another year at the University of Georgia. You know, it’s gonna be a lot of fun and enjoyable.”
Georgia’s offense around Beck will look different next season. Bowers, Van Pran and Georgia’s two leading rushers have already declared for the NFL draft.
The Bulldogs have looked to the transfer portal to better surround Beck with more weapons. On the offensive side of the ball, Georgia landed Florida running back Trevor Etienne, Vanderbilt wide receiver London Humphreys and Miami wide receiver Colbie Young.
“That’s the biggest thing for me as a quarterback, or any quarterback, is having those weapons around you,” Beck said. “If you don’t have it, I mean, it’s kind of a one-man show, and I don’t really run very much. So the whole one-man show for me is not applicable. So I need that type of talent around me. I’m very thankful for the talent that I’ve had around me.”
Georgia bring back key pieces in Dillon Bell, Dominic Lovett and Earnest Greene as well. The Bulldogs will also have one of the most talented defenses in the country next season as well.
It’s a great thing for Georgia that Beck is returning, as the schedule figures to be more difficult in 2024. Georgia opens the season against Clemson before facing Kentucky, Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss all on the road.
The Bulldogs went 13-1 this past season, culminating in a 63-3 win over Florida State in the Orange Bowl.