ATHENS — Carson Beck — future Super Bowl champion?
There’s no reason not to throw such hype out there with all of the other preseason accolades the Georgia quarterback has been receiving.
Indeed, Beck has been the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and leads the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs into the season.
Beyond that, none other than NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has compared Beck to a former SEC quarterback who went on to win two Super Bowls, winning MVP honors in each: Eli Manning.
Beck measured in with NFL scouts at 6-foot-3 and 7/8 inches tall weighing 233 pounds.
“Considering his size, talent and play style, he reminds me of Eli Manning coming out of Ole Miss,” Jeremiah penned.
“Like Manning, Beck excels from the pocket and plays to his size. Eli was a little underappreciated during his career, but he won his first title with a good rushing attack in an offense that required him to make plays in key moments. I see a similar trajectory for Beck at Georgia.”
CARSON BECK 4-PART SERIES
• Beck shares how UGA moves on without Brock Bowers
• Beck on Heisman Trophy, why it’s a team award
• UGA QB Carson Beck brings new edge to 2024
• Carson Beck explains his love for pressure situations
It’s a good comparison in the sense that this season’s Georgia football team figures to have its most effective run game since the 2021 Bulldogs captured the CFP Championship.
Perhaps even better, when one considers Florida transfer Trevor Etienne is the most explosive back since D’Andre Swift wore the red and black in 2019.
Jeremiah, like every other NFL scout and analyst, does more than just hand out praise, however.
When it comes to breaking down Beck, Jeremiah mentioned a couple of things that led to Georgia losing to Alabama in last season’s SEC Championship Game.
“The biggest issue for Beck is his accuracy when he’s moved off his spot,” Jeremiah noted. " … his accuracy does suffer when he has to move/reset and deliver the ball.”
Some of that could be attributed to three years of game day “rust,” as Beck had to sit behind the likes of J.T. Daniels and Stetson Bennett while waiting his turn to take over the offense.
“The other issue is his passes can get a little flat at times on layer throws,” Jeremiah continued. “The problem is a flat throw on those types of passes can allow underneath defenders to tip the ball, which could lead to turnovers.”
True enough, Mykel Williams tipped — and intercepted — a Beck pass in the annual G-Day Game.
Beck got the last laugh on the G-Day first-team defense that day, however, orchestrating an impressive four-play, 70-yard touchdown drive in the final 24 seconds.
NFL scouts were surely tuned in for those highlights, just like they’ll be tuned in for the Bulldogs’ season-opening game against Clemson at noon on Aug. 31.