ATHENS — There’s zero question as to who the No. 1 player in the quarterback room is. That would be Carson Beck, who is firmly entrenched as the starting quarterback.
Not just due to the way he plays, but also of how he has taken ownership of the room.
“Carson made a great statement in our first meeting, tried to set the tone. He said, ‘I want to say something to you guys. You need to take this camp like you’re getting ready to play Clemson the first game. I didn’t do that when I was young. I wasn’t taking advantage of every opportunity to get ready to be the starter,’ Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “That’s an easy thing to say rather than do. I’ve been saying it for 27 years coaching quarterbacks. You’re getting ready to play. Your opportunity’s every practice.”
As for how the depth chart behind Beck looks, that is still coming into focus.
Bobo used wording similar to Kirby Smart has as to why Georgia went out and added Jaden Rashada this offseason. His presence was more to get Georgia to a fourth scholarship quarterback, rather than perhaps someone to push Gunner Stockton.
“We’d loved to have gotten Jaden in here before spring. It didn’t work out that way, but he was able to get here early May and start trying to learn the playbook,” Bobo said. “He’s in the process of learning it now. All those guys are doing an outstanding job every day of coming in and controlling what they can control.”
Stockton is clearly the backup quarterback at this point in time.
The redshirt sophomore has a massive leg up on Rashada and freshman quarterback Ryan Puglisi in terms of knowledge of the Georgia offense and experience in the system. This is Stockton’s third fall camp.
For Rashada and Puglisi, it is their first time through the ringer.
“They’re doing a great job of preparing every day and going out there and learning from their mistakes and learning from the things that they do well,” Bobo said.
Stockton did get a chance to earn valuable game reps in Georgia’s last game of the 2023 season. He completed 6 of his 10 pass attempts for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 63-3 win over Florida State. Stockton additionally ran for 46 yards.
In fall camp, Georgia has forced Stockton to operate more from the pocket, in hopes of building up his game in that regard.
Beck knows better than anyone the value of being ready as a backup quarterback. The last time Georgia opened against Clemson, JT Daniels picked up an injury that forced him to miss the following game against UAB.
Beck had been viewed as the backup quarterback entering the week, but he was outplayed by Stetson Bennett. The latter won the job and ultimately ended Georgia’s national championship season as QB1. That could’ve been Beck.
“We felt like Stetson gave us the best chance to win that game and he played lights out that game and never really looked back after that,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said at SEC media days. “Who is to say that Carson might not have done the same thing. He certainly responded the right way.”
The senior hopes that he’ll get to replicate what Bennett did in 2024. But through his own experiences, he’s able to help share with the rest of the group the value in being ready whenever the moment calls.
“Those young quarterbacks, hey guys, you’re getting ready to play Clemson in that first game,” Bobo said. “That’s how you should approach it.”
