ATHENS — Naturally, the first question to Kirby Smart of Wednesday’s press conference was about the quarterback position.
The position battle figures to be the biggest taking point of fall camp, especially with Smart unlikely to name a starting quarterback during the 25 practices leading up to Georgia’s first game.
Smart shared what he wanted and needed to see from Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton, as the three quarterbacks get a chance to stake their claim to replacing Heisman Trophy finalist Stetson Bennett.
“For those quarterbacks, it’s not to overwhelm themselves with results, it’s to overwhelm themselves with the process of getting better,” Smart said. “They’re going to get a lot of reps in the next 25 practices. They’re going to get a chance to compete in the next 25 practices. Each one of them has things that they need to work on, but for the whole, I want to see them manage the offense, understand the offense, get people lined up and execute.
“The guy that does that best in the critical situations will be the guy that becomes the quarterback.”
Beck enters fall camp as the favorite for a variety of reasons. He’s the oldest of the trio, as this will be his fourth year in the program. Beck is also the only quarterback to complete a pass in a game for Georgia. He was limited to backup duty last season, but impressed with his play in wins over Vanderbilt and TCU. He completed 26 of his 35 pass attempts while throwing for 4 touchdowns.
Whoever wins the starting quarterback job won’t just guide the offense but take on a sizable leadership role. Smart shed some light on what that process looks like for Beck.
“Carson is a very even-keeled individual,” Smart said. “He’s been that way ever since we recruited him, all the way back in his 11th grade year. He’s not a highs and lows, he’s not a real emotional guy. He’s not a real fiery guy. He’s very laid back. He understands his job. He’s very intelligent. Every leader has their own way. He certainly commands the room. I think the players around him understand how bright he is and they trust him.”
Vandagriff and Stockton aren’t slouches though, as the two have plenty of talent to go out and win the job. Both are better athletes than Beck, and their legs help them in ways they helped Bennett beat out JT Daniels during the 2021 season.
Georgia will also have a new offensive coordinator in Mike Bobo, as he takes over for Todd Monken. The departure of Monken should not be overlooked, as he was a Broyles Award Finalist and the quarterbacks coach for Georgia.
But Bobo has experience at Georgia, as he was the offensive coordinator from 2007 through 2014. He also saw Beck, Vandagriff and Stockton first-hand last season as he was an analyst for the Bulldogs. He understands the importance of the position for Georgia’s offense.
“We were very fortunate to have Todd the time he was here, the growth he allowed us to make, the confidence he exuded with the players,” Smart said “He had a package of offense that he felt confident in that fit the players that he was given. He made the personnel fit his scheme. I don’t see that changing. You know, obviously the quarterback is a major, major part of that, and we had really good quarterback play last year. So a lot of times your offense is predicated off your quarterback play, so how well will our quarterback play? And that’s the question.”
Georgia will have 25 practices between now and the season-opener against UT-Martin to find out how well Beck, Vandagriff and Stockton can play in the Georgia offense.
They’ll have the pressure of trying to win a third-consecutive national championship, something that hasn’t been done in the modern era of college football.
Beck has the most experience and is the favorite after a strong G-Day performance. But Smart isn’t ruling anything out when it comes to the most important offensive position.
“Carson’s had a lot of reps and a lot of work, which hasn’t all been game reps,” Smart said. “He’s had a huge mass of reps against a good defense, against a really good defense in ours. His leadership method’s kind of still being developed. It’s no different than Gunner and Brock. They each one have different ways about them. That’s true with the guy that just left, too.”
