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Georgia football quarterbacks competition

Georgia will have a new quarterback next season. One of Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff or Gunner Stockton will have to replace 2022 Heisman finalist Stetson Bennett.

None have started a game for Georgia. But there’s confidence from those in the room and the Georgia coaching staff that they’ll be able to replicate what Bennett what brought to the team last season.

“Insanely talented,” Beck said of the Georgia quarterback room. “Every day we go out there and some of the throws we make are just wow. I think any of these dudes can go start at other Power 5 programs. It’s really insane that in one quarterback room we do have all this talent and a lot of people don’t know that.”

Beck is the most seasoned of the quarterbacks, as he’s got 58 pass attempts in his three seasons at Georgia. His most encouraging performance came last season against Vanderbilt, when he completed eight of his 11 pass attempts for 98 yards and two touchdowns. He showed off his arm strength and accuracy, along with his ability to maneuver in the pocket.

The 6-foot-4 signal-caller is entering his fourth year in the program, something of a rarity in college football for someone hoping to be a starting quarterback for a Power 5 program. Beck believes in his talent and likely could’ve gone elsewhere for playing time. But he understands the risk that comes with that line of thinking.

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Consider JT Daniels, who played with Beck during the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Georgia, is playing for his fourth different college team this fall at Rice.

“Honestly, I don’t want really want to go from school to school,” Beck said. “That’s a lot, moving schools, being with a new team, having to develop a connection with a bunch of different guys. I love the guys here and it’s a lot of fun.”

Beck is the most veteran option, while Vandagriff has the perceived higher upside. He’s more mobile than Beck while having a comparable arm. Vandagriff signed with Georgia as a 5-star quarterback in the 2021 class and is well familiar with the skills needed to thrive in the Georgia quarterback room.

After working on the scout team as a freshman, he moved into the third quarterback position in 2022. He threw just two pass attempts this past year but knows this spring represents a major opportunity. Even if Georgia is very likely to continue its quarterback competition into the fall.

“I think it’s one of the best in the country,” Vandagriff said of the quarterback room. “Everyone brings something different to the table and hopefully it will be something to look out for this spring.”

Making the battle more interesting is that Mike Bobo steps in for Todd Monken as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Beck and Vandagriff both spoke highly of Monken and how much he taught them in their time together.

Related: What offensive coordinator changes means for Georgia football quarterback battle

We’ll see that put to the test this spring and fall as one of them aims to be the new starting quarterback for the Bulldogs.

Stockton spent the least amount of time with Monken but he might be most familiar with Bobo. He originally committed to play for Bobo when he was the offensive coordinator at South Carolina. When Bobo left to take the same position at Auburn, Stockton ended up flipping his commitment to Georgia.

Stockton has also worked closely with George Bobo, Mike’s father.

It will be just the three of the aforementioned quarterbacks, as the Bulldogs did not sign a player at the position for the 2023 recruiting cycle. This might be seen as a risk to some, given there is a second transfer portal window that opens on May 1 and runs through May 15. Perhaps one of the quarterbacks sees the writing on the wall and decides to play elsewhere. In that scenario, Georgia could very well enter the 2023 season with just two scholarship quarterbacks.

Related: Gunner Stockton: Why he’s still grinning despite not playing in 2022

Smart isn’t all that worried about that possibility, and the talent in Georgia’s quarterback room plays a factor in that.

“The portal is full of them. There’s going to be multiple guys in every year,” Smart said in December. “You want to do the best job you can to get the best quarterback you can.

“When you have three quarterbacks, sometimes you don’t have any. And when you have one quarterback, that’s when you have a quarterback. We’re very pleased with what we have in our quarterback room. We think we’ve got three quarterbacks that are going to be really good.”

Georgia is planning to take two quarterbacks in the 2024 recruiting cycle, as 4-star quarterback Ryan Puglisi is already committed to the program. With Beck, Vandagriff and Stockton all have multiple years of eligibility remaining, the hope is to keep Georgia’s quarterback room well-stocked for years to come.

There’s only one player that can start at quarterback for Georgia. Beck is favored to do so, but there’ are plausible scenarios for Vandagriff or Stockton to win the job. Few would’ve thought Bennett would have said opportunity prior to the 2020 season, when he was the fourth-string quarterback on the depth charter in early August.

That’s why it’s crucial to have multiple talented options at the position. And why whoever steps in for Bennett is more than capable of leading one of the best teams in the country.

“I have no clue,” Beck said of the ensuing competition. “But it will be a lot of fun.”

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