It’s a new era for the back-to-back national champion Georgia Bulldogs, as Kirby Smart has named Carson Beck the starting quarterback heading into the season.
The feeling all offseason was the job was Beck’s to lose, and that proved true.
Per The Athletic’s Seth Emerson, Smart said Beck “had done the best job” of the quarterbacks on the roster, earning him the starting nod over Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton.
Kirby Smart confirms what was long expected:
“Carson Beck is going to be our starting quarterback. He’s done the best job. We communicated that early in the week to the other quarterbacks.”
— Seth Emerson (@SethWEmerson) August 19, 2023
Beck committed to Georgia in 2020 after de-committing from Alabama and has spent the past two seasons playing sparingly as Stetson Bennett’s backup.
He has made 10 appearances for the Bulldogs, throwing six touchdown passes and two interceptions in 58 pass attempts over the past two years.
The announcement comes two weeks before Georgia is set to open the season against UT-Martin in Athens on September 2.
Beck has big shoes to fill in replacing Bennett, who went 29-3 as a starter and threw for 66 touchdown passes in his time with the Bulldogs, in addition to winning two national championships.
It should be interesting to see how Georgia’s offense looks this season. Todd Monken left for the same position with the Baltimore Ravens and Mike Bobo was hired to replace him. Bobo was Georgia’s offensive coordinator from 2007-14, as well, and often drew the ire of the fanbase for some of his playcalling.
