The Georgia defense of their national title began Tuesday as the Bulldogs opened spring practice. With off-field questions hanging over the program, the starting quarterback battle between Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff dominated the on-field focus.
Georgia QB Battle Not Just Between Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff
Three years ago, as Kirby Smart‘s Georgia team prepared for the 2020 season, a three-way battle for the QB position unfolded between JT Daniels, D’Wan Mathis, and Stetson Bennett.
Little did Smart and his staff know that former walk-on Bennett would emerge as a two-time national championship-winning quarterback, a legend in his own life in and around Athens.
As spring practice got underway Tuesday, the task of replacing the leader of their offense for the past two college football seasons was at the forefront of on-field questioning as head coach Smart met with the media.
“Well, we think we have three really good quarterbacks,” Smart said in regards to the QB position, one of the biggest question marks hanging over the 2023 Georgia team as spring practice got underway. “I’m really excited about all three of those guys to grow and get better. I’m excited to see those guys go practice and compete.”
Three. That was perhaps the most significant number to come out of Athens as Georgia spring practice got underway. For most outside analysts, the Bulldogs’ quarterback battle to replace Bennett has been considered a two-horse race between Beck and Vandagriff.
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Beck, a former four-star recruit out of Jacksonville, FL, has waited patiently for his turn in Athens. A member of the Georgia 2020 recruiting class, he’s seen quarterbacks come and go while meticulously preparing for his moment.
Having seen action in relief of Bennett as the 2023 College Football National Championship annihilation of TCU drew to a close, there has been a strong assumption that he’d be the man to take over the lead of the Bulldogs’ offense, despite the presence of five-star recruit Vandagriff.
Gunner Stockton To Join Georgia QB Battle
While the presumption outside of Athens has been that Beck’s exposure in the waning moments of their latest title triumph meant he would be the guy going forward, the young quarterback was pragmatic in his thought process even in the immediate aftermath of the victory over TCU.
“I know when I get back, I’m going to be in the weight room, I’m going to be with the new wide receivers and the guys that are already here,” Beck was quoted as saying by Dawg Nation. “It’s going to be all eyes on next year after those two weeks. We’re starting from square one, and then we’ll work our way up from there.”
While admitting that Beck and Vandagriff will “both rep with the ones,” Smart also continuously alluded to a three-horse race for the Georgia starting QB job, referring to former four-star QB and local kid, Gunner Stockton. The Rabun County HS talent arrived in Athens one year ago and has impressed his head coach in that time.
“Stockton has come a long way,” Smart stated, before later adding, “I wouldn’t count Gunner Stockton out of this thing because this kid is talented, smart. I got to see him on the scout team the entire year and really saw him grow.”
Making an outside assessment of which quarterback is most likely to win the job, the most talented and ready is made difficult due to the lack of experience. Between the three, they’ve attempted just 61 college passes — 58 of those were by Beck over the last two seasons.
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Smart has obviously had close interaction and exposure to all three since Beck arrived three years ago, joined by Vandagriff in 2021, and Stockton one year ago. Even the Bulldogs’ head coach acknowledges that there’s difficulty establishing a leader based on the lack of experience.
“I think it’s hard to say who has a stronger arm,” Smart began his assessment of the Georgia quarterback room as spring practice opened Tuesday. “I think those two guys [Beck and Vandagriff] would argue about who has a stronger arm because I don’t honestly know who has a stronger arm just from what we’ve seen in the past.
“You have to see those guys play in game action. I think they both have really good pocket presence. Brock is a really good athlete. It’s hard to say the differences in those two. I don’t think people give Carson enough credit for being a good athlete.
“He was a really good baseball player. He has great movement skills. He is not going to run as fast as Stetson (Bennett). I think Brock is a good athlete. He can see the field. Carson has probably played a little more, but both those guys are good.”
Although Smart was adamant about the Georgia starting QB search being a three-way battle between Beck, Vandagriff, and Stockton, the Bulldogs’ head coach was less committal on a time scale for declaring a victor. Don’t expect spring practice to be the ultimate decider for a team looking to make history with a third consecutive national title win.
“We have to figure out who is going to perform the best in that competition, and that comes through scrimmages. You know, we have, I think, three Saturday scrimmages, including G-day. That will go a long way to telling where they are, but that never is the total story, right? Fall camp will tell a lot more.”
