When you think of patience eventually paying off or proving naysayers wrong, it’s hard to think of a better collegiate sports example than Stetson Bennett.
That’s what junior quarterback Carson Beck, who himself has been waiting in the wings for an opportunity, thinks.
“It’s the prime example. I don’t think there’s a better example of sitting and waiting and being counted out and finally coming to an end and doing what he did, winning two national championships,” Beck said of the former walk-on who helped Georgia earn those back-to-back rings. “So obviously I’ve learned a lot from him.”
Playing behind Bennett, Beck took the majority of Georgia’s backup quarterback snaps last season, passing for 310 yards and four touchdowns in seven games.
But it’s not a perfectly straightforward ascension from backup to “the guy,” as Beck has to battle sophomore Brock Vandagriff for the spot. Vandagriff played in the Samford, South Carolina and Vanderbilt games last season.
Both Beck and Vandagriff are embracing the fight for the starting job this spring.
“Since I’ve been here, it’s been constant competition since my freshman year,” Beck said after practice Tuesday. “We have a very deep quarterback room and I think we have deep (groups) all over the place – wide receiver, tight end, offensive line. That’s how it should be. We’re at the University of Georgia, one of the best programs in the country. Every position has competition. I think that brings the best out of all of us.”
Vandagriff described it as “healthy competition” which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if you want the best results.
“If you have a dude that’s one of the best in the nation or wherever and then you have a couple of lesser opponents, that guy’s not going to get pushed every day in practice,” Vandagriff said. “... If I’ve got a question, I can turn around and ask somebody what did they see. ‘What’d you see on this play?’ It’s just a really healthy competition because everyone’s pushing the others to be great, and then you can turn around in the meeting rooms and say, ‘Hey, I think you could’ve done this better’ or ‘What’d you see on this play?’ It’s just a good environment, and I’m glad to be here.”
After Georgia’s first spring scrimmage Saturday, coach Kirby Smart said all three of the quarterbacks (including redshirt freshman Gunner Stockton) went through some highs and lows in the game. He praised Beck’s command of the offense and communication, plus how Vandagriff kept plays alive rolling out of the pocket – but also said that Beck made some poor decisions, and Vandagriff had a couple of downfield throws he would want back.
Smart has said the biggest thing he’s looking for from that position is sound decision-making. Beck’s game experience might give him a slight edge there, though Smart did say that one guy isn’t standing out from the pack yet.
Still, it’s not the easiest thing, having to wait for your chance. But Beck has confidence in himself, and had it even when Bennett was playing in front of him.
“I think every quarterback, honestly, should feel that way every single year they step into it,” Beck said. “Even last year with Stetson, he just came off a national championship. Of course, every day I walked out there, I felt like I was ‘the guy.’ I think that’s the mindset that you have to have at the position of quarterback because there’s only one guy out there. When you get your opportunity, you have to seize it.”
The competition between Beck and Vandagriff likely will continue for quite a while, as the Bulldogs look to replace Bennett and carry over the massive success they’ve established the past two seasons. They also have a “new” offensive coordinator to break in, with Mike Bobo (who enjoyed a 14-year stint with the Bulldogs under Mark Richt as quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator, and who has served as an offensive analyst under Smart) replacing Todd Monken.
Both have goals as to what they would like Georgia coaches to know about them by the end of spring, though.
“At the end of spring I’d like the coaches and my teammates to see, like, ‘hey, this guy is going to go to war for us, he’s going to go to battle for us,’ and hopefully the coaches can think this is one of the guys that we can trust, and that trust will be built, and that this is a guy that will be consistent,” Vandagriff said.
“Just that I can lead, and that I care,” Beck said. “I care about this place, and I care about this program, and I care about my teammates, and just show that I can cook. That I can get it done. Really at the end of the day I’m going to go out there and be myself, and that’s the least that I can do, is lead and compete and have fun.”
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