ATHENS — It was a somewhat subtle comment, and it came late in Brock Vandagriff’s interview session with reporters after G-Day on Saturday at Sanford Stadium.
Asked if he’d still be with the Georgia Bulldogs when preseason camp commences the first week of August, the sophomore quarterback shrugged.
“I’m not sure,” said Vandagriff, who is locked in a tight competition with Carson Beck to succeed Stetson Bennett as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback. “I guess there’s some praying to do. My plans for now are just to take it day-by-day.”
There are 137 days, to be exact, from Tuesday before Georgia opens the 2023 season at home against Tennessee-Martin. Saturday was the last time Vandagriff and Beck – along with redshirt freshman Gunner Stockton – will show off their quarterbacking wares publicly.
Between now and preseason camp, which opens the first week of August, there will be regular walk-through practices, private 7-on-7 competitions and volunteer throwing sessions with receivers. Very little will be done in public view.
As for what 54,458 fans and a national-television audience saw Saturday, it appeared that Beck is holding a decided edge. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior got the start for the Red team, which featured the No. 1 offense, and promptly led it on three consecutive touchdown drives against Georgia’s No. 1 defense.
Vandagriff didn’t do too bad himself. He led the Black Team on a field-goal drive to start the game, showed off his trademark mobility with a 23-yard run off a scramble and completed two passes for 48 yards and a 29-yard touchdown his next time out.
Switching to the Red team and the No. 1 offense in the second half, Vandagriff had a pass intercepted on his first possession and actually threw another one on his second that was overruled by defensive penalty. That series and his next one with the Red offense ended in punts. Vandagriff finally recorded another score when he led the Black team on a two-minute drive that concluded with a 10-yard TD pass that ended the game with the Red winning 31-26.
All told, Vandagriff was a combined 13-for-25 passing for 175 yards with two touchdowns and an interception between the two squads. He also was sacked three times.
“I feel like I was in the right place most of the times,” Vandagriff said afterward. “I could’ve had a little better accuracy. That was due to me probably having some nerves going out there. That was the most I’ve played in Sanford. But, overall, I’d say today was pretty solid.”
Beck, who oversaw one possession with the Black team, was 15-for-22 passing for 231 yards a touchdown. He was not sacked. Stockton went 13-of-22 for 144 yards with an interception and three sacks.
Statistically, at least, Beck was the day’s clear winner. But Georgia coach Kirby Smart also said his quarterback decision will be made on much more than a single simulated game.
“Do you make a decision on an investment when you’re 25% done looking? No,” Smart said the week leading into G-Day. “I make a decision when I’m 100% through looking at it. We’re about 25% of the way through the practices we’ll get before we kick off next year.”
Such a timeline would put the Bulldogs at the end of the summer making a call. Meanwhile, the NCAA’s transfer portal opened Saturday. Since then, Georgia has had three players enter it.
Quarterbacks, in particular, are quick to seek relocation these days. Recently liberalized NCAA transfer rules allow immediate eligibility. So, players can change schools and play for another team in the same calendar year. With teams typically just playing only one player at the game’s most important position, modern-day quarterbacks rarely wait much past a couple of years to get their chance.
In that regard, Beck has been an exception. A former 4-star prospect out of Jacksonville, Florida, this was the fourth spring practice he has completed with the Bulldogs. He’ll have another season of eligibility after this season if he chooses to take it.
It was the third spring practice at Georgia for Vandagriff. A former 5-star prospect who originally committed to Oklahoma out of Athens’ Prince Avenue Christian School, now he must decide whether to keep competing to live out his dream of becoming the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback or reconsider his options.
He insists that’s not foremost on his mind.
“To be completely honest, I haven’t thought about it much,” Vandagriff said. “I just had 15 practices to get better. That’s where I’m at with that.”
As for his plans going forward, Vandagriff shrugged again.
“Just learning more about the game of football in general,” he said. “Just watching film and being a student of the game.”
