Georgian football won its second straight national championship on Monday behind a monstrous performance from senior quarterback Stetson Bennett IV. Bennett scored six touchdowns in the 65-7 College Football Playoff National Championship win over TCU to end his career 29-3 as a starting quarterback with consecutive titles. He left the field early in the fourth quarter to a standing ovation.
However, after a winding career that began as a Class of 2017 recruit from Blackshear, Georgia, Bennett is finally ineligible. After three years as a starter, the Bulldogs will be looking for a new face to lead the offense in 2023. Georgia has three scholarship quarterbacks expected to return next season and will likely have an open quarterback contest at spring camp to replace Bennett. From today’s perspective, however, Carson Beck is the favorite to take over the starting position.
Beck will be a redshirt junior in 2023 and has sat behind Bennett for each of the past three seasons. En route to the national championship game, Beck had thrown 55 career passes and completed 62% for 455 yards and six touchdowns. He played against Vanderbilt, throwing for 98 yards and two touchdowns in a 55-0 win. At 6ft 4 and 215 pounds, Beck offers the dynamic Bennett a much more traditional pocket-passing profile.
“Classic pro-style quarterback build with fairly filled frame,” wrote former 247Sports recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. of Beck as a recruit. “Solid mechanics and above-average arm strength with better accuracy. Forward-looking launcher with the ability to change speeds, play off-platform, and manipulate arm angles. Elite workmanship relative to initial experience.”
While Beck is the favorite to step into the starting role, the Bulldogs have plenty of firepower ready for the challenge. Former five-star recruit Brock Vandagriff trailed only Quinn Ewers, Caleb Williams and Sam Huard in the class of 2021. He offers more mobile skills and was compared to Jarrett Stidham in the recruitment process. Freshman Gunner Stockton is far from in contention for the starting job after just one season on campus, but he also has plenty of raw talent.
Georgia has made massive moves on offense under third-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Any quarterback starting in 2023 will have plenty of wealth to work with, including potential first-round pick Brock Bowers at tight end and star receiver Ladd McConkey. Anyway, 2023 marks a new era as Bennett finally takes it to the next level.
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The Bulldogs have won back-to-back national championships with one dominant win. Celebrate the historic victory with Georgia National Championship t-shirts, hats, hoodies and more. Shop here and show your true colors.
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