Georgia quarterbacks Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff have been splitting first-team reps during spring practice, while also battling for the starting job entering the season.
The two veteran Bulldog signal callers have been with the program for the last several years; however, they’ve had to sit behind former teammates JT Daniels and Stetson Bennett.
Now, Beck and Vandagriff are at the top of the depth chart with hopes of being the starter, although they are also duking it out with redshirt freshman Gunner Stockton, too.
As the battle heats up, each of them is working hard and is getting better with each rep.
“It’s just what you come here to do. You come to UGA for the competition. I knew that coming in,” Vandagriff said to reporters on Tuesday. “Coach (Kirby) Smart, he’s going to put the best guy out there. He’s going to give the best guy that gives Georgia the best chance to win, he’s going to be out there. It’s just being in this competition, it’s a blessing, and I feel like I’m going to be a better player for it regardless of the outcome.”
Beck echoed Vandagriff’s sentiment about competition and working hard.
“We’re all guys — four stars, five-star guys here. We have a ton of them. There are a lot of guys that have had to sit. It’s very difficult. You have to build a mindset of I’m going to wait my turn and whatever,” Beck said. “Now it’s finally time. You have to start to remember what you were and what you did in high school with that mindset of I’m the guy.”
Vandagriff is a redshirt sophomore that was once committed to Oklahoma. The former 5-star prospect then flipped to the Bulldogs and signed as part of its 2020 class.
From nearby Bogart, Ga., he led Prince Avenue Christian School to a state title his senior year. Since arriving at UGA, Vandagriff has seen limited action over the past two years.
Many thought Vandagriff would have entered the NCAA student transfer portal by now, but he’s embracing his role heading into 2023, whether it is as the starter or the backup.
“With my mindset, what I put into that was that I’m learning stuff and getting better under Coach Monken and now Coach Bobo,” Vandagriff stated. “If I wasn’t getting reps and I wasn’t getting better then, yeah, I would have left. Being able to know that my game is getting better mentally and physically. I’m (also) learning so much about the game of football and I’m going against one of the best defenses — one of the most fast-paced defenses in the SEC and the nation — I am becoming a better player for that.”
Beck is a former 4-star prospect that won a state title his junior year at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville. He signed with Georgia as a part of its 2020 recruiting haul.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound signal caller played in one game as a freshman in 2020, and four the following season as a sophomore. In 2022, Beck was Bennett’s primary backup.
Beck appeared in seven games with a 74.3 percent completion percentage last year. He completed 26 of 35 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns and zero interceptions in 2022.
“Obviously a big part of that is reps and experience and getting into games. Last year was really big for me,” Beck said. “Obviously, Stetson had a great year and went out on top, which was awesome. He did well in certain games. We got up big and I got to get some experience in a few of those. I guess the biggest thing I would say is having the experience and continuing to grow on that with further reps the more practices that we get.”
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo are looking for a signal-caller that can lead the team, but also one that is confident with his decisions on the field.
“Decision-making is the number one thing I want to see at the quarterback position,” Smart said. “Can you make consecutive, good decisions over and over that don't cost our team games? Because we have enough playmakers, and we have enough plays that you will make a play inevitably. Don't make a bonehead play. That's what we're trying to avoid.”
Beck nor Vandagriff displays confidence issues but both admit they can each vastly improve.
“Every day I went out there, I felt like I was the guy,” Beck said. “That’s the mindset you have to have because there’s only one guy out there. When you get the opportunity, you’ve got to seize it.”
Vandagriff agreed.
“Everybody is going to say they have belief and trust in themselves. I base a lot of my life on my faith. I believe God has a plan for me, regardless of where I’m at or what I’m doing,” Vandagriff said. “That’s never changed. I believe God has a plan for me. I’m going to be here, I’m going to do my job, do what’s asked of me and control the controllable.”
The Bulldogs will continue spring practice with Beck and Vandagriff taking reps with the first team while Stockton is leading the second team heading into G-Day on April 15.