ATHENS, GA - APRIL 16: Dominick Blaylock #8 is tackled by JaCorey Thomas #20 at Sanford Stadium on April 16, 2022 in Athens, Georgia. the heavens doused Augusta, Georgia with enough cold, hard rain to postpone the Masters
The leading Bennett-replacement contenders: Carson Beck, a 6’4”, 215-pound junior from Jacksonvillle; Brock Vandagriff, a 6’3”, 205-pound redshirt sophomore from Bogart, Ga.; and Gunner Stockton, a 6’1”, 210-pound redshirt freshman from Tiger, Ga. All three meet the table-stakes requirement for a Georgia quarterback – last names as first names – but beyond that, all three bring different skillsets to the field.
The early, unsurprising takeaway from Saturday: Georgia is diving-well deep at every position, including quarterback. Beck, who started the game and played with much of the first-team offense, displayed pocket presence and a precise downfield touch, though 2022 receiving legends like Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey can make any quarterback look good.
“Really pleased with all three quarterbacks,” Smart said. “What you saw today is what we’ve seen all spring. We’ve got three really good quarterbacks who can make the throws.”Vandagriff: 13-25, 195 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interceptionPlaying against teammates isn’t exactly like playing against true competition, but all three Georgia quarterbacks had to line up against some variant of the Georgia defense, which is a challenge even at three-quarters speed.
The quarterback position isn’t the only significant change from the championship seasons. After offensive coordinator Todd Monken left Athens for the NFL, longtime Georgia fixture Mike Bobo has taken over OC duties. How the quarterbacks mesh with Bobo’s schemes and expectations will be a topic of conversation around tailgates from now through January.