Carson Beck explains why he has not left Georgia despite lack of playing time

Some say the best job in all of sports is being a backup quarterback. You get all the fun aspects of the position without having to go out there and take hits. While potentially true in the NFL, nobody in college football is satisfied with being a backup quarterback. Just ask the NCAA transfer portal.

Not too often do we see players wait out their turn at one spot. Carson Beck is one of those at Georgia, staying with the Bulldogs despite not having the starting job during his first three seasons in Athens. One thing kept him from transferring out and now, the move is expected to pay off in a big way.

“The camaraderie that we have, the connection that we have here at the University of Georgia,” Beck said. “I think it’s unmatched to other places. Obviously, I can’t compare because I haven’t been anywhere else but from things that I have heard from people who have been other places. The connection here is something we strive to have. I think that’s one of the biggest things that kept me here all these years.”

When Beck stepped foot on campus, JT Daniels and Stetson Bennett went back and forth as Georgia’s starter. Eventually, Bennett won out and eventually won two national championships. Head coach Kirby Smart believed in the former walk-on throughout the entire process and he was rewarded twice in as many years.

When Bennett decided to return for the 2022 season, Beck could have easily left. He would have been a popular customer on the open market. We have seen a disgruntled Georgia backup decide to transfer and have a ton of success elsewhere with Justin Fields. Not to say Beck and Fields are similar players — or similarly rated coming out of high school — but multiple Power Five programs would enjoy signing a quarterback away from UGA.

As Palmer Thombs of On3’s DawgsHQ says, patience has paid off for Beck. He will now get to lead the preseason No. 1 team in the country onto the field on Sept. 2 against UT-Martin. Expectations are going to be high once again, hoping to complete a three-peat.

For at least the next season, this is Beck’s program. Depending on results, he could be off in the NFL next season but does have eligibility remaining to return to Georgia. Waiting his turn has given Beck the opportunity to have multiple avenues of potential success in front of him.