JD PicKell breaks down Georgia QB race for 2023

The guy who won two national titles while under center for Georgia is finally out of collegiate eligibility. That’s right, Stetson Bennett will not take another snap in a Bulldog uniform, leaving the job open for a slew of former blue-chip recruits to battle it out. So, among all these talented youngsters, who will take the QB1 job by next fall in Athens?

Allow On3’s JD PicKell to analyze that exact question for you. He sees three viable options for the starting spot, and thinks the job really comes down to two passers who had high-profile pedigree out of high school, but neither of which has seen any serious playing time. For a full rundown of the upcoming Georgia quarterback debate, go ahead and watch or read Pickell’s breakdown below.

JD PicKell breaks down Georgia QB battle

“Georgia will have to answer the question: What does life look like after Stetson Bennett? After he moves on and does, what you would hope, are great things in the NFL. They have a stocked quarterback group. That’s the good news. Gunner Stockton, Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff — you have an embarrassment of riches.

“But the odds for the Heisman Trophy came out at different outlets and it’s worth mentioning. And I don’t want to get too much into the Heisman odds as much as I think it tells us about the Georgia quarterback race, but FanDuel has Brock Vandagriff at +3000. They have Carson Beck at plus +4000. Okay, so they’re giving Brock Vandagriff a little bit better odds. FanDuel, Caesar’s Sports Book, however, has Carson Beck at +2000, Brock Vandagriff at +2500.

“Again, I’m not looking at this from a Heisman Trophy race perspective. I think whoever plays quarterback for Georgia, if Georgia does what George is capable of doing, has a chance to take home that little bronze statue. But it’s interesting because neither of these outlets are consistent on who they think it sounds like is going to be the starter for Georgia. So let’s just take inventory of what could be the setup for them once Stetson Bennett leaves and Gunner Stockton, I believe, will factor into this race.

“I want to focus for this segment on Brock Vandagriff and Carson Beck, because of what those odds are telling us. So here’s the reality…whoever steps in as QB1 in Athens next will be more talented than Stetson Bennett. Hear what I didn’t say — I did not say they will be a better quarterback, but in terms of what God gave you, what you have no ability to control, these guys will have that a little bit more than Stetson Bennett. Stetson Bennett was a walk-on. We know his story, went to JuCo, came back to Georgia, got a scholarship, they said, ‘you’re not going to play here.’ He said ‘I don’t care.’ At the end of the day, has two natties. So, far be it for me to say that Stetson Bennett isn’t as good a quarterback as these guys. He very much clearly is the better quarterback, otherwise one of these guys would be starting.

“But with pure ability, with stuff you can’t coach, these guys have got that in spades. Carson Beck, consensus four-star player, played the national title game when it got ugly. When 65 -7 is the score, Carson Beck’s in there still dealing, handed it off running the offense, he looked pretty composed. 6-5, 226, he’s more of the pro-style mold. Like, when I watch Carson Beck on tape, good frame, throws the ball around the field with relative ease, great accuracy. Lit it up a couple plays. He’s someone you’re excited about.

“The sample size on both these guys is pretty small, but from what we can tell, that’s what you’re getting with Carson Beck. With Brock Vandagriff, 6-3, 205, good passer, a little bit more of a dual threat than Carson Beck is. The comp for him from Charles Power, director of scouting and rings for On3, is Jarrett Stidham. So they like his mobility, what he can do resetting the platform and using his legs to get out of trouble. Bottom line — both really good options Brock Vandagriff was a consensus five-star, Carson Beck consensus four-star. A lot of talent, a lot of ability. So at the end of the day, what I’m trying to tell you, is what you have at the quarterback position for Georgia is going to be, from a talent-perspective, enough to go for a third National Title. Now will they depend on execution, experience and a million other variables that make up why we love college football so much. But from just an ability standpoint, you will have what you need whether you go with Carson Beck or with Brock Vandagriff. They will have it under the hood.”