Kirby Smart defines what is a successful season for Carson Beck: 'We don't run or hide from the Heisman talk'

Kirby Smart knows what a successful season looks like for quarterback Carson Beck. Beck is on the shortlist, and the favorite in some cases, for the Heisman Trophy this year.

A Heisman quarterback on arguably the best team in the country? Sounds like there could be a lot of individual and team accolades coming for the Bulldogs.

In a conversation with On3’s Phillip Dukes, Smart didn’t shy away from expectations for the team or Beck.

“Well, I always say success is defined by being the best you can possibly be,” Smart told Dukes. “And I thought he probably exceeded those expectations in terms of that last year for a first year starting quarterback. He did a lot of great things. Well, now this year, you got a lot of high expectations again for Carson Beck and for Georgia. So we don’t run or hide from the Heisman talk. That’s something that he embraces, we embrace. 

“We know if we play really good defense to get turnovers, he’s gonna have better performances. If offensively we’re able to run and pass the ball and play action and be really good on third down again, he gets more opportunities. So he knows the more success we have as a team, the better that gives him a chance at some of that Heisman talk and he’s certainly deserving and worthy of that and it’s not something we run from.”

Last season, in his first full year as a starter, Beck threw for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 72.4% completion percentage.

As a member of the Class of 2020, Beck was a four-star recruit out of Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 34 overall prospect in the state, the No. 16 quarterback in the class and the No. 225 overall prospect in the class.

Losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game gave Beck a new perspective. It definitely propelled him to come back to school for 2024.

“Maybe I made it seem difficult from the outside in, but for me, it was very easy,” Beck said on SiriusXM College at SEC Media Days. “After that Alabama game, I knew that I was coming back. I didn’t tell anybody that. I’ve said that a few times now after the fact …

“I was the last one out of the locker room because I had to do media, and I walked out, and they let my mom and sister down onto the field, which usually they don’t do. They wanted me to be able to say bye to them. I walked out on the field, it’s literally just us. There’s a few equipment people out there cleaning up the field. We walk out there, I look at the score – 24, 27 – hug them. … There was a lot of emotion in that.”