Will Georgia be player at quarterback in the transfer portal with Brock Vandagriff leaving

Although we are rapidly approaching the conclusion of the 2023 college football season, the excitement surrounding the sport is at a fever pitch, thanks to the first transfer portal window opening. On Monday, on the Andy Staples On3 Podcast, the college football expert brought in On3’s transfer portal insider Pete Nakos to discuss the frenzy of player movement that has gone on thus far.

One of the more high-profile players to enter the transfer portal thus far is Georgia’s backup quarterback, Brock Vandagriff. But what makes the news about Vandagriff’s decision to exit the program so compelling is the uncertainty surrounding starting quarterback Carson Beck, as Staples points out.

“Another guy who has to make a decision is Georgia’s Carson Beck,” said Staples. “I’ve talked to some people, and he’s still on the fence. He’s not going to leave Georgia to go to another school, but it’s the NFL or come back to Georgia. We saw Brock Vandagriff say he’s going to transfer. So their backup is gone. If Beck goes, what does Georgia do because they have Dylan Raiola coming in; would they go find somebody?”

During the offseason, leading up to the 2023 season, Beck beat out Vandagriff for Georgia’s starting quarterback position after two-time national championship-winning quarterback Stetson Bennett left for the NFL. Vandagriff did elect to commit to the Bulldogs for the season instead of opting to enter the transfer portal after head coach Kirby Smart committed to Beck as the starter.

As Staples points out, Georgia does have an ace up their sleeve in likely incoming freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. However, he has zero college football experience, which would be a significant transition and experience given who the last starting quarterbacks for the Bulldogs were. So, what is Georgia’s plan at quarterback, and how long do we have to wait to see what happens? And another intriguing question — what is Vandagriff’s likely landing spot for next season?

“Yeah, you have Dylan Raiola coming in,” said Nakos. “I’ve also been told what Georgia does necessarily remains to be seen. I think there’s a lot of hope right now in Athens that Carson does come back. And then, in terms of Brock Vandagriff, I’ve been told from multiple sources that Kentucky is going to be the school to beat there.”

It appears as if Georgia will have more questions than answers about their starting quarterback position following their Orange Bowl showdown with the Florida State Seminoles. As of now, all signs point to everything being contingent on Beck’s decision to turn pro.