Carson Beck returning to Georgia is a win-win for the Bulldogs and the quarterback

It’s been an angsty early offseason in Athens with so many transfers plus the flip of 5-star quarterback Dylan Raiola to Nebraska, but Christmas came a week early for DawgNation, as quarterback Carson Beck announced his plans to return to Georgia for his senior year Monday. 

“My friends and family have helped put me in a situation to have options for my future. However, the NFL can wait one more year. I am returning to UGA for my senior season.
We need everyone's support in Miami to close this season out the right way!”

–@carsonbeck01 #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/O3Mm7OXmZg

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) December 18, 2023

For all the waves being made in the transfer portal the last two weeks — across the country and not just at UGA — Beck’s decision perhaps trumps them all. There may be no bigger decision all offseason.

The Bulldogs are returning one of the best quarterbacks in the country in 2024. A legitimate Heisman Trophy contender. Perhaps you prefer Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe or Dillion Gabriel. Fine. But Beck is as good or better than any of those guys. And now he’s set to play one more season at UGA. 

Monday’s news is a major win for Kirby Smart and Georgia, who now enter 2024 with a steady, foundational piece offensively. It provides stability with their leader back, and the ripple effects of Beck’s decision should not be shrugged away. Monday’s news also looks like a smart move for Beck, who can continue to showcase his skills, improve his NFL Draft stock and potentially win a championship. 

With more than a dozen transfers in the last two weeks, there has been all sorts of consternation around Georgia, but Beck’s impending decision was always going to be the most critical move of the offseason for the Bulldogs’ program. And Smart received the news he was hoping for.

Why Carson Beck returning to Georgia makes sense, what it means

After patiently waiting three years for his opportunity, Carson Beck went 12-1 as a starter this fall, throwing for 3,738 yards with 22 touchdowns and just six picks. He averaged 9.4 yards per attempt and completed 72.4% of his passes. He has a chance to topple 4,000 yards with a big performance in the Orange Bowl against Florida State — something that’s only happened once in UGA history. By season’s end, Beck was the second-best quarterback in the SEC in 2023, only ranking behind Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels in yards and passing efficiency. 

He could’ve opted to turn pro, looking to battle the likes of Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and others for that QB4 spot in the 2024 NFL Draft. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Daniels are a consensus Top 3, but it’s a crowded field behind that group and there were no assurances Beck would be a 1st or even 2nd Round pick. 

The 2025 class isn’t nearly as deep, though, and now Beck has a chance to potentially play his way into a Top 10 pick.

Beck will have a shot at QB1 for next year–I have an article coming out tomorrow with some details on that.

Now we wait to see if Amarius Mims joins him in Athens for 2024. https://t.co/P1CCsW3mDT

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) December 18, 2023

Beck has just 13 career starts to his name, but he could add another 13-16 starts to that ledger next year depending on UGA’s season. Georgia’s schedule is brutal — versus Clemson, at Alabama, at Texas and at Ole Miss — but all those marquee matchups are also opportunities for Beck to further impress pro scouts. 

That gauntlet is one of the reasons why Beck’s return was so important for the Bulldogs. The team didn’t want to navigate those games with a transfer quarterback or underclassmen Gunner Stockton or Ryan Puglisi. 

Now barring an injury, they won’t have to. 

While nearly all of Georgia’s transfer portal departures have been a tad overblown (most are former blue-chip prospects who simply aren’t seeing the snaps they hoped), the Bulldogs will continue to see departures from the roster in the coming weeks. From a sheer numbers perspective, they need more. Meanwhile, star tight end Brock Bowers is surely off to the NFL Draft. Same for right tackle Amarius Mims and tailbacks Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards.

But Beck’s return could impact the decisions of guys like starting right guard Tate Ratledge, who reportedly is leaning toward coming back, and wideout Ladd McConkey, who is on the fence about the NFL Draft after an injury-plagued 2023 season. Beck also makes UGA an attractive destination for offensive playmakers in the portal wanting to join a team with a ready-made gun-slinger at quarterback.  Say Vandy wideout London Humphreys or Florida tailback Trevor Etienne?

We haven’t even played out of the 2023 College Football Playoff yet, but Monday’s news legitimately impacts the 2024 CFP.

With an unknown at quarterback facing a tougher schedule, Georgia would’ve been one of many contenders looking to crack the 12-team field. But with Carson Beck’s return, the Bulldogs might be the scariest team in the country once again.