Carson Beck reflects on journey, what's still to come for star quarterback

DALLAS — Carson Beck has come a long way in a short amount of time. Less than three years ago, the Jacksonville, Fla. native and former four-star prospect was in line to make his first career start for Georgia. Instead, an opportunity went by the wayside and two full seasons were spent wondering what could’ve been, watching as his usurper won a pair of National Championships.

Now, entering his fifth season with the Bulldogs, Beck is viewed as one of the nation’s best quarterbacks with College Football season quickly approaching. He represented Georgia at SEC Media Days in Dallas – just another sign of his status in the sport – and spoke about his path to this point, plus what he hopes is ahead for him.

“For me, obviously this is my fifth year coming up, so being at the University of Georgia for four-and-a-half years now, it’s been a long journey and it hasn’t always been super easy,” Beck told reporters. “Those first three years were really tough, especially getting a little scrap time — getting playing time, but it wasn’t real playing time. But obviously I knew that one day I was going to get that opportunity, and I think that’s what helped me stay and helped me to continue to compete and try to get better each and every day and just keep progressing because I knew when I got that opportunity I just wanted to be ready.”

Beck wasn’t ready back in 2021. In week two of his redshirt freshman season, Georgia was set to host UAB for the home opener between the hedges at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs were coming off of a big win over Clemson, who had been to the College Football Playoff six straight seasons. UGA rose to No. 2 in the nation after taking down the Tigers but was to be without starting quarterback JT Daniels due to injury. Beck, after receiving the reps of a backup quarterback throughout fall camp, felt he was in line to start. Friday before the game, the word from Kirby Smart was different.

“I don’t really remember. That’s so long ago but in my head, I was the backup. That’s what was assumed,” Beck said. “I don’t know if it was ever verbalized. The way the reps went, that’s how it was. I was going to get reps with the ones every now and then, I was getting mixed in … That Friday before the game, I was told it wasn’t me. I thought it was me before then. It was tough, really tough.”

Instead of Beck, Georgia started Stetson Bennett. The former walk-on turned legend was a known name around Athens after starting five games in 2020. UGA sent Bennett to the bench in favor of Daniels after a second loss that season, and many expected that would be the last of Bennett. Boy, were they wrong. Bennett has his own recollection of that week.

“We beat Clemson. JT’s like lat or something was hurt so he didn’t play against UAB. Carson, I don’t know, he looked better in the spring than he did in the fall. He just wasn’t playing as good, so they let me and Carson compete during the week,” Bennett said during a recent appearance on the Unreserved Podcast with TJ Callaway. “For me it was like, ‘Screw it man, I’ve got nothing to lose. It’s already over, so I might as well go.’ I beat him out and then threw for five touchdowns, which was pretty cool.”

Of course Bennett would end up giving the starting job back to Daniels in week three before taking over once again come early October. The rest was history with Bennett leading the Bulldogs to their first National Championship win in 41 years, beating Alabama in a revenge game to do so, before going back-to-back in 2022 with perfect 15-0 season and a career year for the quarterback.

Back to Beck though. He made a pair of brief appearance early in the contest. In what looked like a planned “2 series Stetson, 1 series Carson” approach, the Bulldogs scored touchdowns in each of Bennett’s first four drives. They went three-and-out both times with Beck.

Later in the game, Beck threw a pick-six that broke the 56-0 shutout largely built up by Bennett. Beck’s effort to chase down the UAB defender was questionable at best.

“I didn’t talk to anybody. I went home, didn’t talk to anybody,” Beck said. “I was upset, obviously didn’t perform the way I wanted to because I wasn’t mature enough to handle the information of not starting. I was ready to start, I was so hype the whole week. ‘Okay, I’m about to start my first game. Let’s go,’ and then a day before the game I got told that I wasn’t going to be the starter.”

The UAB week is a thing of the past for Beck now though. He no longer feels sorry for himself about how things went like he did for the majority of that 2021 season. He’s grown, both as a person and as a player, through the experiences of the time since, and it’s made him into the quarterback College Football fans know today.

“It kind of was like a reality check for me to be honest. I think it was a big turning point in my career because I realized maybe I’m not ready or I’m not the player I think I am,” Beck said. “There was a lot of improvement that was needed and my mindset really changed after that game.”

“I’m not going to lie, that was a very pivotal point for me, not only as a person but as a quarterback because I was going in, 19 years old at the time, I’m still a teenager. I was a kid at that point,” Beck added. “I’ve grown so much over the past three years since that moment … I wouldn’t be the person or quarterback I am today if that situation didn’t happen to me.”

Beck, who won the starting job over Brock Vandagriff ahead of last season, had his growing moments at times in 2023 too. It wasn’t all perfect from the start as he and new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo needed time to get on the same page. Georgia pushed through slow starts against UT-Martin, Ball State, South Carolina and UAB at home before avoiding an upset on the road at Auburn.

“That atmosphere was insane. It’s absolutely ridiculous. That was my first road start, first game on the road playing ever and getting real minutes. I think it was a big growing moment, a big stepping stone to who I was going to become as a quarterback as the season went on,” Beck said. “We had to face adversity in that game. I threw a pick on the second drive I think it was, we missed a couple of throws early and then had a crucial turnover and they went down and scored at the beginning of the (second) half. It was like, ‘Okay, let’s step up, let’s man up, let’s make it happen right now or we’re going to lose this game.’ That game was a turning point in my season for sure and kind of elevated me and gave me confidence as the season went on.”

Georgia got things to click from there, and the Bulldogs would finish the season with the nation’s No. 5 offensive unit in both scoring (40.1 points per game) and total offense (496.5 yards per game) thanks to the play of Beck at quarterback and the weapons around him. UGA went undefeated in the regular season for a third straight year but fell to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, missing out on a chance at a third consecutive College Football Playoff appearance and a three-peat.

Beck enters 2024 as a Heisman Trophy favorite and a potential No. 1 overall pick in next spring’s NFL Draft. No returning quarterback in the country threw for more yards last season than he did – only being beat out by a pair of first round picks. Beck hopes to be a better leader for his Bulldog teammates this year as the unquestioned starting quarterback entering the season, and on the heels of his 3,941-yard, 24-touchdown season with a school-record 72.4% completion rate, Beck is looking for more on the field too.

“Obviously it would be something that’s super cool, but I think if I ever done into that and really thought about that, it would hurt me as a player,” Beck said about the idea of him being College Football’s top quarterback and the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. “For me, my headspace always stays on the team, always stays on the players. Like I said, every single week, it’s all about a win. One win at a time. Right now we’re in summer, focusing on summer then fall camp. The more simple I keep it, usually the better things turn out.”

“There are expectations from everyone but my expectations that I hold for myself are higher than any person could ever put on me,” Beck added. “I’m my biggest critic so anything anybody could ever say would never hurt me because I promise I’ve probably said something worse to myself. I think the biggest thing is staying focused on the team and what the ultimate goal is, winning that National Championship.”

Beck and the Bulldogs open fall camp in about two weeks with a month to prepare for their season opener. Georgia kicks off its tough 2024 slate against Clemson in Atlanta on August 31st.