Georgia players understandably excited about Carson Beck's return
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia fans always had reason to be excited about 2024. With the way Kirby Smart has recruited, stockpiling talent on top of talent, you knew that UGA was going to be in the thick of things, especially in the era of a 12-team Playoff. However, with quarterback Carson Beck coming back, the Bulldogs should have even more confidence.
Need proof that that’s true? Just listen to the Georgia players talk about the impact of Beck’s return.
“I think everyone is excited. I think we kinda had a good feel for what was going to happen, but just to hear him say it and have him want to come back, we’ve got some unfinished business next year,” tight end Oscar Delp said. “I think he’s going to have a chip on his shoulder and everyone else. It’s going to be exciting to have him back.”
Beck, who threw for 3,738 yards in 13 games so far this season, ranked top-15 nationally in yards per game (287.5), top-10 in yards per attempt (9.4) and completion percentage (72.4) and top-5 in the NCAA for passing yards through the regular season and conference championships. Albeit aided by an extra game over the competition in many cases, it should be remembered that Beck didn’t take a single snap in the fourth quarter of four games for Georgia with the Bulldogs up big and not needing his help to secure a win. Furthermore, it was just his first year as a starter.
“I mean it’s huge. You saw what he did this year,” Delp continued about Beck’s return. “With a year under his belt, I can’t even describe how good he’s going to be next year. It’s exciting to have him stay and it’s exciting to have him on offense again. Have that leader in our program and on our team. I’m excited to have him back.”
Delp isn’t the only Bulldog that’s excited to have Beck back. Offensive lineman Earnest Greene is too.
“Oh, you know, it’s good. We’ve got chemistry. That’s my quarterback and I’m a tackle, so my job is to protect him. I know his tendencies in the pocket and everything, so it’s good just to be comfortable and knowing we’ve still got everything rolling going into next year,” Greene said.
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According to the Bulldogs, Beck’s decision and announcement was a long time in the making. He hadn’t made it known to the team what he was going to do, but they believed he was going to return based on impressions he had given.
“He wasn’t dropping hints but he didn’t give us any reason to think he wasn’t coming back,” Delp explained. “He kind of gave us all the impression that he was going to be here. Just kind of talking about our schedule next year and just what we’re going to be doing. I think we were just kind of expecting it.”
Georgia’s schedule sure is tough, but it gives Beck an opportunity to show what he’s made of for NFL scouts against some of the top teams in the country. The Bulldogs make road trips to a pair of College Football Playoff teams (Alabama and Texas) plus Ole Miss who has reloaded through the transfer portal. Then there’s dates against rivals Clemson, Auburn, Florida and Tennessee that bring their own sort of challenge.
Of course Beck and the Bulldogs have one more opportunity to take the field as a version of the 2023 team too. Georgia takes on No. 5 Florida State on Saturday in the 90th playing of the Orange Bowl at HardRock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Kickoff time is set for 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
