Mike Bobo updates Georgia quarterback competition ahead of first scrimmage

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s quarterback competition hits a new milestone on Saturday: the team’s first scrimmage of the preseason. After the contestants – Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton – went through three scrimmages in the spring including the G-Day spring game, they’ll have two full-speed runs to show what they’re made of before the season kicks off on September 2nd.

Mike Bobo, Georgia’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, said that the group will finish its final day of install on Thursday and have 24 hours for review on Friday before Saturday’s scrimmage.

“I’ve been pleased with all the quarterbacks,” Bobo said. “We’ve been focusing on the process and each install and what we can control in that moment. Those guys have done a great job. There have been ups and downs but they’ve been focused. They come into every meeting ready to go, prepared before the meeting.”

That’s exactly what head coach Kirby Smart said he wanted to see out of the quarterbacks at the start of fall camp. Rather than focusing on the competition and their results relative to one another, he wanted to make sure their attention was on individually getting better each and every day. The way to do that? Lock in on every exercise they do – whether on the field or off of it – and think only about that as opposed to looking big picture and down the road at what was to come.

Smart has also said that game reps will factor into the decision. Unfortunately for him, he won’t see what any of the quarterbacks are capable of in live action as Georgia doesn’t want to risk injury to a signal caller. The closest they’ll come is in the scrimmages.

“Saturday is a scrimmage. It’s the closest thing we can get to a game. How are you going those situations when you’re out there with the team by yourself. There is no coaches on the field,” Bobo said. “The bottom line for a quarterback, it’s can we execute. Are we going to be able to execute and get us in the right play, get us in the right protection, run the offense, handle third down situations, red zone situations, and that’s what we’re looking for. Handling those situations in a game and having continuity on offense.”

In the spring, Beck performed the best on the biggest stage, the G-Day spring scrimmage. Completing 13 of his 18 passes in the first half – with the first-team offense – for 211 yards and a touchdown, Beck eased many concerns that there were about the position and the challenge of replacing Stetson Bennett. Beck also has the advantage when it comes to game reps, playing in seven games last season and 12 total on his career. He completed 26 of 35 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns in 2022, a major improvement from his previous showings.

As for Vandagriff and Stockton, neither has completed a pass in an actual game. Stockton has yet to appear in one while Vandagriff is 0-for-3. The two have each seen action in G-Day the past few years though. Vandagriff spent his first half with the second-team before switching to the first-team after the break. Combined, he threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns with an interception on 13-of-25 passing. Meanwhile, Stockton – entirely with the second-team – was 13-for-22 for 144 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.

What do G-Day stats mean now? You guessed it! Nothing. Smart, Bobo and company will want to see the kind of improvement that’s been made over the summer and through the start of fall camp as the season quickly approaches. Not only will it help decide a starter for the opener on September 2nd, but who gets extended looks in the second scrimmage and beyond will likely be on the table too.

The Bulldogs begin the season atop the Coaches Poll, released earlier this week, and are expected to be voted No. 1 in the AP Poll as well.