Carson Beck is the Georgia starter, but Brock Vandagriff offers a ton of promise as his backup.
While Georgia certainly handled UT-Martin in Week 1, it was not the most impressive first start for Carson Beck under center either.
Georgia retained its No. 1 ranking in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. The Dawgs dominated the Skyhawks defensively, but still managed to put up points in their blowout 48-7 Week 1 win. However, there were plenty of open throws Beck missed. He was 21-for-31 for 294 yards, a passing touchdown and a scamper to pay dirt on the night. Vandagriff completed two-of-three for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Beck should remain the Georgia starter until something drastic changes, but what would it take for Vandagriff to emerge as QB1? What are the chances Gunner Stockton comes out of nowhere, too?
Let's be real. Most Power Five college football programs would kill to have this ever-so-slight problem Georgia is facing.
Georgia football: What will it take for Brock Vandagriff to emerge as QB1?
Realistically, two bad things would need to happen for Vandagriff to overtake Beck this soon as Georgia's QB1. Those would be a shocking early-season loss to someone like a South Carolina or an Auburn in conference play or Beck gets hurt. The wild card in all this is who looks better in practice. This has everything to do with who picks up Mike Bobo's passing offense the best. This is a new era!
Truth be told, Georgia's 2023 regular-season schedule is too soft for this loaded roster not to win at least 11 games with a new starting quarterback under center. Admittedly, there may be limitations to what these quarterbacks could do on a big stage vs. a College Football Playoff contender. Then again, why on earth would Bobo show the world anything offensively vs. an FCS team like UT-Martin?
The good news is Georgia should be good enough this season to where the Dawgs will be up big late, affording opportunities for Vandagriff and Stockton to get some run. Vandagriff is the most talented of the trio, but Beck is the most polished and Stockton initially committed to play for Bobo at South Carolina. That dude plays so hard, man... Regardless, this is Beck's job to lose until proven otherwise.
It is not an insurmountable gap for Vandagriff to overcome, but it is not one he can leap over today.
