Carson Beck is Georgia's Steady Hand in a Season Full of New Challenges

For the first time in his career, Carson Beck will enter spring as Georgia's unquestioned starter. Georgia will need him to lead during a brutal 2024 schedule.

Georgia signed the nation's No. 1 recruiting class this past January, but their biggest recruiting win was quarterback Carson Beck returning for his final season. In an interview with the SEC's all-time passing leader and former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, Beck discussed his decision to return for his fifth year in Athens. 

"I think the biggest thing for me was kind of looking back at the season, and realizing how much fun I had," said Beck. "I hadn't gotten to play in so long, you know, to be able to have the opportunity to go out and play the game I love again, I mean, you never know what's gonna happen if you do leave. And you do make that decision to go to the draft and do all those things. And when I like, like I said, when I look back at the season, I had so much fun. I was like, I mean, what do I have to lose? You know, come back and you know, do it all over again."

Sep 30, 2023; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) throws a pass against the Auburn Tigers during the first quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium / © John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Now, after starting 14 games and throwing for 3,941 yards, Beck is in a drastically different spot than where he was at this time last year. Before last season, Georgia's quarterback competition was open following the departure of Stetson Bennett. Now, this is unquestionably Carson Beck's team.

"It's definitely different for me, you know, coming back and knowing, like starting at this point in January, knowing that, you know, I'm going to be the starter because I mean, shoot even last year, I didn't know I was gonna start until two weeks before the season. So I mean, really, it was a battle per se, but now this season, going into it, knowing that I'm going to be the guy, it's like, how do I, you know, work even harder than I ever had before? And like, how do I still maintain that hunger even coming off of a season where, you know, I thought that I did? Well, you know, it's pretty much just like trying to eliminate any type of complacency and then also finding, you know, that leadership role and building these connections with all these new guys that we have, because I mean, it's a new team with new faces."

Carson Beck is one of the faces of college football entering the 2024 season and is a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. With a schedule that features road games at Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss and a potential berth in the inaugural 12-team playoff, his presence is a huge win for Georgia