Georgia 2021 Position Preview: Quarterbacks
Dawgs Daily has restarted our position group previews this year and up first is the most important position in football: the quarterback.
For the first time in a long time, Georgia has the talent necessary at the spot to garner serious national championship conversations.
The struggles at the position for Georgia in the past have been well documented. We won't go back into the past and revisit them, but at the end of the day, Georgia has often been a difference-making quarterback short of a national title.
This year that seems to have changed. The Bulldogs have anointed quarterback JT Daniels as the savior who can lead them to heights they haven't reached since 1980, and for good reason. Daniels finished the year with a 4-0 record as a starter, passing for 10 touchdowns in those contests.
Without further ado, this is how we see the depth chart shaking out at quarterback for Georgia:
1. JT Daniels, redshirt junior
2A Brock Vandagriff, freshman
2B Carson Beck, redshirt freshman
4. Stetson Bennett, redshirt senior
The starter should come as no surprise. Daniels is one of the top quarterbacks in college football and has a chance to be the best of them all this season. It can't be understated that Daniels has surpassed many of the checkpoints that have to be seen heading into a career season:
- Game reps executed at a successful level with the play-caller, offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
- Game reps with the top weapons on offense. We expect the most dynamic playmakers next year to be wide receiver George Pickens and running back Kendall Milton.
- Two full offseasons in the same system. The one prior to last season and the one approaching.
- Improved efficiency from Year 1 to Year 2 as a starter.
- A game-winning drive in a big spot.
While Daniels has cemented his role as the unquestioned leader and quarterback, there is a quarterback spot up for grabs. There has been a lot of speculation about the No. 2 quarterback role this spring, and the battle will feature Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff.
Both are uber-talented football players with high ceilings. Ultimately, Vandagriff's athletic profile coupled with his elite intermediate accuracy could help him win the job, with his leadership cementing his case.
Beck, on the other hand, has a rocket attached to his shoulder. He can make any throw and will have two full offseasons in the system to Vandagriff's one. The job might not officially be awarded until the first blowout of the season, likely against UAB in Game 2 of the season. Whoever comes off the bench in mop-up duty first will have won the job. We expect head coach Kirby Smart to keep this battle extremely close to the vest.
Bennett provides excellent depth. While he won't blow anyone away as a starter, he should be one of the better backup options in the country. He is smart with the football and has playing experience, although his ceiling is much lower than some of the other backup options.
Overall, this is a national title level quarterback room, and if Georgia should get to a national title, quarterback won't be the question.
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