UGA Football QB Carson Beck Looking to Be More Vocal For Dawgs
ATHENS - UGA Football’s Carson Beck said that he’s still working on being more vocal in his role as Kirby Smart’s starting quarterback.
Beck is coming into the 2024 season as one of the premier signal callers in the nation. He’s considered one of the top overall NFL Draft prospects this season as well as a leading contender to win the Heisman Trophy.
But said he needed the 2023 season to “earn” trust from his teammates.
“Going through it and having a year under my belt now I think I have earned that from my teammates. I can step into the role of being more vocal,” Beck said.
The Jacksonville native referenced Georgia’s come-from-behind win at Auburn last year as a turning point for him. The No. 1 Dawgs rallied behind Beck’s throws to tight end Brock Bowers.
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“That atmosphere is insane. It is absolutely ridiculous. That was my first road start,” Beck remembered. “We had to face adversity in that game. I threw a pick on the second drive I think. I missed a couple of throws early. We had a crucial turnover, and they went down and scored at the begging of the half. It was like: ‘Hey, let’s step up and man up. Let’s make this happen right now, or we are going to lose this game.’ That game was a turning point for my season for sure.”
That game helped Beck take a firmer grasp under center. Beck said he leaded on Sedrick Van Pran, a three-year starter for the Bulldogs at center, as the season got started.
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“I really leaned on him,” Beck said. “He had leadership. He had continuity with teammates. He had trust. He had respect. He could have the vocal say. I was the new guy on the block. I was the new quarterback. I wanted to build respect and trust as well.”
Kirby said he is eager to watch Beck in his final season at Georgia.
“All the years of practice and third down and pressure periods and blitz pickups paid off when he got to start,” Kirby said. “I would love to be able to replicate the DNA he has with which to respond to adversity.”