Signs point to QB Carson Beck getting first career start for Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia, yet again, finds itself with quarterback questions before opening its home slate on Saturday afternoon against UAB.
Bulldogs’ starting quarterback JT Daniels suffered an upper-body injury, according to multiple reports, leading up to Saturday’s game and has seen a decrease in first-team reps throughout the week. Head coach Kirby Smart revealed Tuesday that redshirt freshman Carson Beck has been the team’s backup quarterback.
Such positioning would put Beck in a spot to start against the Blazers if Daniels is unable to go, and Georgia could very well take a cautious approach.
Those close to Beck, including high school coach Bobby Ramsay, told The Telegraph on Friday that he has received indication that Beck will start Saturday for the Bulldogs. It would be his first-ever start and only significant action of his young career.
Ramsay unpacked Beck’s strengths in a Q&A with The Telegraph, and believed his former quarterback had the most talent among Georgia’s other options. The Bulldogs could also opt to start Stetson Bennett, who made five starts in 2020 as Daniels returned from an ACL injury.
It wasn’t immediately known if Daniels would be available to play Saturday. Georgia opens SEC play next weekend with a home game against South Carolina.
The quarterback questions have dominated the week, but curious minds also have other thoughts. Let’s do a mailbag and chat about everything surrounding Georgia’s first game between the hedges.
*For future mailbag stories, submit questions to Brandon Sudge at bsudge@gmail.com or to @brandonsudge on Twitter.
Will UGA cancel its game against UAB? Would it be a forfeit or a reschedule? — Dell F.
This question is in regard to Smart’s Monday comments that sent quite a few into a frenzy. He said Georgia is at its “highest spike” with COVID-19, and that “three or four” players have been out along with director of sports medicine Ron Courson and a few staff members.
Smart did not specify when these breakthrough cases to vaccinated individuals occurred, but a timeline might indicate that it happened prior to the Clemson game. So, Georgia doesn’t have a known risk of canceling Saturday’s home opener, because it would only be if a program is unable to field a team. If that were the case, though, Georgia would have to forfeit.
Smart said Wednesday that his comments got “blown way out of proportion.” There will be a game, though. No need to worry.
I’d like to hear more about Dan Jackson and playing 25% of the snaps against Clemson. — @BassinDawg
I did a bit of a double take when seeing No. 47 play so many snaps on Saturday versus Clemson. Turns out, it has been in the plans for quite some time.
At the end of recruiting cycles, Georgia adds a heap of walk-ons to the roster. They’ve got talent, but most of them aren’t expected to be big contributors on Saturday afternoons. Dan Jackson, out of North Hall, reached out to the program for a spot on the roster. Georgia watched his tape and approved.
Once Jackson arrived on campus, the Bulldogs did player testing with the 40-yard-dash. Jackson blew Georgia’s coaches away with his speed in a sense. Smart said, “This guy can help us on special teams” at the time, but it has become much more than that.
The redshirt sophomore jumped at the opportunity to help Georgia’s secondary when it lost so much depth. The Bulldogs lost plenty at safety and cornerback, and injuries have forced those challenges to continue. Jackson had been on the two-deep throughout spring practice, and he maintained that spot throughout preseason camp.
Jackson had some key plays against the Tigers that helped lead Georgia to victory in a defense-dominant performance.
“Dan came to us and wanted to walk-on,” Smart said. “We certainly thought he was a good high school player after watching his tape, and we thought he could help us. We didn’t realize he would help us this quickly. He’s a really good athlete who is very intelligent. He first got here, he ran a really fast 40-yard dash over the summer. We thought ‘This guy could help us on special teams. He’s done more than that. He’s taken an opportunity where we had very limited depth and he has seized the moment. We started working him in during bowl practice last year and we saw some flashes. He started going with the 2s in spring practice about the whole time. We felt good about his role, and he’s a blessing to coach.”
Do you think Georgia tries to move Jamaree Salyer to guard and see what Amarius Mims and Broderick Jones have (at tackle) this week? Or will Warren Ericson stay at guard? — Alex J.
Georgia had a luxury against Clemson with having Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and Warren Ericson available at both positions when right guard Tate Ratledge went down with a season-ending injury. The Bulldogs seamlessly allowed Ericson to slide into that spot after Van Pran-Granger earned the starting center role.
Smart, however, had some worry when pressed about his interior linemen. Georgia has a bit of a dilemma with playing the aforementioned duo together. If one gets hurt, then the Bulldogs don’t have a backup center. Therefore, Georgia is testing a number of different combinations, including moving Jamaree Salyer from left tackle to one of the guard spots. A game against UAB, although it might not be your typical buy game slaughter, might be a good chance for Georgia to experiment.
Georgia’s best group might be what it used against Clemson, but it’s unknown whether the depth can hold up. There are plenty of scholarship options available at every other position but center, including redshirt freshman Devin Willock who has been working with the second-team guards.
For Broderick Jones, though, Smart has made it clear that he’s “ready to go play” at offensive tackle.
How big is the Tate Ratledge injury for UGA’s title hopes? — Clay C.
Ratledge won the job out of the preseason, but Ericson is a much more experienced option who had been held back due to a hand injury. Ratledge simply hurts Georgia’s depth, but this is where the recruiting hauls of Sam Pittman and Matt Luke that made a lot of people say “What will you do with all of these offensive linemen?” pays off. Georgia will have to make the right decisions with swapping players at certain positions, and it should be fine if they pan out.
Here’s another offensive line update for a guy who is asked about a lot, Clay Webb. Smart said the sophomore has had numerous bouts with injuries and had a battle with mononucleosis which caused him to lose weight. Based on those comments, Webb might not be in the Bulldogs’ immediate plans as a former five-star and No. 1 ranked prospect out of Alabama.
Which scout teamers are working hard? Let’s see if Kirby can give them a well-deserved shoutout. — former Georgia offensive lineman Koby Pyrz
Scout team players, you matter too!
A question from Koby made me smile, because it seemed as if the Cairo kid had been a Bulldog forever as a scout team extraordinaire. At any program, for those of you who might pay much less attention to those who don’t consistently play on Saturdays, those who work behind the scenes are equally as important as the 11 who line up on each side. They simulate opposing players and constantly develop in order to earn an on-field role.
As Tuesday’s press conference closed, I asked for a scout team rundown and Smart rattled off a list. Freshman quarterback Brock Vandagriff has already become a major contributor for Georgia while providing a look of opposing quarterbacks to the defense. Graduate linebacker John Staton, a transfer from Samford, represented Clemson star James Skalski last week and did a fine job, Smart said. Others improving include offensive lineman Micah Morris, defensive lineman Jonathan Jefferson and freshman linebacker Xavian Sorey.
“Those are some high-effort guys who practice really hard each day to make us better,” Smart said.
What’s going on with Arik Gilbert? — Adam C.
Nothing is new on Georgia’s big-bodied receiver who it added from LSU. Arik Gilbert left the program early during preseason practices for reasons surrounding mental health. He wasn’t with the program ahead of last Saturday’s opener, and it is unknown whether he has returned to Athens. This has been a recurring issue for Gilbert, so the Bulldogs are taking a patient approach while anticipating the addition of an offensive weapon.
I don’t know much about Gilbert, but I can use this question to provide updates on a few other fan-favorite pass catchers. There’s a guy named George Pickens who I’m sure there’s some interest in.
Pickens suffered a torn ACL during the spring, and is expected to miss most of the season. Smart updated his status on Tuesday and said the wunderkind receiver is continuing to rehab and running in straight-line drills. Georgia receives monthly updates on Pickens, and he’s expected to meet with Dr. James Andrews soon to take a step in his recovery.
“I have no idea on a date of return, that’s too far out there,” Smart said.
Kearis Jackson and Dominick Blaylock are nearing return from knee injuries, Smart said, although Blaylock might be “closer to 100% than Kearis.”
This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 2:32 PM.