Georgia football could get a Joe Burrow year out of Carson Beck

Georgia football fans are chomping at the bit to see what Carson Beck can do as their starter.

Although Joe Burrow will forever be a college football legend from his time at LSU, the Georgia football program might have its closest approximation to date under center in one Carson Beck.

On3’s Andy Staples found it curious that Beck has discounted Heisman Trophy odds like Burrow did heading into the 2019 campaign. Although Burrow transferred over to LSU from Ohio State ahead of the 2018 season after losing the starting job to the late Dwayne Haskins, Beck has been in Athens since COVID. He has served as Stetson Bennett IV’s backup over the last three seasons.

Keep in mind Staples piling on praise of Georgia players is noteworthy because he has Florida ties.

"“About four years ago, Joe Burrow was +20,000 to win the Heisman. When the odds open, that means you bet 100 bucks, you win 20 grand. That is how much of a long shot Joe Burrow was going into that season … Carson Beck, probably the starting quarterback in Georgia, let’s think about how Heisman Trophy voting works, and I’m a Heisman voter, I try to look at all 22 positions.  I have had defensive lineman number one on my ballot before … So I’m looking at everybody, but I don’t know that all of the Heisman electorate is doing that. For the most part, it’s a quarterback on a team that is competing for the College Football Playoff for the national title. So Carson Beck +2,200 feels pretty safe.”"

If Georgia goes at least 11-1 this season and makes the College Football Playoff, you have to like the chances of Beck, or whoever the Dawgs’ starter is, of being invited to the Heisman ceremony.

Georgia football team could get a Joe Burrow season from Carson Beck in 2023

Look. When I say Joe Burrow season, I mean that Beck could be a real dark horse contender for the Heisman Trophy. He plays the right position for the right team to make this possible. Even if he did have to bide his time behind Bennett the last few years, Beck will not have to overcome the two-star, JUCO transfer label of his predecessor. Beck was a solid four-star coming out of Jacksonville.

The other big factor to keep an eye on with Georgia is there will be a slight change of guard offensively. Not only will Beck, or somebody else entirely, be the Dawgs’ new starting quarterback, but another former quarterback of theirs in Mike Bobo will be back calling the plays. His tenure as Mark Richt’s offensive coordinator went throughout my entire time in college. Bobo was excellent.

Because Beck is not the runner of Bennett, we may see the passing attack be eerily similar to what Bobo ran with former UGA stars in Matthew Stafford and Aaron Murray. Gunner Stockton would probably play the same if he were to beat out Beck. As for Brock Vandagriff, he is very much dual-threat like Bennett was, so the offense may be more akin to what Todd Monken was running.

Most importantly, the three quarterbacks of note on Georgia’s roster are not going to have great Heisman Trophy odds to begin with at this point of the offseason because, well, we don’t know for sure who the starter will be. My money is on Beck, but Vandagriff is dripping with talent and Stockton is competitive as hell. Either way, if you believe in Georgia, you’re sure to get great value.

Ultimately, if Beck or whoever were to throw for 40 touchdowns and surpass the 4,000-yard threshold, that might be good enough to get an invitation to New York in mid-December. Of course, Georgia needs to win the SEC, or at the very least be playing in a New Year’s Six bowl with only two blemishes on its resume. The Dawgs play such a soft schedule this year, so there’s that!

Of course, this could all be a moot point because Caleb Williams is still playing ball over at USC…