Rumor crushed: Georgia's interest in Carson Beck revealed after QB entered transfer portal

The last two weeks for Georgia football has been a roller coaster. Gunner Stockton made his first college football start after Carson Beck injured his elbow during the SEC championship game. 

While the Bulldogs were prepping for a College Football Playoff semifinal game, Beck reportedly was declaring for the draft. Then Georgia’s season ended with a 23-10 loss to Notre Dame. Later Beck backtracked on declaring for the draft and surprisingly headed for the transfer portal. 

Then Beck landed at Miami. And throughout the last week since Miami lured the former UGA quarterback to south Florida, the speculation about how and why grew intense. Even making some think the Bulldogs didn’t want anything to do with Beck next season. 

Well, that’s malarky. According to a USA Today story, Georgia did in fact want Beck back on the sideline. But it seems they weren’t willing to meet the alleged $4 million price point Miami offered him. 

Georgia wanted Carson Beck, but Beck was ready to move out of Athens

The Bulldogs, despite regressing as an offense and watching Beck’s draft stock plummet from being an early season favorite to be the top pick in the NFL, they wanted him back for one final season. 

In the USA Today story, Kirby Smart was the first to attempt to sway Beck back to Athens upon Beck’s entry into the portal. But he felt his time was done.

And honestly, the Bulldogs might be better for it. Beck saw what Mario Cristobal did with Cam Ward in one year. That was too good for him to pass up. You can’t blame Beck either because it’s not like UGA quarterbacks are elite in the NFL — save for Matthew Stafford. 

Georgia turning to Stockton or Ryan Puglisi next year is probably for the better. The offense wasn’t what it has been in the past under Smart. But this is the perfect chance to move on to a new era in Bulldogs football.

They picked up Zachariah Branch out of the portal from USC. And they’ll have to get more active in the transfer portal as well with Trevor Etienne announcing he’s headed for the NFL too. But the good thing is, they don’t have to feel like Beck is holding them back. 

Because that’s what it felt like this season. Beck fell apart midway through the year, costing a game against Alabama, Ole Miss and almost losing to Georgia Tech, Florida and Texas. 

Smart might have not been ready to exile Beck after he saw what the offense looked like with Stockton. But the reality is, Beck selfishly ditching Athens for South Beach is better for Georgia. 

So yeah, they were interested in Beck even after he shockingly flipped from the NFL draft to the transfer portal. Smart wasn’t ready to abandon Beck. That just proves, Georgia is better without Beck because he clearly didn’t want to be there anyway.