Georgia football missed out on landing Arch Manning, but the Dawgs still have a talented quarterback room already on campus.
Georgia football already has a deep QB room full of talent has produced some understandable questions and speculation about the state of the Dawgs’ quarterback room moving forward.
The Dawgs heavily recruited Manning as the top overall recruit in the 2023 class, and it’s no secret that falling short on a player of his caliber is a considerable blow.
However, Georgia already has enough quarterback talent on the roster to overcome missing out on Manning and allow head coach Kirby Smart to pivot to other recruits in future classes.
With Stetson Bennett returning for the 2022 season, the questions regarding the position surround who will take over in 2023.
As the roster currently stands, there are three former highly rated quarterbacks behind Bennett who could compete for the starting job.
Georgia football doesn’t need Arch Manning to succeed in the quarterback room.
Redshirt sophomore Carson Beck was a 4-star recruit in the 2020 class. Beck was named Mr. Football in Florida in 2018 after throwing for 3,546 yards and 39 touchdowns. He has a solid arm and throws with accuracy at every level.
Because Beck has been in the system the longest, he could likely serve as Bennett’s backup in 2022 before attempting to win the starting job in 2023.
Years of eligibility remaining entering 2022:
— Connor O'Gara (@cjogara) June 23, 2022
Carson Beck, 4
Brock Vandagriff, 4
Both guys will enter 2023 with multiple years in Todd Monken's offense.
That would've been a daunting situation for a true freshman like Arch to walk into.
Brock Vandagriff was a highly touted 5-star in the 2021 recruiting class. His ability to throw on the run and extend plays with his legs give him the extra element that modern offenses tend to need.
As a senior in high school, Vandagriff passed for 4,162 yards and 46 touchdowns and added another 503 yards and 17 touchdowns rushing. With another year of development under his belt, he will also be primed to compete for the starting job in 2023.
The 2022 recruiting class brought Gunner Stockton, a 4-star out of Rabun County.
Stockton was electric in high school, accounting for 4,134 yards and 55 touchdowns through the air as a senior while only throwing one interception. He also rushed for 956 yards and 15 touchdowns, showcasing his dual-threat ability.
Stetson Bennett said early enrollee QB Gunner Stockton is constantly asking him questions and he’s “soaking it up like a sponge"
— Jed May (@JedMay_) March 22, 2022
It will not be as likely to see Stockton compete for the starting job in 2023, considering he will be a true freshman this season, but he very well could be in line to start in future years beyond.
Of course, this is contingent upon him sticking around and avoiding the transfer portal, but the same can be said for the others as well.
That is the brutal reality of college football today. Given how the transfer portal has contributed to a free agency of sorts, it is difficult to predict and account for the roster turnover that will happen for every team year-to-year.
The transfer portal could also positively come into play if Georgia finds itself needing depth at the quarterback position, as was the case with JT Daniels transferring from USC.
Georgia could still try to make a late push for a recruit in the 2023 class, but shifting the focus to 2024 recruits could also be just as likely.
With that in mind, Georgia is still nicely positioned at the quarterback position. Smart and his staff have recruited the position well in recent years, which will help mitigate the ripple effect caused by Manning committing elsewhere.