After Carson Beck threw for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2023, it was clear to everyone in and outside of Athens Georgia that Kirby Smart made the right decision in last offseason’s quarterback battle. Not that anybody needed further proof, but anybody who watched Brock Vandagriff’s SEC debut for Kentucky against South Carolina on Saturday got it.
This past offseason, seeing no path to playing time, the former five-star quarterback transferred to Kentucky along with veteran linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. That left Gunner Stockton as Georgia’s backup quarterback behind Beck and proved that keeping Vandagriff wasn’t a priority.
Vandagriff started his second career game on Saturday in Kentucky’s 31-6 blowout loss to South Carolina at home, but he didn’t finish it. Vandagriff was benched for Rutgers transfer Gavin Wimsatt after going completing just three of his 10 pass attempts for 30 yards with an interception. The Wildcats finished the game with just 183 total yards and averaged a staggeringly low 2.9 yards per play.
That abysmal performance came against a South Carolina defense that finished 90th in the country allowing 406.5 yards a game in 2023. The Gamecocks are far from an SEC contender or the type of team that expects to threaten Georgia. Meanwhile, Stockton went 10/12 passing for 90 yards in relief of Beck after the starter threw five touchdown passes in the first half.
Next Week, Georgia is heading to Lexington, but now it’s unclear if Vandagriff will be on the field for the reunion. Wimsatt went 3/7 for 14 yards with an interception.