Georgia’s Carson Beck talks QB battle, 2023 season

“There’s a mission and just play for the team every single day.”

Georgia’s offense will look much different in 2023 with the departure of two-time national champion quarterback Stetson Bennett and offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

New offensive coordinator Mike Bobo now holds the keys to the Bulldogs attack, but all eyes will be on the quarterback battle between Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton this offseason.

Vandagriff, a rising redshirt sophomore, and Stockton, a freshman who redshirted in 2022, have ground to gain over rising senior Beck, who backed up Bennett in 2023.

Beck completed 36 of 58 passes for 486 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions and 12 runs for 58 yards over the last two seasons.

Beck spoke recently on the offseason competition with 247Sports.

“I’ve learned a lot. I’ve sat behind some great quarterbacks who have done a lot in their careers, especially Stetson. Watching them and how they prepare, there are little bits and pieces that you can take from every guy that’s come through our program. I can apply some of that to my game. There are things that you figure out. I’ve been here for three years. I’ve matured a lot in terms of not only the football side but also just the life side. I think sitting and you know, being patient, like you said, has ultimately made me a better player and a better person for it.”

Beck spent three years under the tutelage of Monken, who gradually improved Georgia’s offense statistically each season.

“I’d say my strong suits are that I am very smart, so the mental part of the game. I think another thing that’s added to that is being in the system for three years and understanding what we are trying to do with the offense. We got a bunch of dudes — wide receivers, tight ends, running backs, and just distributing the ball around. I feel like that’s one of my strengths.”

Beck said he benefited from sitting behind Bennett.

“The biggest thing I learned from Stetson is just focusing on what needs to be done. I know, that sounds so simple, but it’s very hard sometimes with all the outside noise. He’s got it the most out of anybody. I think that’s one of the biggest takeaways that I can take from him. It’s just focusing on what needs to be done. There’s a mission and just play for the team every single day.”

Georgia returns six starters on offense, including leading receivers Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey.

“We’re very young if you really look at it. We got a lot of great dudes on our offense that are explosive and can make plays right after the catch. Go up and get balls. It’s super exciting. It’s a lot of fun to watch.”

Spring practice is scheduled to begin the week of March 14, culminating with the annual G-Day spring game in Sanford Stadium on April 15.

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2024 Georgia DL target clocks insane 400 meter time

Sub 55 seconds at 268 pounds?!

Five-star 2024 defensive lineman Eddrick Houston is one of the most coveted recruits in the country.

Houston, out of Buford High School in Buford, Ga., is rated as the No. 2 defensive lineman, the No. 3 player in the state and the No. 9 player overall, according to 247Sports Composite.

Rusty Mansell of 247Sports reported on Tuesday that Houston clocked a sub 55 second 400 meter dash in Buford High School’s time trials ahead of the track & field season.

The average 400 meter dash time for a Division 1 athlete is 47.5 – 51 seconds. Houston posting a sub 55 second time at 268 pounds as a junior in high school is absurd.

Georgia is among Houston’s top 10 schools, according to an announcement on Nov. 8.

Oregon, Texas, Alabama, Michigan State, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Tennessee and LSU are also in the mix.

A commitment from Eddrick would add to the Bulldogs’ already star-studded No. 1 ranked 2024 class. 

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Georgia’s Jamon-Dumas Johnson ranked No. 4 among returning LBs

‘Pop’ Johnson is one of the best returning LBs in CFB…

Georgia inside linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson is one of the top returning linebackers for the 2023 season, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Johnson comes in at No. 4 after exceeding expectations as a first-year starter as the Bulldogs secured their second consecutive national title.

Johnson earned Butkus Award semifinalist and All-SEC second team honors after a season in which he totaled 70 tackles (second on the team), four sacks (second on the team), nine tackles for loss (led team), with three pass breakups and one forced fumble in 15 games.

“Dumas-Johnson is the next great Georgia linebacker, following past Bulldog greats such as Roquan Smith and Nakobe Dean. In fact, over the past two seasons, the only SEC linebacker with a higher grade than Dumas-Johnson is Dean. The sophomore led the SEC this season with a 79.9 run-defense grade.” – PFF

Johnson was asked to the fill the void after 2021 Butkus Award winner Nakobe Dean was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles and quickly became one of the Bulldogs defensive leaders in 2022.

Georgia should be in good hands at inside linebacker with rising juniors Johnson and Smael Mondon entering their second season as starters in 2023.

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Georgia football named No. 1 by ESPN’s 2023 SP+ rankings

ESPN’s 2023 SP+ rankings are out with UGA on top…

Georgia football is projected at the top of college football in 2023, according to ESPN’s 2023 SP+ rankings.

ESPN states the SP+ measurements are based on returning production, recent recruiting and recent history.

The back-to-back national champion Bulldogs come in at No. 1, followed by Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama and Penn State.

Tennessee (No. 6) and LSU (No. 7) round out the SEC’s top selections.

The Bulldogs were ranked No. 3 at this time last year.

The SEC is projected as the top conference in college football in 2023, followed by the Big Ten and Big 12.

Georgia’s returning production on defense should help the offense’s transition as new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo replaces Todd Monken, who was hired by the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs return six starters on offense and seven on defense for 13 total, which is three more than Georgia returned from its 2022 national title team.

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A look at Georgia’s offensive staff following Todd Monken’s departure

Georgia’s offensive staff as it stands…

Georgia football quickly promoted offensive analyst Mike Bobo to offensive coordinator on Tuesday following Todd Monken’s move to the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.

Monken’s departure was no surprise. The two-time national champion play-caller was a candidate for multiple pro offensive coordinator roles since the Bulldogs’ secured another title in January.

Bobo played quarterback for Georgia alongside teammate Kirby Smart from 1994-1997. Bobo coached UGA quarterbacks starting in 2001 under former head coach Mark Richt before taking over as offensive coordinator for the Bulldogs from 2007-2014.

In 2015, Bobo took the head coaching position at Colorado State where he spent five seasons before moving on to South Carolina in 2020 as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.

Bobo spent the 2021 season at Auburn as offensive coordinator and took an offensive analyst role with Georgia in the spring of last year.

Bobo’s son, Drew, is a a freshman offensive lineman for the Bulldog

Here’s a look at the Bulldogs offensive staff following the recent moves:

 

 

Report: Georgia football hires Mike Bobo as OC

Bobo replaces Todd Monken, who is returning to the NFL

Head coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs did not take long to hire another offensive coordinator after Todd Monken accepted the Ravens’ offensive coordinator role.

Mike Bobo served as an offensive analyst for Georgia in 2022. Now, Georgia is hiring Bobo as its offensive coordinator. Bobo was the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2014. Bobo coached quarterbacks from 2001 to 2006 during the Mark Richt era in Athens.

Georgia Bulldogs offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is entering into a good situation. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

A lot of things have changed since Bobo left as Georgia’s offensive coordinator in 2014. Kirby Smart and Todd Monken helped Georgia win back-to-back national championships and have recruited at an elite level.

The Georgia offensive line and defense are playing at a much higher level than they were during Bobo’s final few seasons as offensive coordinator at Georgia.

Bobo was the head coach at Colorado State from 2015-2019. Bobo served as the offensive coordinator at South Carolina in 2020 under Will Muschamp and in the same role for Auburn for the 2021 season. Bobo has significant experience coaching in the SEC.

Bobo helped develop quarterbacks David Greene, Matthew Stafford and Aaron Murray. Now, he will be tasked with determining Stetson Bennett’s successor as Georgia’s starting quarterback.

Georgia has a core of coaches that are former Georgia players. Kirby Smart played in Athens from 1995 to 1998. Mike Bobo played quarterback at Georgia from 1993 to 1997. Will Muschamp, who played at Georgia from 1991 to 1994, is the Bulldogs’ co-defensive coordinator.

Seth Emerson of The Athletic first reported Bobo’s hiring:

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Highlights: five-star 2024 Georgia TE commit Landen Thomas

Highlights of the No. 1 TE in the country…

Five-star 2024 tight end Landen Thomas is one of the top players in the country.

The Georgia commit is ranked as the No. 1 tight end, the No. 5 player in the state of Georgia and the No. 22 recruit overall in the class, according to 247Sports.

Thomas (6-foot-4, 235 pounds) attends Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Georgia, and committed to the Bulldogs in July of 2022.

Thomas has good speed for his size and has been utilized as both a slot receiver and in-line blocker.

Check out Thomas’ junior season highlights here:

The Bulldogs have the No. 1 2024 class, per 247Sports.

Highlights: five-star 2024 Georgia CB commit Ellis Robinson IV

Highlights of the No. 1 corner recruit in the ’24 class…

Five star Georgia cornerback commit Ellis Robinson IV is rated as the No. 1 corner and the No. 8 recruit in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports.

Robinson attends IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He originally hails from New York, where he built a relationship with then-Rutgers defensive backs coach Fran Brown, who is at Georgia.

Standing 6-foot, 175 pounds, Robinson’s length and man-to-man coverage skills make him one of the top defenders in his class.

Check out Robinson’s career highlight tape here:

The Bulldogs are building a star-studded 2024 class that is rated as the No. 1 class in the country, per 247Sports.

 

 

Georgia’s Mykel Williams ranked at the top of returning edge rushers

Mykel Williams getting much deserved offseason hype…

Georgia edge rusher Mykel Willams burst on to the scene in his freshman season in 2022.

The former four-star recruit led the Bulldogs in both sacks (4.5) and quarterback hurries (31), while helping UGA to its second consecutive national title.

It’s worth noting that Williams started just two games in the regular season.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) rated Williams as the No. 5 returning edge defender for the 2023 season.

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Williams seemed to grow stronger as his freshman season progressed. The Columbus, Ga., native recorded a sack and a tackle for loss in the Georgia’s Peach Bowl win over Ohio State and continued to impress in the national championship win over TCU with a sack and a tackle for loss.

Williams is in line for a starting role in 2023 with upperclassmen Robert Beal Jr. and Nolan Smith’s departure to the NFL.

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Texas, Oklahoma to join SEC in 2024

Conference realignment incoming?

The Southeastern Conference announced on Thursday that the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma will join the SEC in 2024.

The two marquee Big 12 programs were previously scheduled to join the conference in 2025, but are leaving one year early at the cost of a combined $100 million dollars in exit fees.

Texas and Oklahoma chose to forgo the total in revenue instead of paying out the required fees.

The addition will give the SEC 16 teams, opening conference realignment possibilities.

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