NASHVILLE - Even with fall camp right around the corner, Kirby Smart is in no rush to make a decision at quarterback.
The competition between Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff, and Gunner Stockton has been going on virtually since the 2022 season ended. Nearly seven months later, Smart isn't ready to make a final call.
"It’s way more important to get it right, which I don’t know if we’ve always done, than it is to do it fast," Smart said. "I can’t put a timetable on that or a volume of plays. I thought we did a really good job in the spring of doing that. Coach Bobo [offensive coordinator Mike Bobo] and the offensive staff bring me a sheet every day that says this is who is getting the 1s percentage, this is who is getting the 2s, and who is getting the 3s."
Smart referred to the case of Stetson Bennett as a learning moment for the coaching staff.
"Looking back, you can make a case why Stetson didn’t get more reps for two years," Smart said. "I understand why he didn’t get more reps as a freshman walk-on but upon his return, maybe we didn’t manage it right, but we certainly didn’t rush into it."
While practice is vital, nothing compares to game action.
For one, the quarterbacks are going against someone other than their teammates. It also gives them a chance to go through the highs and lows a game can present.
Beck has by far the most game experience, with 58 collegiate pass attempts to his name. Vandagriff has just three pass attempts, while Stockton didn't see the field at all during his 2022 freshman season.
"(Game action) is the No. 1 measure we have. But it’s the one thing we can’t measure (in practice) because we don’t tackle the quarterback. In the game, they get tackled," Smart said. "So, Brock (Vandagriff) has very limited game action. We didn’t give Brock an opportunity to open and do things in games. Carson, we loosened up and did more things, so we’ve got more measurement there. Gunner didn’t get any. The closest thing these guys have to game action is the spring.”
Georgia's player representatives didn't offer much in the way of clarity. Center Sedrick Van Pran told reporters he knows about as much as they do about the competition.
Whoever ends up earning the job, Van Pran knows he will have full belief from his teammates.
"I think once you are somebody that’s working with someone, you’re watching them work, you’re watching how they prepare, you’re watching film, recovery, whatever you’re doing, that creates a level of confidence. A lot of times, what we kind of forget is that although people may doubt you, they aren’t seeing that," Van Pran said. "I think that’s the biggest thing as far as expectations is just understanding that expectations have nothing to do with how you prepare, how you handle yourself. It’s moreso, to be honest, just what people see on the surface."
