As we wrap up the offensive portion of our post-spring breakdown, let’s slide over to quarterback.
Although Kirby Smart made it clear before spring practice started that JT Daniels was going to be the guy (no shock there, huh?), that did not keep the position from being one of the most closely-watched.
While there’s still no official word on who Daniels’ top backup will be, based on what we saw during G-Day, the quarterback room certainly appears to be in good hands.
What we knew
The simple fact that Smart went ahead and announced Daniels as his starter before spring practice began raised a few eyebrows. It’s not that it wasn’t expected.
Anybody who considers themselves a Bulldog could have told you that. Still, when you consider Smart never did that in any of his previous five years qualified that announceo as going against his norm.
Daniels did not disappoint.
As expected, Daniels appeared to be in total control in the G-Day game. He made good decisions, distributed the ball to a bevy of different receivers, and by the time his day was done, had completed 28 of 41 passes for 324 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Daniels has just been with the program a little under a year, but aside from his on-field performance, he’s becoming one of the better leaders on the team. That certainly qualifies as good news. Smart has said numerous times that he wants his teams to be player-led, and based on word from inside Butts-Mehre, Daniels is doing his part.
We’re told he’s beginning to be more vocal and leading by example. He’s becoming the type of player that teammates rally around.
For those wondering, Daniels is the healthiest he’s been since before his knee injury at Southern Cal and appears ready to have a banner year.
If one were to prorate last year’s four-game totals (80 of 119 passes for 1,231 yards and 10 touchdowns, a bar) you’d be looking at one of the best single-season totals in Bulldog history. Granted, those last four games were not against the toughest competition UGA faced.
What we learned
A lot of folks might have written off Carson Beck, but the redshirt freshman made it clear in the spring he’s capable of being a big part of Georgia’s future quarterback plans.
We began to hear hear rumblings during the spring that the Jacksonville native was starting to excel, and we saw a much better quarterback during G-Day.
Beck saw extensive action and responded by completing 22-of-31 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw an interception, but he also looked quite comfortable running the offense and made some very nice throws.
Smart made it clear after G-Day that the No. 2 quarterback spot is still very much up for grabs, but in the estimation of most, Beck certainly did not hurt his chances.
After the events of last year, it would have been easy for Beck to pout and feel sorry for himself, but he did the opposite. He worked even harder, did everything possible to improve his game and show coaches he’s more than capable of doing a good job should he be called upon.
Stetson Bennett did not play a lot, but that can be attributed to coaches already knowing what they have in the senior from Blackshear.
True freshman Brock Vandagriff certainly flashed.
The former five star made some nice throws, had some nice runs, and played with the kind of moxie he displayed leading Prince Avenue to the Private School Class A state championship.
Although there were still some “freshman moments,” it’s easy to see why Georgia made Vandagriff its quarterback target for its 2021 class.
He’s going to be good one.
What we're waiting on
From the standpoint of who’s going to be Georgia’s starting quarterback, there is no drama.
JT Daniels is going to be the man and as long as he stays healthy there’s a lot to look forward to. Even with George Pickens out with his ACL injury, there are still plenty of weapons for Daniels to use.
The biggest questions is who wins the top backup job.
Beck certainly accounted for himself well. He really made some nice throws and showed excellent poise.
As for Bennett, offensive coordinator Todd Monken knows what he has in the senior, who stepped up big time for the program last year when the Bulldogs had no where else to turn. Fans sometimes give Bennett a hard time, but he deserves major respect for the work he did last fall.
It will be interesting to see how much Vandagriff will be used should the opportunity arise. Like Beck, there’s a good chance that Vandagriff will not see a ton of action, unless the game’s a blowout.
He can still get into four games and keep his redshirt.
For those who forgot, Aaron Murray redshirted his freshman year before exploding on the college scene the following year.
Should Daniels go pro after this year, that will leave Beck and Vandagriff with another year’s experience under their respective belts before battling it out for the starting job in 2022.
What they said
Kirby Smart on the importance of JT Daniels having a full spring: "He's got command of the offense; he's got an ability to utilize the pocket. We work on that each and every day. Coach Monken is always driving that home with him, his ability to move in the pocket, step up. The offensive line has got to protect him and get him an opportunity. There were times today there were four-man rushes. We got some pressure, guys got pushed back into him. I think that is important -- allow him to step up in the pocket, move around and make plays down the field. But he has command of it, he understands it. The key is his decision-making process. We know the quarterback position there is probably a decision that has to be made every single play, and he manages that really well fortunately."
JT Daniels on having a spring: “It's massive, I think this might be my fifth spring ball in my life counting high school. I've never too much experience in spring. The years that you do, it's 15 extra practices. Fifteen practices worth of reps with the guys you're going to be playing. If you got something you want to work on based on last year what you saw, you have all spring to do it without having to wait a whole year. There's been a lot of improvement to me overall personally and also with a lot of guys stepping up in the receiver room. There's a lot better chemistry that you notice from the spring game compared to the 180, when I was first starting to rep with the 1s.”
