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What Georgia will look like in 2021 Part 17: Quarterbacks

Let’s be honest with ourselves here, folks.

This is meant as no offense to any other player at any other position returning for the Bulldogs this fall. We all know how hard they work.

But when fans, and even some experts, predict that Georgia could be headed for a big year in 2021, it's because of what, and who, the Bulldogs have returning at quarterback.

JT Daniels, the floor is yours.

It has been made painfully clear over the past few seasons that, to compete for a national championship, you need a dynamic offense and a quarterback capable of performing at an All-American level.

In Daniels, the hope is the Bulldogs have finally found their man.

Experience is often the best teacher, and as impressive as Kirby Smart has been in his six years as Georgia’s head coach, the Bulldogs have not exactly been an offensive juggernaut—at least not compared to teams such as Clemson, LSU, and Alabama, college football’s last three national champions.

Although you could still put up a very good argument for Georgia being “Running Back U,” the overall lack of explosiveness and inability to consistently stretch the field has kept the team from reaching the kind of potential fans would have liked to have seen.

Step 1 in fixing those issues took place just over a year ago, when Smart brought in Todd Monken as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Step 2 was finding a quarterback. The Bulldogs thought they had one when Jamie Newman came over as a grad transfer from Wake Forest. But when those plans changed after Newman’s decision to opt-out, Georgia was left scrambling—no pun intended—to find a quarterback with the ability to execute the offense at the kind of level Monken was hired to run.

We need to pay proper respect to Stetson Bennett. He may not be the most physically gifted quarterback, but he worked hard and did exactly what he was asked to do. He beat a pair of ranked teams, and had Bama on its heels for a half.

Folks who like to rip on the lifelong Bulldog for the work he did should hand in their fan cards.

That said, it was also plain to see that Georgia needed more from its quarterback if the team wanted to have the kind of offense it will need to compete for a playoff spot this fall.

Based on what we saw from Daniels last year, a number of pundits believe the Bulldogs have a good chance of returning to the playoffs for the first time in four years.

In his four games last year, Daniels completed 80 of 119 passes for 1,231 yards, 10 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. If you prorate those numbers over a full 12-game season (assuming the level of play remains the same), you have a season in which Daniels would complete 240 of 357 passes for 3,693 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Statistically, it would rank as one of the greatest single-season efforts by a Bulldog quarterback in school history. But of course, the level of competition will be ratcheted up this fall.

Make no misakes, JT Daniels is the key to Georgia's upcoming season.
Make no misakes, JT Daniels is the key to Georgia's upcoming season. (USA Today)
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During Tuesday’s impromptu Zoom session with reporters, Smart was asked about the importance of spring practice as pertaining specifically to Daniels.

Although the answer was obvious, considering Covid-19 canceled spring practice and Daniels did not arrive on campus until the summer—Smart diverged from the original intent of the question and applied it to his entire team.

“Everybody needs spring practice, let’s be honest. There's nobody on our roster—you could even say our returning fifth-year guys. It’s important that they get the spring practice they have,” Smart said. “With the quarterback position, the continuity of the offense, that’s critical. You want to be able to get some relationships built there. Continuity toward the end of the year began to improve. Obviously offensively, we have a lot of guys coming back, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to have success just because they’re coming back.”

In other words, success is a team effort. But if the Bulldogs are not getting stellar play from the quarterback position, it won't result.

Although Smart will also tell you that no starting job is set, let’s just say it will be one of the biggest storylines in the SEC if Daniels is not the man under center to start the season.

We're told Daniels has spent the winter workouts doing everything you expect your starting quarterback to do: being a leader in the weight room; building chemistry with his receivers; and putting in extra film work, as he prepares for the official start of spring practice, set for March 16.

“What you do, and what you earn, is what you get in the offseason. Nothing is given to you; there’s no entitlement,” Smart said. “I think JT understands that. I think the rapport with the receiver group for all the quarterbacks is going to be extremely important in terms of developing our offense and getting timing in the passing game.”

But what about the rest of the quarterback room? Assuming Daniels is the starter, which of the trio of Brock Vandagriff, Stetson Bennett, and Carson Beck will serve as the top backup?

The big addition to the roster is Vandagriff, an early enrollee, who most have already penciled in as Georgia’s quarterback of the future.

The good news for Vandagriff is he will not have to undergo surgery to repair the knee injury he played with while leading Prince Avenue to a state championship. The former five-star will be able to get to work learning the system and preparing for the day he’ll run the offense.

Vandagriff, whose competitiveness has already been lauded by Smart, will get his shot, and coaches will obviously take a close look. But could he ascend to No. 2 in his first year?

Perhaps, although Smart and Monken could prefer to do much like Mark Richt and Mike Bobo did with Aaron Murray, when a redshirt year freed him to learn the system before he assumed the starting job the following year.

Should Daniels leave for the NFL after this year, we could possibly be facing a similar scenario next fall.

Of course, Bennett and Beck would love to have something to say about that. Bennett has won games for UGA. He knows the system and has healed from the injury he suffered against Florida.

Beck hasn't received a lot of attention from some fans, largely because the Jacksonville native had much to work on since he arrived on campus as an early enrollee, just over a year ago.

Some have questioned if Beck had what it takes to ultimately become the starting quarterback.

Smart was asked that very question last November.

“I think he's growing, getting better, which is what we challenge every player to do in our program. You want to get better,” Smart said. “We've got a lot of freshmen on our team who maybe haven't gotten the opportunity to play, and you're only able to put 11 out there, the last time I checked.”

Beck saw primarily third- and scout team reps last year for the Bulldogs, but this spring is expected to receive a long look to see exactly what he can do.

“We try to put the ones out there who give us the best opportunity to win,” Smart said in November. “But what we think we do better is, we really plot and plan how we develop a guy and how he gets reps, and how he gets work to grow as a player.”

From Earlier

Part 16: Running Back

Part 15: Right Tackle

Part 14: Right Guard

Part 13: Center

Part 12: Left guard

No. 11: Left tackle

Part 10: Split end

Part 9: Flanker

Part 8: Slot Receiver

Part 7: Tight ends

Part 6: Defensive Line

Part 5: Outside Linebacker

Part 4 - Inside Linebackers

Part 3 - Cornerback

Part 2 - Star

Part 1 - Safety

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