Carson Beck leadership style coming to the forefront in fall camp

ATHENS, Ga. — Ask any Georgia wide receiver about Carson Beck, and they are confident in what he brings to the table at quarterback. Starting in the spring, over the summer and into the fall, Beck has built a strong sense of chemistry with the talented group of pass catchers, something that should make Georgia’s transition at quarterback from Stetson Bennett go pretty smoothly.

Among those receivers is Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint. He’s plenty familiar with Beck having crossed paths with him even before the two starting suiting up for Georgia.

Rosemy-Jacksaint said he and Beck met at The Opening prior to their senior seasons. Their teams also played each other during that fall of 2019, a game that went the way of Rosemy-Jacksaint’s St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders. Then, the conversations were about what it would be like to play together in college. Now, with a chance to do so, the focus is on continuing to get better to give Georgia the best chance to bring another championship back to Athens.

“I definitely believe Carson has the capability to keep the offense going. I feel like this is going to be a great year for him,” Rosemy-Jacksaint said. “He’s been doing everything right. He’s been doing the little things right. He’s been real focused. He’s been in the playbook. We all have trust in him. If he starts, he starts, and if he’s going, he’s going to execute at a high level. Whoever starts at that — whoever’s in at quarterback — we believe in them to execute at a high level and lead us to victory.”

Both members of the Class of 2020, Rosemy-Jacksaint and Beck have been on campus together their entire collegiate careers. While Rosemy-Jacksaint had an opportunity to make an immediate impact, playing in six games before an injury on his first career touchdown grab ended his season early, Beck has had to wait for his chance. During that time, Rosemy-Jacksaint says he’s grown as a leader.

“I’ll say definitely in a leadership role point is the one (area) he’s had the most growth in,” Rosemy-Jacksaint said. “He came in and he was behind Stet at the time. I feel like this year he’s been growing a lot in terms of leadership and making sure everybody knows what’s going on and pushing the o-line, the d-line, the receivers, everybody. When the offense isn’t looking good, he just picks us up and keeps everything going. I feel like he’s been doing a great job this year so far just keeping us going and just us taking charge and following his lead.”

Rosemy-Jacksaint’s not the only one that’s noticed Beck’s increased role as a leader. Fellow receiver Ladd McConkey and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart are aware of the ways in which he can rally his teammates.

“Carson’s a guy who, I like to say, comes to work. He’s confident in himself, and that’s the biggest thing. When he gets his confidence, he gets rolling. No one’s stopping him,” McConkey said. “He’s going to be a huge part of our offense. Whether it’s him, whether it’s Brock, whether it’s Gunner, I have so much confidence in all those guys. To play quarterback, you’ve got to have a little swagger about you. I feel like all those guys have that.”

“Carson is a very even-keeled individual. He’s been that way ever since we recruited him, all the way back in his 11th grade year. He’s not a highs and lows, he’s not a real emotional guy. He’s not a real fiery guy. He’s very laid back. He understands his job. He’s very intelligent,” Smart added. “Every leader has their own way. He certainly commands the room. I think the players around him understand how bright he is and they trust him. Carson’s had a lot of reps and a lot of work, which hasn’t all been game reps. He’s had a huge mass of reps against a good defense, against a really good defense in ours. His leadership method’s kind of still being developed. It’s no different than Gunner (Stockton) and Brock (Vandagriff). They each one have different ways about them. That’s true with the guy that just left, too.”

Of course Georgia has yet to name a starter as the Bulldogs head into a second scrimmage of the fall. Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton will continue to push Beck for playing time – and it may not be decided until after the team’s first few games of the season. However, based on the experience advantage he has and his strong showing in the spring game, Beck is considered to be the favorite for the starting spot.

Georgia, ranked No. 1 in both of the preseason editions of the AP and Coaches polls, kicks off the 2023 campaign on September 2nd at Sanford Stadium against UT-Martin (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+/SECN+).