ATHENS — It’s time for the Georgia Bulldogs to get down to business.
Not that they haven’t been working. As of Friday, Georgia has conducted nine consecutive practices as part of preseason camp. Fundamentals, conditioning and installation have been the focus of the first two weeks. But Saturday is when “the rubber meets the road,” as they say. The Bulldogs will conduct the annual “Magill Scrimmage” at Sanford Stadium. It’s the first of two pre-fall competitive scrimmages in which the players’ performances in game-simulation situations will go a long way toward determining roles for the coming season and, ultimately, who makes the coveted travel roster.
Much attention will be focused on the quarterbacks, of course. Junior Carson Beck, sophomore Brock Vandagriff and freshman Gunner Stockton are competing to succeed Stetson Bennett as Georgia’s starting quarterback.
“It’s the closest thing we can get to a game,” said Mike Bobo, Georgia’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. “How are you going to handle those situations when you’re out there with the team by yourself? There are no coaches on the field. The bottom line for a quarterback is, can we execute? Are we going to be able to execute and get us in the right play, get us in the right protection, run the offense, handle third-down situations, red-zone situations. That’s what we’re looking for, handling those situations in a game and having continuity on offense.”
Of particular interest Saturday is how the Bulldogs might distribute the snaps with the No. 1 offense among the three candidates. Entering camp, coach Kirby Smart said he wanted that to be more evenly distributed among the top three candidates than in year’s past and vowed to closely monitor it.
Accordingly, Bobo often “four spots” the quarterbacks during pass-skeleton drills, rotating the fourth spot between a pair of walk-ons.
“I’ve been pleased with all the quarterbacks,” Bobo said. “We’ve been focusing on the process and each install and what we can control in that moment. Those guys have done a great job. There have been ups and downs, but they’ve been focused. They come into every meeting ready to go, prepared.”
Beck, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound fourth-year player, has a decided edge in game experience. He has played in 12 games over the past three seasons, including seven last year when he completed 74% of his passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.
Vandagriff, a 5-star prospect who grew up just outside of Athens in Bogart, has attempted only three passes in his career without a completion. A mobile, 6-3, 215-pound athlete, Vandagriff has one career carry for 7 yards.
The 6-1, 210-pound Stockton was redshirted last season.
The three quarterbacks got almost the exact number of pass attempts in the G-Day spring game in April, though Beck dominated the first-team reps. Beck was 15-of-22 passing for 231 yards and a TD, Vandagriff was 13-of-25 for 175, two TDs and one interception and Stockton was 13-of-22 for 144 yards and had a pass picked off for a touchdown.
Running back shortage
Run-game coordinator Dell McGee spoke Thursday about the Bulldogs’ running-back shortage in camp. Kendall Milton (hamstring), Branson Robinson (foot) and Andrew Paul (ACL) are all sidelined are limited because of injuries. That has left senior Daijun Edwards to split first-team reps with freshman Roderick Robinson and walk-ons Cash Jones and Sevaughn Clark.
It’s a shortfall McGee hopes to avoid in the future. Hence, Georgia has commitments from three highly rated running back prospects in the Class of 2024: Chauncey Bowens of North Palm Beach, Florida; Nate Frazier of Santa Ana, California; and Dwight Phillips of Mableton.
“We’ve been under our allotted number; we’re basically just getting to six,” McGee said of convincing that many backs to join one class. “It wasn’t really a ‘sale.’ Like I’ve said previously, running backs have all flourished at the University of Georgia. That’s the expectation. They want to be a part of that, just being competitive and having the chance to better themselves as men.”
Georgia’s ground game has been down the past three seasons. The Bulldogs haven’t produced a 1,000-yard rusher since D’Andre Swift in 2019 (1,218 yards). That ended a six-year streak of backs breaking that barrier.
Mostly that has been a function of strategy. Georgia’s throwing the ball more, to backs and everybody else. Kenny McIntosh had 829 rushing yards a year ago but added 504 yards in receiving.
Position battles rage on
Competition is present and continuous throughout camp. In the interest of Saturday’s scrimmage, some of the more pertinent position battles include left tackle, left guard, receiver, cornerback.
Junior left tackle Austin Blaske reportedly has made the battle with redshirt freshman Earnest Greene III for playing time much more interesting than originally expected. Along those lines, senior Xavier Truss likely will hold onto the No. 1 spot at left guard, but third-year sophomore Dylan Fairchild is giving him a run for his money.
The battle for cornerback reps between Daylen Everette, Nyland Green and Julian Humphrey likely will rage into the season. Helping that situation is returning starter Kamari Lassiter being sidelined with a lower-leg injury. Nevertheless, all of three of them will end up with some sort of role. Freshman Joenel Aguero is turning heads at safety.
Sorting out the wide-receiver rotation is going to be a difficult proposition for passing-game coordinator Bryan McClendon. Ladd McConkey, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Arian Smith have done nothing to devalue their status as starters, but the Bulldogs also are seeking ways to get transfers Dominic Lovett and Rara Thomas involved. Meanwhile, returning lettermen Dillon Bell, Jackson Meeks and walk-on Mekhi Mews have shown continued progress, and freshman Zeed Haynes has had several flash moments. The quality of depth here is rich.
Underplayed to date is the competition between kickers Jared Zirkel and Peyton Woodring. Look for Smart to manufacture some pressurized situations for both Saturday. For one or the other, post-practice running is sure to be riding on a long field-goal try.
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