Who Is The Real Carson Beck?

Which Carson Beck is the real one?

This is a question many are trying to answer after Georgia took care of business against Tennessee on Saturday, defeating the Volunteers 31-17. Beck was the second-leading rusher in the game for Georgia, with 32 yards on three carries. There was a moment early in the second quarter when Beck seemed to click and catch fire. This may have been the spark that ignited the flame. 

After the game, Beck spoke about how he was a dual-threat quarterback in high school and wanted to return to that. While it wasn’t a “Lamar Jackson-type” performance, it gave him the confidence to use his legs a few times in this game, including a 10-yard scamper in the third quarter for a touchdown. It was also the first time in four games that he didn’t turn the football over for Georgia, and they looked like the powerhouse offense we’ve come to know over the years. 

Multiple draft pundits made points on X about this being the Carson Beck they’ve been waiting to see, and the one NFL evaluators still believe in.

As with anything, there’s some nuance missing from this discussion when singling out a throw and attaching a face value to it. The throw, in particular, that Jim Nagy shows is well-located in the right situation. Here’s a better look at it:

There are a few things to gather from this throw, namely its location and timing. Beck is reading the far left safety and deciding on his movement. The concept pits two vertical routes against the left safety, forcing him to make a decision. He hesitates and opens his hips to the seam route, Oscar Delp. Beck reacts and immediately triggers this throw to Delp in between the split-safety look and locates it to a spot above and out of reach of the underneath defender who can’t see the ball. An NFL throw all day. But this process bleeds into his decision-making and teachings as well.

Going back to the Alabama game, Beck was chucking it deep all game long, based on the movement of the safeties. If he had one-on-ones on the outside, he was taking them. That’s a point of emphasis in the offense as it’s a continued focal point week in and week out, but it can create bad habits. He checks the safety and immediately triggers a throw down the right sideline, which the corner is almost waiting for. The throw clanks off the hands of the corner and falls incomplete. That should have been a turnover.

Every offense needs to be able to take shots down the field to be a fully functioning unit, but Georgia's frequent requests for Beck to do this have impacted his performances. The game plan for Georgia against Tennessee got him some easy completions, got him going, and helped him gain confidence, which was huge for Beck after the last month of games. 

Whether it was a fake toss to the outside or a pump like this one, Georgia routinely manipulated the second level of the defense and boundary players with these actions. They face man coverage, and Beck pumps the “screen” route while Delp releases on the wheel. Delp needs to sell the blocking action better next time, but he pulls free, and Beck throws it up to him, fading away. 

Once again, taking advantage of a turned defender, Beck slightly underthrows this ball, but Delp does an excellent job adjusting to it. In the second half of this game, Georgia did whatever they wanted to and kept Beck clean easily. He settled down and was decisive all half. 

Beck did a much better job of getting through his reads in the second half, giving his “go” ball players better chances and making the right throws. We can see the mental gears churning in this play, but he has time and doesn’t rush it. He wants to take the shot down the left side but clutches and turns it down. He gets to the right side and decides not to take that. Then, he steps up in the pocket and hits the late developing over-route. The receiver returns to the ball, and it’s an easy first down. 

When Beck is kept clean and gains confidence in the protection, he starts ripping more throws, and we saw that against Tennessee. His confidence grew throughout the game, but I still have reservations about Beck consistently from a ball placement perspective. His deep ball accuracy was an issue last season and has been in 2024, but the down-to-down placement can be an issue. 

Another great job scheming an easy throw for Beck at the end of the first half. Georgia motions to a bunch on the left side and the apex receiver, Delp, releases up the field and clears out underneath. The furthest-most outside receiver stems outside but cuts back inside and upfield, creating a natural pick for the delayed wheel route, and he’s wide open. Beck puts too much air under the ball and it floats too far to the sideline. He made the catch harder than it needed to be, and that happens more often than it should. 

Overall, I think the 2023 Carson Beck is a part of the Carson Beck we see today, but he trusted the weapons he had last season far more than the ones he’s played with in 2024, and that’s made a big difference. The protection and the playmakers have been down, and Beck hasn’t helped with his decision-making. But we saw what Beck could be at his core on Saturday. 

I don’t believe he’s a first-round quarterback and may be tapped out from an athletic development standpoint. However, I hope to see this version of Beck for the rest of the season because that Georgia team is the one that scares the rest of college football.