Georgia names Stetson Bennett's successor after back-to-back national championships

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The Georgia Bulldogs are in the hunt for their third straight national championship, and they'll have to win it without Stetson Bennett.

They think Carson Beck is the man to get them back into title contention after Kirby Smart named him the starting quarterback Saturday.

"He’s done the best job," Smart said of the junior. 

"We communicated that earlier in the week to the other quarterbacks, and we’ve kind of been operating that way. The other guys have done a tremendous job in terms of competing, and they’re going to continue to do that."

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Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck passes the ball during warmups before the Georgia G-Day Red and Black spring game April 15, 2023, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.  (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Beck had been the favorite to win the job over Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton, considering he was the backup to Stetson, now a Los Angeles Rams quarterback. But Smart said Beck took the opportunity and ran with it.

"Carson is ahead of the other guys in terms of what he understands about the offense," Smart said.

Carson Beck of the Georgia Bulldogs throws a pass during the Georgia Bulldogs' spring game at Sanford Stadium April 15, 2023, in Athens, Ga. (Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

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The head coach said he isn't sure who will get the backup job just yet, but he added he has been "really impressed with the other two quarterbacks throughout camp and how far they’ve come in terms of improvement."

Beck, a Jacksonville, Florida, native, saw action in seven games last year, completing 25 of 36 passing attempts for 310 yards and four touchdowns. In his career, he's 36-for-58 for 486 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. He even saw time in the national championship during a 65-7 blowout of TCU.

Carson Beck (15) and Stetson Bennett (13) of the Georgia Bulldogs react in the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football Playoff national championship game at SoFi Stadium Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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Beck has some big shoes to fill. In his final two seasons with the Bulldogs that both ended in championships, Bennett threw for 6,990 yards and 53 touchdowns and was named the MVP of both national title games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.