Georgia is hoping to cement its status as the premier college football program over the next month.
Clinching a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 Overall seed, the Bulldogs will eventually face the winner of the game between No. 10 Indiana and No. 7 Notre Dame.
Georgia will be doing so, however, without one of its most important players.
Quarterback Carson Beck appears to be unavailable for that contest — and perhaps the entire playoffs should Georgia advance. He suffered an elbow injury during Georgia’s win over Texas in the SEC Title Game earlier this month. The injury reportedly may require surgery, and with Beck potentially leaving college to become an NFL Draft pick in a few months, it wouldn’t necessarily be prudent for him to try and play through it.
On the year, Beck threw for 28 TDs and 3,485 yards. He completed 64.7 percent of his passing attempts. However, he also threw 12 interceptions. Georgia still had a solid regular season all things considered even though Beck probably wasn’t as dominant as many expected him to be.
With Beck sidelined, it appears as if Gunner Stockton will take the reins of the offense. According to 247Sports, Stockton was rated the No. 110 prospect overall nationally in the 2022 class. He also was considered the No. 11 prospect in Georgia that year.
In parts of two seasons, Stockton has completed 37-of-51 passes for 354 yards. His statistical breakdown includes 2 TDs and 2 INTs in limited action. Georgia may opt for more of a ground-and-pound attack given the loss of Beck’s arm strength vertically compared to Stockton — a guy who relies more so on accuracy and shorter, more manageable throws.
At the very least, Beck’s injury adds yet another wrinkle into this inaugural playoff the sporting world has been craving for years.
