Georgia looks to bounce back after losing badly in 2023 as they start spring practice.

ATHENS, Georgia — To settle some unresolved matters, Carson Beck came to Georgia for a second season.
Plus, he’s doing it in style.

The Bulldogs quarterback dismissed his $300,000 Lamborghini, which he referred to as “just a car,” and started spring practice on Tuesday with the intention of winning another national championship for Athens.

With a three-point loss to Alabama in the SEC title game during Beck’s first season as the starter, Georgia narrowly lost the opportunity to become the first team in the Associated Press poll era to win three consecutive titles.

Beck decided to forego the NFL draft in favor of playing one more season with the Bulldogs after that setback.

We experienced an excellent year. Naturally, winning everything is our ultimate goal,” Beck stated. “We failed to meet that objective. We didn’t accomplish that goal, so I’m returning with the same attitude.

Of course, many collegiate players can now afford to stay on campus longer because to the NIL era.

You only need to look at Beck’s opulent Italian sports vehicle.

He declared, “I’ve always been a huge car guy.” “It goes without saying that having that car is a blessing.”

Beck’s lucrative return is a big reason that Georgia should remain one of the nation’s top teams. After spending three years as a backup, he finally got his chance to start and took full advantage of it.

Leading the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record, he completed more than 72% of his passing attempts for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns, with just six interceptions.

“He has high standards. He has high expectations,” coach Kirby Smart said. “His decision to come back was built around doing something different, doing something special.”

For Beck, spring practice feels a whole lot different than a year ago, when he was battling for the starting job with Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton.

There’s no doubt who’s taking the snaps this season.

“Last year, I was coming in and wasn’t sure if I was going to be the starter or not,” Beck said. “Now, coming back, having been the starter, I can kind of hone in and focus more on what I need to improve on compared to just trying to compete against other guys. I can really focus on competing against myself.”

Coming in as a dethroned champion rather than a defending champion makes no difference to the way Smart is approaching the new season.

“Every year starts fresh,” the coach said. “For me it’s a fresh beginning with a new team. I’ve been trying since the last whistle to recreate this team. What does the 2024 team look like? That would be regardless as to how last year finished. Each season is independent of the previous.”

“Everything we were told about Etienne prior to his arrival has proven to be accurate,” stated Smart. “He’s a great leader and a young man of integrity. He’s not a first-year player, so he steps right into a leadership role. He was a member of our conference and league. He has expectations and standards.

Beck is excited to start using Etienne in the attack.

“Having a strong running back is always beneficial,” Beck stated. “You feel at ease passing it off with your back to the defense.”