The lights in Mobile shined on the nation’s top NFL prospects this past week, but one of the biggest names expected to be in attendance was nowhere to be found. While future draft picks battled for stock-boosting performances at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Carson Beck was basking in Miami’s warmth. Fresh off his shocking decision to transfer from Georgia Bulldogs rather than return for his final season in Athens. The Bulldogs quickly pivoted toward life without Beck and the Hurricanes are celebrating his arrival as Cam Ward’s heir. Georgia is now gossiping about the quarterback he was, and perhaps the one he wasn’t.

Carson Beck injured his Ulnar Collateral Ligament, in the SEC Championship Game vs. Texas, otherwise he would’ve been there. The 6′ 4″ QB announced to Miami on January 10, 2025. However, it didn’t take long for the conversation to shift. As the Senior Bowl unfolded, Georgia’s presence remained strong with five Bulldogs showcasing their talents, including blazing-fast wide receiver Arian Smith. The dynamic speedster turned heads throughout the week, making plays that rekindled a familiar frustration for at least one UGA alum. Kevin Keneely.

He couldn’t help but point out the contrast between Smith’s Senior Bowl success and his time catching passes from Carson Beck. “Every time Arian Smith makes a play during this Senior Bowl reminds me how Carson Beck would never throw anything but line drives,” Keneely wrote on X. “He’s finally working with better quarterbacks this week and is back to making plays like he was with Stetson Bennett.” Smith made an impressive contested catch in the 4 quarter (11:23) that went for a massive gain and gave the team a first down. As for the comment, it landed like a dagger among Georgia fans still processing Beck’s departure, sparking debate over his true impact. Reminiscing about when the 5 ft 11 “Mailman” used to send posts downfield to Smith that got them back-to-back rings.

The Dawgs former #15 numbers suggest a quarterback who, at his best, was one of the nation’s most efficient passers. In his first full season as Georgia’s starter in 2023, he completed 72.4% of his throws for 3,941 yards with 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions. But the Bulldogs fell short of their championship aspirations, and the follow-up campaign in 2024 revealed cracks in his game. His completion percentage dipped to 64.7%, and while he threw for 3,485 yards and 28 touchdowns, his 12 interceptions told a different story. Three Georgia losses—more than they had suffered in any single season since 2018—only added fuel to the fire. With Beck at the helm, the Bulldogs looked more mortal than they had in years.

That trajectory, combined with his absence at the Senior Bowl, has left analysts questioning what his draft outlook would have been had he remained in Athens. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy was among those who initially saw him as a premier quarterback prospect. “He was our number one rated quarterback coming into the year,” Nagy told DawgNation. “I thought he was on an upward trajectory.”

An untimely elbow injury suffered against Texas in the SEC Championship Game, sidelining him from the postseason ultimately derailed that path and effectively ended any hopes of a Senior Bowl showcase. It was an unfortunate twist for a player who had spent five years developing in Georgia’s system, one that might have benefited from the extended exposure.

Still, Beck’s decision to leave for Miami rather than return for one last run with Georgia adds another layer of intrigue to his future. His UCL injury required surgery, but he has since been seen without a brace or sling, with most reports suggesting he should be ready for training camp by August.

What if Carson Beck never left Athens?

It’s fair to wonder how a fully healthy Carson Beck would have stacked up against the likes of Jalen Milroe, Jaxson Dart, and Riley Leonard at the Senior Bowl. Those three quarterbacks had their share of ups and downs throughout the week, adjusting to the unfamiliar territory of taking snaps under center, calling plays in a huddle, and running a true pro-style offense—things that are becoming rarities in today’s college game.

Beck, having spent five years in Georgia’s system, likely would have been much more comfortable in that environment. His experience in a structured, NFL-adjacent offense would have given him a leg up in an evaluation setting where scouts are looking for quarterbacks who can command an offense. “For all our quarterbacks, they’ve never huddled up,” Nagy said. “We’re in an era of college football where college quarterbacks never get in a huddle, they never have to spit out verbiage, they never go under center they just don’t do a lot of things that you have to do in the National Football League, so then they need to show leadership around a bunch of strange players.”

“Teams are looking for who can connect — who’s got the connectivity? And then obviously the on-field stuff, the arm strength, the feet and the mechanics and all that stuff is important.” He said.