ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia quarterback Carson Beck may be rethinking his football plans for 2025, less than two weeks after announcing he would make himself available for the NFL draft.
After five seasons with the Bulldogs — he redshirted in 2020 — Beck still has one year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the NCAA’s blanket waiver. Although he doesn’t have to leave Georgia to use that year, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder from Jacksonville, Florida, has entered the NCAA transfer portal and intends to complete his collegiate career at another school, ESPN and On3 reported Thursday.
Beck injured his right elbow in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 7 in Atlanta. He had surgery on Dec. 23 to repair his ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow and is expected to begin throwing in the spring.
On Dec. 28, Beck announced via social media his intent to enter the NFL draft pool, but the surgery could lower his appeal among other quarterbacks available to pro teams in 2025. Before the 2024 season, Beck was rated as one of the top prospects for the upcoming draft and was considered a possible first-round pick.
The NFL scouting combine is scheduled for Feb. 27 through March 2, likely too soon for Beck to show general managers and coaches his recovery from the surgery.
ESPN reported Beck, who was 24-3 as Georgia’s starter in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, could be considering Atlantic Coast Conference program Miami if he enters the portal.
Gunner Stockton, a 6-1, 215-pound redshirt sophomore who took over at halftime of the SEC title game, became Georgia’s starter entering the College Football Playoff. The second-seeded Bulldogs, who received a first-round bye as one of the top four seeds, then lost their Sugar Bowl quarterfinal 23-10 to seventh-seeded Notre Dame on Jan. 2 in New Orleans, closing out an 11-3 season.
Stockton completed 20 of 32 passes for 234 yards and one touchdown against the Fighting Irish and is currently the favorite to be Georgia’s starter in 2025.