ATHENS — Carson Beck sat at a table in Miami a little over a year ago and talked about why he decided to return to Georgia for another season. There have been rumors and stories about money being the main factor, and that doesn’t mean it didn’t play a role. But as he sat there, Beck gave a simple reason: He wanted to play.

“I’ve been waiting for three years, not playing, and of course I got the opportunity to play this season and it’s fun,” Beck said, days before Georgia ended its season with a win in the Orange Bowl. “It’s a lot more fun to be on the field than not to be on the field. So knowing that I’m going to get another opportunity to come back and play another year at the University of Georgia, it’s going to be a lot of fun and joy.”

Funny and pleasant? Maybe off the field. Maybe on the field at times. But in the end, Beck’s fifth season at Georgia, which everyone assumed would be his last in college before heading to the NFL, left a lot to be desired. This week, Beck made a cold-blooded business decision: He deleted his Instagram post from two weeks ago declaring for the NFL Draft and confirmed his camp to multiple media outlets, including The athletic one, that he would enter the transfer portal.

I’m coming back to college. But I’m not coming back to Georgia. It’s quite a plot twist, and if it holds up, Beck and Georgia will be on opposite ends of a major storyline in 2025.

For Beck that would be a self-bet. That comes with risks, as he likely won’t be able to do much at spring training for another program due to elbow surgery, and he would have to get to know his new teammates and coaches in meeting rooms before doing much on the field. But it’s a risk he’s exploring.

The optics may be bad for Georgia, but it’s more about the timing: Georgia always assumed Beck would turn pro, and Beck did. By the time he decided another year of college might be worth it — whether it was what he heard from NFL teams or what he thought he could get in the transfer market — Georgia had moved on. It had committed name, image and likeness resources elsewhere, had seen Gunner Stockton throw the ball pretty well in the Sugar Bowl, and was ultimately unwilling to come close to what Beck could earn from a team , which was more desperate for a quarterback.

Gunner Stockton (left) made his first start for Kirby Smart and Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. (Perry McIntyre/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

That’s not to sugarcoat this news for Georgia. Undoubtedly, it increases the pressure on the team, the offense and especially on three people:

• Stockton, who needs to play well enough, not necessarily in stats, but in wins. This assumes he is the starter and not Ryan Puglisi or a transfer not currently in the portal. Stockton seemed capable of throwing the ball against Notre Dame and running well against Texas, and coaches and teammates love his intangibles. But his game management needs improvement and he is now being compared to what Beck is doing or would have done.

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• Mike Bobo, who is on a year of probation as offensive coordinator and game manager. He had a great first year at Georgia in 2023, where he led the nation’s fifth-ranked offense, was a finalist for the Broyles Award and coached Beck toward the Heisman Trophy and No. 1 overall pick. But this season has definitely been a regression for the entire offense, especially the running game, and Beck’s regression is something that Bobo carries, fair or not.

• And finally, Kirby Smart, whose judgment will be monitored in selecting the right quarterback and coordinator. These were questions heading into 2021 for Smart, who seemed to put everyone at ease with the performance of Stetson Bennett and the fact that he let Todd Monken do his thing on offense. Smart gained credibility by winning two national championships. That won’t stop the criticism if the offense is a dud next year.

To emphasize once again: There is a possibility that Beck will still turn professional. He may not like his transfer options and this isn’t considered a strong quarterback draft. But the fact that Beck is even exploring his college options puts pressure on his former team. When things go south, there will be a time when the world wonders why Georgia didn’t do everything in its power to bring Beck back.

There is also plenty of reason for hope. Georgia just signed two transfer receivers, Zachariah Branch to the spot and Noah Thomas to the outside “X” spot, while Dillon Bell returns for his senior year and moves to his more natural position. The return of tight end Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie to the team would be great, as would rising sophomore Jaden Reddell and 6-foot-2 freshman Elyiss Williams.

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The bigger concerns are the offensive line and the running game. The blocking hasn’t been good this year, and now the line is losing four starters, including all three interior defenders. There are some good players with some experience behind them, but it’s mostly a restart, which is usually not a good sign.

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In the transfer portal and NFL draft drafts for Georgia

But there is reason for optimism: Should Trevor Etienne return, it would mean a dynamic tandem with Nate Frazier, and Etienne’s departure to the NFL – where he is expected to be a mid-round pick – would be a vote of confidence in the block he expects next year .

On paper, this could be a good offense. But a lot of things have to go well. Hope is not a plan. Next year, the pressure on Georgia’s offense was always going to be intense. Now his starting quarterback from the last two years appears to have gone one better.