Carson Beck Says He 'Absolutely' Considered Georgia Transfer, Doesn't Regret Decision

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck had to sit on the bench his first three years for the Bulldogs, but he's now reaping the benefits of being the starter for one of the best programs in college football.

Speaking to The Athletic's Larry Holder at the Manning Passing Academy, Beck admitted that it wasn't always easy playing back up, but he doesn't regret his decision to stay at Georgia.

"Hard! At times, being there was challenging," Beck said. "And obviously, I'd say I'd never changed what I did. I don't regret any decision. I don't wish I would have left. Obviously, everything played out exactly how it was supposed to, which sometimes doesn't happen for everyone. But my patience was able to pay off, which is awesome.

"I'm super blessed to be in the position I am, but it was very challenging."

Beck, who will be a redshirt senior in the fall, said that while being a four-year starter would have been ideal, the work he put in while playing behind Heisman candidate Stetson Bennett all paid off when he became the starter last year.

"Those three years where I stayed and I wasn't playing, and you're working just as hard as all the other guys — you're doing the workouts, you're doing the practices — but you're not getting to go out there on Saturday and go enjoy and reap the benefits of your work," Beck said. "I mean, it was very hard. But obviously, we got to the point where, once I got the opportunity, I was ready. So (I) always keep that in the back of my mind."

In an age where the transfer portal is a common destination for collegiate athletes, Beck said he had conversations about leaving for a school where he could have started. Ultimately, the idea of getting comfortable with the offense as he prepared to be the starter outweighed his decision to get immediate playing time.

"Yeah, absolutely. I mean I'd love to sit here and say that I never thought about it," Beck said. "It's human nature. Like, you don't get what you want, you're going to go somewhere else. But for me to stay in that mindset and that mode of, like, 'OK, I'm going to stick this out. I'm going to stay in this offense. I'm going to learn the system. I'm going to be comfortable in it. And then once I get my chance, I'm going to show my abilities.'

"So, yeah — but it was definitely very challenging."

Beck's decision to stick with Georgia paid off with a Heisman-caliber season last year and an SEC championship appearance for the Bulldogs. He threw for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions.

He'll now look to lead Georgia to a national championship after missing the College Football Playoff entirely last year.