MOBILE, Ala. — Georgia was well-represented at the Senior Bowl this week, but the game’s original No. 1 target, Carson Beck, was nowhere to be found.

“He was our number one rated quarterback coming into the year,” Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy told DawgNation at the start of the week.

“I thought he was on an upward trajectory.”

The Bulldogs sent five players to the Senior Bowl: Trevor Etienne, Smael Mondon, Arian Smith, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Dan Jackson, all of whom had good weeks of practice leading up to the 2:30 p.m. game on Saturday (TV: NFL Network).

But it’s fair to wonder how a healthy Beck would have fared compared to the likes of Jalen Milroe, Jaxson Dart and Riley Leonard on the “American Team.”

Dart, Milroe and Leonard had their ups and downs during the Senior Bowl week of practice as they adjusted to going under center, huddling and running more of a pro-style of offense.

Beck, playing in Georgia’s system the past five years, certainly would have been more prepared for this stage of the NFL Draft process had he remained healthy.

“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. But to me, it’s how they will operate in a pro system with pro coaching.”

The story of Beck’s 2024 season has been well-documented, as he helped lead Georgia to an SEC Championship before suffering a season-ending elbow injury that isn’t expected to allow him to throw until the spring.

That’s where things got sticky, as Beck declared for the NFL Draft, then pulled out, then transferred to Miami.

“I don’t know what the decision was, why he left Georgia, I don’t know any of that stuff, but he’s got a lot of things to like,” Nagy said, explaining why Beck could be among top-rated quarterbacks in next year’s NFL Draft.

“He’s a big guy, he’s got a quick release and he’s accurate.”

Beck had a solid year at Georgia, all things considered, but the reset at Miami could be exactly what he needs to maximize his potential.

Had Beck returned to play for the Bulldogs, the pressure would have been immense, with Georgia a program expected to compete for championships year-in and year-out.

The Bulldogs figure to have a solid supporting cast for whoever lines up under center next season.

At the moment, it appears Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi will be competing for the starting job, with Stockton having shown well enough in the Sugar Bowl to believe he has the upper hand entering spring drills.

As for Beck, in hindsight, he might have been better off turning pro after the 2023 season.

“I thought he had a chance to go late in the first round last year had he come out and had a good process,” Nagy said. “He was right on the cusp as a late first or second round guy for most teams.”

Beck, instead, landed enough in NIL money to make staying at Georgia an option — and now, reportedly, has some $4 million of NIL money in place to compete with the Hurricanes and increase his stock with a strong 2025 season and recovery from his elbow surgery.

“There’s plenty of things to like about him,” Nagy said. “He just needs to come back and have a better year.”