Beau Gardner is back in elite company - again.
For the second straight year, Georgia’s veteran long snapper has been named a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, which honors the top long snapper in the FBS. That’s no small feat. In fact, Gardner is the only Bulldog to ever crack the finalist list in the award’s seven-year history - and now he’s done it twice.
Originally from San Francisco and a graduate transfer from UCLA, Gardner has been a model of consistency and precision for Georgia’s special teams unit this season. He’s handled 61 of Georgia’s 62 field goal and PAT snaps, along with every single punt - all 41 of them. That kind of reliability is exactly what you want from a long snapper: someone you don’t have to think twice about when the pressure’s on.
And Gardner’s impact goes beyond just clean snaps. His work has helped set the stage for a near-flawless season from kicker Peyton Woodring and punter Brett Thorson.
Woodring, a junior, has been lights-out - hitting 15 of 16 field goals, including a perfect 3-for-3 from 50+ yards, and going a spotless 46-for-46 on PATs. That 94% field goal conversion rate?
Good enough for fifth-best in the country. But it all starts with a clean snap, and Gardner has delivered every time.
Then there’s Thorson, Georgia’s senior punter and a two-time Ray Guy Award finalist. With Gardner snapping, Thorson is averaging 45.2 yards per punt (43.2 net), and he’s been surgical with his placement. Eighteen fair catches, 16 punts downed inside the 20, and 11 blasts that went 50+ yards - that’s elite-level punting, made possible in part by the precision of the snap.
Opposing returners haven’t had much room to operate either. Georgia’s punt coverage unit, aided by Gardner’s quick and accurate delivery, has allowed just 19 return yards on three attempts all season. That’s the definition of winning the hidden yardage game.
Gardner’s fellow Mannelly Award finalists are Penn State’s Tyler Duzansky and North Carolina’s Spencer Triplett, both standout snappers in their own right. But Gardner’s combination of consistency, performance under pressure, and the role he’s played in Georgia’s special teams success makes him a strong contender to take home the award.
Up next for No. 3 Georgia (11-1, 7-1 SEC) is a high-stakes showdown with No.
10 Alabama (10-2, 7-1) in the SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs head to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium this Saturday with a conference title - and a potential playoff berth - on the line.
Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET on ABC.
With Gardner anchoring the special teams unit, Georgia knows it can count on clean execution in the game’s most overlooked - but crucial - moments.