CFB insider names most important SEC player for the 2024 season, and it's not Alabama's Jalen Milroe

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe is going into what will be an important year for his program. Under all the changes that the retirement of head coach Nick Saban has caused, Milroe will want to show the college football world that even without Saban, Alabama is still a team to fear.

However, while this will be an important storyline in the SEC this season, a college football insider has said that Milroe will not be the most important player in the conference this year.

Josh Pate spoke on "Late Kick with Josh Pate" and revealed the player he thinks will be the most important in the SEC this season.

"I think Carson Beck is the most important football player in the conference this year, because if I knew nothing about the SEC this year apart from that Carson Beck is going to play at a A Minus level, I wouldn't need to know anything else"

Carson Beck is the Georgia Bulldogs quarterback, and he played his first full season as the starting quarterback for the program last season.

Beck was very successful that year, recording 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns, as he took the Bulldogs to an undefeated regular season and a place in another SEC championship game. Here, he met Jalen Milroe and the Crimson Tide, and Alabama was victorious.

But in 2024, the dynamics have shifted in favor of Carson Beck and the Georgia Bulldogs. Beck has many talented receivers like Dominic Lovett, Rara Thomas and Ara Smith and a strong offensive line and running backs around him. This will enable the offense to quickly advance down the field and score.

A strong season is likely for Carson Beck, and this will benefit him and his team. For himself, it will only improve his already high draft prospects, keeping him in contention for the No. 1 pick. Beck can lead his team to its third national championship in four years, cementing his legacy in the program forever.

How has Carson Beck reacted to being a top NFL prospect? Will he outperform Jalen Milroe?

Besides being a key player in this year's SEC, Carson Beck is likely to be a top prospect in the 2025 NFL draft.

Earlier this week, Beck was asked by The Athletic to explain how he will go about this season while knowing that he is one of the highest-ranked players this year.

He said:

"Honestly, I mean, none of that really crosses my mind. Obviously, it is a thing and it's real. I'm not going to just play stupid and act like that's not there. But that's not my mentality, and that's not where my focus is. It's very much just day by day and be where your feet are. Stay grounded and don't go too far into the future. Don't go back into the past, which is very hard to do."

All that Carson Beck needs to do in 2024 is to slightly improve on his 2023 performances, which many analysts are expecting him to do.

If he does this, then it is likely that his name will be spoken about much more than Jalen Milroe's. Milroe will need to lead Kalen DeBoer's team to an undefeated season where they dominate everyone, including Carson Beck, for Milroe to be ranked higher than Beck at this point.