Georgia coach Kirby Smart has not spent a whole lot of time hyping Gunner Stockton this offseason.
The only quarterback on the roster with game experience has not been publicly named the starting quarterback. When asked about the position, Smart often lumps Stockton and redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi together.
He did so again when speaking to reporters Tuesday morning at the SEC spring meetings.
“I’m excited about both those guys,” Smart said. “They’ve both played really well. They’ve both done a great job, and they’re both working their tails off. They’re Georgia football players that love Georgia.”
But when Smart later appeared on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” he acknowledged Stockton as an individual. And he quickly came to the defense of his quarterback.
Finebaum had been asked in an earlier segment on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” about the state of the Georgia quarterback position. Finebaum shared his skepticism, pointing to the Georgia offense scoring only 10 points in the loss to Notre Dame.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
“I’m excited. Gunner got the message, man,” Smart said with a wry smile. “He got the message. You did your job.”
There have been subtle clues along the way regarding how Smart feels about Stockton. Despite having options, Georgia never brought in another quarterback via the transfer portal. That would seem to indicate that Georgia did not have a for-sale sign on the quarterback opening.
Stockton’s development also has followed that of recent Georgia quarterbacks Carson Beck and Stetson Bennett. Smart wants players who are willing to work and develop, rather than push for instant gratification.
Stockton made his first career start at the end of his third season in Athens. Puglisi, Stockton’s chief competition, is entering his second with the program.
Puglisi did not attempt a pass last season. What’s more, this past spring was his first chance to really show what he could do. His first spring with the program was impacted by a knee injury.
Stockton also will need to improve. But he has accumulated plenty of practice reps over the past three years. Stockton needs game reps to take that next step and prove to Finebaum, and the many pundits out there, that he isn’t as big a question mark as they would believe.
“I love question marks,” Smart said. “I love when you, when you have question marks, right? You provide a lot of motivation for us, boss. It’s why I keep coming back to your show because you give me great question marks.”
Smart loves being doubted by the media. Georgia rode doubt all the way to a 15-0 season in 2022, winning a second consecutive national championship.
While doubt has been in short supply in the past two seasons for Georgia, there has been plenty this offseason. Stockton has been a rather large source of that doubt.
That Stockton, like his head coach, is taking notice of the doubt helps further explain why he is Smart’s choice to be Georgia’s next starting quarterback — and that Stockton should represent the Georgia program very well for the 2025 season.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
