What future of Georgia’s quarterback group looks like amid recruiting twists
ATHENS — Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton was asked Monday if he had thought about his plans for next season.
Stockton has graduated from Georgia, participated in Senior Day and is eligible for the 2026 NFL draft.
“I really have not thought about it. I walked with Senior Day just because those are all the guys that I came in with,” Stockton said. “Just a moment to kind of look back and just appreciate all the things that came with that.”
While Stockton has the luxury of focusing on the present, Georgia coach Kirby Smart does not. He has to take into account the future of the quarterback position.
Jared Curtis, the No. 1 quarterback in the country for the 2026 recruiting cycle, flipped his commitment to Vanderbilt.
This marks the second time in three years that a 5-star quarterback flipped his commitment from Georgia just before the early signing period, as Dylan Raiola did so in the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Georgia at least held a commitment from 4-star prospect Ryan Puglisi in that cycle. Puglisi, as he did when Raiola flipped, stands to be the biggest winner from Curtis’ flip.
“Yeah, he gets better. He gets reps,” Smart said of Puglisi following Georgia’s Nov. 22 win over Charlotte. “So does Ryan Montgomery. They both are growing and getting better. They get coached every day just like Gunner does. So that growth comes through reps and challenging them mentally.”
Puglisi has ascended to the role of backup quarterback during his second season in Athens. He’s completed 16 of his 27 pass attempts for 161 yards. He threw a touchdown in the season-opener against Marshall but threw interceptions against Tennessee and Kentucky.
The 2026 season is slated to be Stockton’s final season of collegiate eligibility. In all likelihood, Stockton is expected to be back in Athens as Georgia’s starting quarterback next season.
Stockton lacks NFL-caliber physical tools and while he’s played well this season, he has only 13 career starts. Most NFL teams prefer closer to 25 collegiate starts.
Part of the believed reason for Curtis flipping to Vanderbilt is because of the ability to play immediately. Diego Pavia will exhaust his eligibility following this season and leaving an opening at the quarterback position.
In the event that Curtis had come to Georgia, it would’ve been hard to see the Nashville native starting over an experienced Stockton. Jake Fromm was the last freshman to start at quarterback for Georgia and that happened only because of an injury to then-sophomore Jacob Eason.
The earliest Curtis could have started at Georgia would be in 2027, and that would’ve required him to beat out Puglisi, Montgomery and Hezekiah Millender-Hale.
Puglisi would be in his fourth year in the program by that point. Stetson Bennett, Carson Beck and Stockton all waited to emerge as starting quarterbacks at Georgia, with Beck not making his first start until his fourth season in Athens. Stockton’s first start came in the final game of his third year in college.
Given how successful Georgia has been over the years, it’s hard to argue with the results of a slower development.
Montgomery is not to be overlooked or underdiscussed when considering the future of the position either. He completed his only pass attempt of the season in a win over Charlotte. But he has managed to impress the Georgia coaching staff, especially after recovering from a knee injury he suffered during his senior season in high school.
There have been some comparisons between Montgomery and Fromm in terms of skill set. Fromm was a three-year starter for Georgia and helped lead Georgia to a national championship appearance.
The loss of Curtis doesn’t impact only the quarterback group for Georgia, but the recruiting of the position as well. Georgia does not have a quarterback commitment in this class and given the 11th-hour nature of his flip, likely won’t end up signing one.
Georgia does not have a commitment from a 2027 quarterback either, though it did land 5-star quarterback Jayden Wade for the 2028 recruiting cycle.
The Bulldogs didn’t take a quarterback in the 2023 recruiting cycle, when it swung and missed on Arch Manning. Georgia took two quarterbacks a year ago, when it landed Montgomery and Millender-Hale.
Georgia expects to have four quarterbacks as a part of its 105-man roster allotment next season. Of course, the transfer portal has yet to open and could change things.
In the 2020 offseason, Georgia added Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman and USC quarterback JT Daniels. Georgia briefly gained a commitment from Jayden Maiava before the 2024 season, only for him to shortly flip to USC.
Georgia made a push to land current Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza last offseason when he had moved on from Cal.
The transfer portal is open Jan. 2-16. If anything, the flip of Curtis decreases the likelihood that either Puglisi or Montgomery considers looking elsewhere for playing time. As for whether Georgia would take one, that likely would be the case only for someone who would want to wait to start, given the presence of Stockton.
Before the Texas game, Smart was asked about what he looks for when recruiting a quarterback.
“If they have a skill set that’s unique and that we think can make us better, then we want to enroll them within our program,” Smart said. “They’re going to be the face of your organization, so you want to go after the right kind of person. They’re probably the sole person that makes the most decisions outside of the offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator during a game. So you want to get the right guy for the mental makeup.”
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
