Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton meets with President Donald Trump
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton met with President Donald Trump on Thursday when the latter made a stop in Rome.
Stockton greeted Trump as he got off Air Force One.
Trump later welcomed Stockton on stage while the president noted that the Georgia quarterback was “a Trump fan.”
“This is a great opportunity, just to meet a president and Donald Trump,” Stockton said on stage. “This is, it’s an awesome experience and I’m just glad to be here.”
Stockton led Georgia to a 12-2 record last season, as the Bulldogs won the SEC before losing in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Stockton was not the only Georgia Bulldog on hand to meet Donald Trump, as the Georgia quarterback was photographed with Herschel Walker and Burt Jones.
In 2022, Walker campaigned for a seat in U.S. Senate, while Jones is the current lieutenant governor and is running for governor, with the election in November. Walker arguably is the greatest Georgia football player in program history, having won the 1982 Heisman Trophy and led the team to the 1980 national championship. Jones was a member of the 2002 Georgia team that won the SEC championship under coach Mark Richt.
Stockton is returning for the 2026 season as the starting quarterback for Georgia after starting all 14 games for the Bulldogs last season. The Bulldogs did land a quarterback out of the transfer portal in Bryson Beaver, but he has yet to play a down of football after transferring from Oregon after he signed with the Ducks in December out of high school. Stockton is the only quarterback on Georgia’s roster to have started a game.
Expectations are high for Stockton, who will look to build off his first full season as Georgia’s starting quarterback. He accounted for 34 total touchdowns in his 14 starts.
“He wants to win for Georgia,” Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said of Stockton before the Sugar Bowl. “He’s not trying to win for Gunner Stockton. I think a lot of the improvement you’ve seen throughout the year, he was so, ‘I don’t wanna do anything to cost Georgia,’ that he maybe did not play as free as he needed to in some situations. And he’s kinda come out of his shell a little bit, and you’re able to see more true of what Gunner Stockton is and who he is as a quarterback. And he knows he’s not even close to reaching his ceiling. He can continue to improve.”
Stockton is from Tiger and played at Rabun County High School. He already has graduated from Georgia with a degree in sports management.
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.
