Right now, if you’re following Georgia’s quarterback battle closely, it really feels like it’s Gunner Stockton’s job to lose.
Sure, Ryan Puglisi is getting some run with the first team — and Kirby Smart made a point to say both guys are performing well in his latest comments — but let’s be honest. Stockton looks like the guy with the edge, and it's not just because he’s a little older or more experienced. It’s because he’s already stepped into the fire, and while it wasn’t perfect, he managed to hold his own in some huge moments.
When Carson Beck went down during the SEC Championship Game, it was Stockton who got the call and, ultimately, led the Bulldogs back agianst Texas. And even though Georgia didn’t light up the scoreboard in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame, the fact that Stockton played the entire second half of the SEC title game and didn’t completely unravel speaks volumes. He went 32 of 48 for 305 yards, with a touchdown and one pick across those matchups — that’s not elite, but it's also not nothing.
The bigger thing here is this: Georgia isn’t looking for the next Heisman winner at quarterback. They don’t need an NFL-ready arm to run the show. That’s not how this team is built, and that’s not the formula Kirby Smart has leaned on during this run of dominance.
This is a program that thrives on defense and running the ball. And assuming the defense reloads like it always does, the quarterback just needs to manage the game, avoid back-breaking mistakes, and let the other units do the heavy lifting. Yes, the defense has its own set of questions to answer this offseason, but we'd imagine that the Bulldogs aren't too worried.
That’s why Gunner Stockton makes sense. He’s not being asked to win the game with his arm — he’s being asked not to lose it. Be efficient. Make the smart throw. Don’t force it. And when the pocket collapses, use your legs to escape or throw it away. Stockton’s shown he can do those things. That’s all Georgia needs from its QB to be right back in the College Football Playoff conversation.
Puglisi may be the future — and he’s a really talented player in his own right — but unless he flat-out dominates spring ball or Stockton falters, it just feels like too much of a stretch to believe that Georgia goes with the redshirt freshman over the veteran early on.
Kirby Smart has always been a guy who rewards trust and consistency. Right now, Stockton’s got both of those things going for him. The rest might just be a formality.