After making the College Football Playoff but, losing in the first round last season, the Georgia Bulldogs will look to go on a run to return to the top of the College Football world again in 2025. This Georgia team will have a new look as the Bulldogs parted ways with Carson Beck this offseason as he transferred to Miami and filling his role is Gunner Stockton.
When Carson Beck was injured in the SEC Championship Game, Stockton came in and helped the Bulldogs beat Texas but, Stockton then lost against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. If Georgia truly going to compete for a National Championship, Stockton is going to have to take a massive leap in order to lead this offense.
The thinking many have had around Gunner Stockton is that if Kirby Smart believes in him enough not to add an experienced starter then he's set to be a star in Athens. That thought process however may not be correct as Georgia poked around with adding a transfer at quarterback this Winter but, weren't able to lure in their top target Fernando Mendoza.
On Monday, Georgia Insider Jake Rowe appeared on the Andy and Ari On3 Podcast with Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman where he detailed how the Georgia Bulldogs truly wanted former Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza over Gunner Stockton.
“Fernando Mendoza was on the Christmas list.”
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) June 30, 2025
— @JakeMRowe on Georgia’s QB situation post-SEC championship, pre-Sugar Bowl pic.twitter.com/rjQxIm6B8Z
While it's hard to believe that the Georgia Bulldogs are going to have an underwhelming season, it's also difficult to gauge what this team will be in 2025. The Bulldogs return a ton of talent especially some young pieces on both sides of the football that could make massive leaps like we've seen time and time again with players in Kirby Smart's program.
The difficult part is the fact that the Bulldogs may not have a quarterback that they're truly confident in this season. At times last season, Carson Beck clearly regressed which hurt Georgia in their losses to Alabama and Ole Miss. While Stockton may not need to be superman, the fact of the matter is it's hard to gauge how he's going to perform when he faces off against these top tier teams in the SEC.
The big question this season for Georgia will be whether or not Stockton is able to play to the level in which we saw Carson Beck perform. If Stockton can be as good as Beck, the Bulldogs will be more than fine as they should have a much improved receiving core which will make Stockton's transition easier. If Stockton on the other hand struggles this season, it'll likely result in Georgia missing the playoff and heading into the offseason with a massive hole to fill.