In the day and age of the transfer portal, many of college football's top quarterback prospects faint at the first sign of adversity. With some more interested in collecting jerseys than actually putting in the necessary work to improve one's all-around game, a program like the Georgia Bulldogs are a bit of a breath of fresh air. Ryan Montgomery was a third-stringer last year and will once again be this season.
That did not stop him from speaking highly about wanting to stay committed to playing for Georgia.
“This is a place where I wanted to be. I just wanted to come here. Practice against the best. Develop. It is going to take time. I’ve seen steady improvements in my game since I’ve been here. It’s been a great opportunity thus far and I’m excited to just continue to be here and learn and grow.”
He also dropped this nugget in his conversation with Jeff Sentell of DawgNation at the Sugar Bowl.
“You look at the past couple quarterbacks. It takes time for them to get on the field and I understood that when I committed here. I came here to be developed and I have no plans on leaving or anything like that.”
Whether it be Stetson Bennett IV, Carson Beck, or Gunner Stockton, all three had to bide their time before starting games for Kirby Smart. While Jake Fromm got thrust into the fire once Jacob Eason got hurt, that seems to be more of an exception to the rule than anything. Still, Fromm was a three-year starter at UGA before eventually turning pro. There is a method to this quarterbacking madness.
Montgomery will once again be backing up Ryan Puglisi, who will be backing up Stockton next year.
Ryan Montgomery shares what makes the Georgia QB room so special
It is not just Super Bowls that Smart can sell to prospective recruits if they come to Georgia. If a player chooses to come to The Classic City, he will be developed. Everyone grows at their own pace. What is important to understand is Smart is not the type of coach to feed his players to the wolves when they are not ready for battle. He has had quarterbacking concerns before, but not right now...
With Bennett, he was the relentless competitor nobody could break. It is why he left Athens a two-time College Football Playoff national champion. When it comes to Beck, he was a good soldier for a while with prodigious talent. It was never a perfect fit for him at Georgia, but he certainly made the most of it as one of college football's most consistent winners. And for Stockton, he fits UGA to a T!
In the end, Bennett learned from Fromm, Beck learned from Bennett, and Stockton learned from Beck. There is a certain way to carry yourself as the starting quarterback at Georgia. It is a high-profile position that will devour anyone alive if you do not play up to its lofty standard. Everyone of these guys went about it differently, but did read from the same books on how to be a college pro.
So whether it be Puglisi in 2027 or Montgomery in 2028 or 2029, the plan is place is to have underclassmen learn from upperclassmen at Georgia. It may be an old way of doing things, but we have seen universities chew up and spit out hotshot 18-year-olds who think they know everything when they do not when they first set foot on campus. Allow them enough time to bake and marinate.
For now, Montgomery will continue to sit back and be a sponge, knowing it will be his turn one day.