Gunner Stockton is the guy at quarterback for Georgia this year, and nothing can change that. Georgia however has some work to do to figure out the pecking order behind him.
For several years under Kirby Smart, the Georgia Bulldogs have not had much to worry about as far as reserves go. From Stetson Bennett to Carson Beck to now Gunner Stockton, guys had waited years for their turn before getting the starting mantle. The same was expected for Ryan Puglisi.
The expectation was that once Stockton left at the end of this season Puglisi would be able to come in and start for the Bulldogs in 2027 since he was Stockton’s backup last season. He however has not been able to lock down the backup role yet in camp and Kirby Smart has hinted at the backup competition potentially bleeding into the regular season. his offseason. In order for Georgia to be in position to succeed beyond this season, they need time in their week one game against Tennessee State to let the backup quarterbacks battle it out in a regular season game.
Georgia’s reserves having playing time is a must week one
Since G-Day, redshirt freshman Ryan Montgomery has stepped onto the scene for Georgia. What many expected to be a runaway win at QB2 for Puglisi has actually been a very close competition. With the battle being as close as it is, it is crucial that these guys are able to get some live game action against Tennessee State.
You might look at a game against a team like Tennessee State as weak, and that is not necessarily true. Though it is not an SEC team, the pacing and game time is the exact same. Playing against an opponent that you have never met before, and did not practice against in the summer, is crucial for development. Game time speed is something that Smart has been an excellent coach at recreating in practice, but you can never match that atmosphere play for play like in a real game that matters.
For that to happen, Stockton needs to be focused on himself. Mike Bobo has stressed numerous times this offseason how the Bulldogs want to air the ball down the field more and make smart decisions. In this opening game, Georgia needs to see exactly that.
For this backup quarterback competition to get enough plays that give both players a fair opportunity to play, the offense needs to score in chunks and quickly. Make no mistake, regardless on if there was a QB competition or not, Georgia under Bobo would not have slowed down their offense because of a lesser opponent. Look for Georgia to come out swinging and shake off that offseason rust in a hurry against Tennessee State not just for the reserves, but for Stockton too.
The sooner Stockton can get out of the game the better because that means the game is won, he can stay healthy, and Ryan Puglisi and Ryan Montgomery can get a chance to compete.
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