Should he stay or should he go now? Gunner Stockton may only be in his first season as the starting quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs, but he has been with the program for four years out of Rabun County High School. The Tiger, Georgia native has bided his time behind Carson Beck and Stetson Bennett IV before getting his day in the sun this year. Could he be a one-and-done starter for UGA?
Well, that is probably not the case. Stockton's NFL Draft stock is a bit complicated. He is a borderline draftable player at this stage of game. Although he has improved with every passing start under center for Georgia, he only has 12 so far in his career. One would think he could really use that extra year's worth of eligibility to set himself up for even more success. It may be the plan for him after all.
Then again, seeing Stockton walk during Senior Day on Saturday was both cool and alarming as well.
It’s Senior Day in Athens. Kirby Smart hugging his seniors as they run out onto the field. Just listen to the cheer for Gunner Stockton when he runs out. #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/5FV5dyaJc6
— Alison Mastrangelo (@AlisonWSB) November 22, 2025
While walking during Senior Day usually indicates that a player plans to enter the NFL Draft or has exhausted all of his eligibility, this may just be a formality for Stockton. We should remember that Stetson Bennett IV walked at the end of the 2021 college season before coming back and doing it all again in 2022. Stockton probably walked during Senior Day only because he was a fourth-year player.
The guy really loves Georgia, which is why we should totally expect for him to do this all again in 2026.
Gunner Stockton walking during Senior Day is not the end of the world
Let's make one thing perfectly clear here. Stockton turning pro after this season would not be the smartest move for him. Yes, he may be draft-eligible, but would he rather come back for one more year, capitalize on a boatload of NIL, and go on his way to becoming an even bigger legend at UGA? That seems to be right up his alley. He may want to play in the NFL at some point, but let's slow down.
With Stockton under center, the Georgia offense has become a well-oiled machine. The last time an SEC quarterback had this type of control at the line of scrimmage in the red zone was Cam Newton during his Heisman Trophy-winning national championship season in 2010. He may have turned pro after that one year at Auburn, but the guy started a bunch in junior college. He was the No. 1 pick, too.
In the end, why would Stockton want to leave something so special this soon? He gets to play in the same offense with his best friend Drew Bobo, whose father Mike Bobo coordinates it. Stockton has not-so-quietly become one of the greatest ambassadors of Georgia football to date. It seems like he is having such a blast playing college football. Why end that prematurely when the timing is not right?
Look for Stockton to have a great playoff run for Georgia this year, and next year, before turning pro.