Everyone loves a good quarterback competition, right? Ok, maybe most people prefer to have a proven, veteran quarterback returning for another season, but Georgia football has two more than capable options who could become the starter next season.
And to likely no one’s surprise, those two QBs are Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi.
Some fans may think that Stockton is the frontrunner in this competition, and there’s a chance they are correct, but this competition is still wide open according to Kirby Smart.
"As far as quarterback, it's just like every position guys," Smart shared via 247sports.com. "Every day, you're competing and fighting and doing the best you can to compete with every guy. You think it's redundant or coach-speak, but there really isn't a depth chart. It's just reps. In the spring, we're giving reps out. We're giving four reps with four groups at some positions, and we want to see all of those guys compete and get better."
Reasons why Stockton is the frontrunner
The above quote from Smart makes it very clear that anyone still has a chance to become the starting QB in the fall. However, Smart then went on to discuss Stockton specifically without even being asked about him, and these comments make it seem like Stockton is the heavy favorite to win the job.
"He's (Stockton) a tremendous leader, but that's nothing I didn't already know,” Smart continued. “I would be remiss if I said he's done this or that. He's done everything right since he's been here. That's really what he embodies. He's a tough kid that loves football, that loves his teammates."
On top of these comments, Georgia’s former players participating in their Pro Day in Athens yesterday selected Stockton to be their QB for the event as well. These guys could have chosen anyone, so the fact they chose Stockton shows Georgia fans how confident they are in him.
It will be interesting to see how this competition goes all offseason, but at this time it seems very clear that Stockton is the person to beat.