The biggest talking point surrounding Georgia football, if not the entire college football world, is backup QB Gunner Stockton taking over for an injured Carson Beck.
A lot of the conversation has surrounded people doubting Stockton and thinking he isn't good enough to lead Georgia to a National Championship. And while that could be true, it is all just speculation at this point as no one knows what he will look like as a starter for the first time in his career. But we do know that he is more than capable of leading this Georgia team to some wins considering that is exactly what he did in the second half of the SEC Championship game against Texas.
But still, the doubts people have in Stockton are valid because of the lack of experience he has in college. On the bright side however, Georgia has nearly a month to get Stockton ready to go before their first College Football Playoff game on Jan. 1, and thankfully Kirby Smart recently spoke about Stockton's preparations for the CFP.
"He's been a great competitor," Smart shared via 247sports.com. "He's had some really great practices. It's been good to see him get reps and grow as a player. It's been really enjoyable to watch him grow and go against that defense of ours. It's been awesome for him."
Gunner Stockton is improving fast
Smart didn't share too many specifics about what Stokton is working on and improving on these last few weeks, but it does sound like he has taken massive strides with the team so far. His confidence is growing and he is competing at a high level, which at the end of the day is the best thing you could hope for from Stockton right now.
But the most noteworthy thing Smart brought up is that Stockton is getting to go against Georgia's defense every day in practice. This is significant because UGA has one of the best defenses in the country, so there really is no better way to get prepared as a first time starter than by going up against elite, NFL caliber players in practice every day.
Hopefully this extra practice against the elite Georgia defense is working, because Notre Dame is a legit threat for the Bulldogs in the CFP quarterfinal. But if Georgia plays like they did in the second half of the SEC Championship game, then the Bulldogs will have every chance to beat the Irish.