Georgia football quarterback Gunner Stockton is entering the 2025 season with a little experience under belt. Granted he only got to play in one and a half games last season, but drawing on that experience will really benefit him this fall if he wins the starting job.
Kirby Smart however has a bigger takeaway from Stockton taking over for an injured Carson Beck last season. Smart discussed on Tuesday at SEC Media Days how impressed he was with Stockton as Georgia’s backup and with the perfect example he set for Georgia’s younger players who may not see the field that much yet.
"The one thing that I really appreciate about Gunner and most quarterbacks is he prepared every game as if he was the starter," Smart shared via 247sports.com. "People can say that and say that's coach-speak, but he actually did it. He went in, watched extra tape, and he knew that at any point in time, he could be called up to go into the game and play... So I thought he handled that moment well, and he taught a lot of our young players that you've got to be prepared and ready."
Gunner Stockton was always ready to play
Smart detailed in the above quote how great of a job Stockton did week in and week out as Georgia’s backup. According to Smart, Stockton prepared each week like he was the starter, that way he was always ready to go in case his number was called.
So when Beck went down on the final play of the first half in the SEC Championship game, Stockton was prepared to step in and take over. And that transition clearly went well because Stockton helped lead Georgia to their comeback victory against Texas in the second half.
Smart then went on to share how Stockton also set a great example to the underclassmen who don’t see the field much. He showed them how important it is to always be ready to play, because no one ever knows when they will be called upon during the season.
Stockton reportedly has not won the starting job this fall yet, but these leadership qualities make him the most likely candidate to win the job. So don’t be surprised to see Stockton trot out with the offense on their first possession against Marshall on Aug. 30.