Even though Gunner Stockton was one of three Bulldogs who attended SEC Media Days last week, he has not been named the starting quarterback for Georgia football this fall. Even though many assume he will be the starting QB, Kirby Smart has made it very clear that the competition between Stockton and redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi is still ongoing.
“I don’t name starters,” Smart shared via dawgpost.com. “We’ll see them this fall. We’ll see them go through two game-like scrimmages against a really good defense. We’ll see them in 3rd down situations and we’ll put them in pressure-cooker situations.”
Kirby Smart unlikely to name a starter before week one
Based on the above statement from Smart, it is clear that Georgia fans won't know who the starting quarterback is this fall for quite some time still. There is even a chance that the fanbase won't know who the starter is until the offense takes the field for the first time against Marshall week one.
Smart has shared in the past that Stockton is the leader in the quarterback competition, but he still wants to see how things shake out this offseason. He especially wants to see how Stockton and Puglisi perform once fall camp begins in August.
This means that even though it seems unlikely, Puglisi has a chance to prove that he is the better QB and deserves the starting job over Stockton.
Regardless of who the quarterback for Georgia is, expectations should remain high for the Bulldogs this season. Georgia clearly has the talent on both sides of the ball that is good enough to repeat as SEC Champions and contend for a National Championship, and that is the case no matter who the starting QB is.
Time will tell who ends up being the starting quarterback, but Georgia fans should have a lot of confidence in both players this season.