Gunner Stockton is the clear starter for Georgia this season at quarterback. That much is a given, but the the competition behind Stockton on the depth chart isn’t so clear.
Last year Ryan Puglisi was Stockton’s backup, and he is back for another season hoping to be the No. 2 guy on the depth chart once again. But that job is not a guarantee, and after redshirt freshman Hezekiah Millender‘s performance at G-Day he may not be the clear second string option that everyone has thought he would be.
Hezekiah Millender turned heads this past weekend with his performance at G-Day. 🐶
— UGA Football Live (@UGAfootballLive) April 20, 2026
Jake Rowe highlighted several players who impressed him, and Millender was one of the standouts. 👀
It’s becoming clear that Millender has firmly put himself in the mix for the QB2 job heading… pic.twitter.com/xMu217zVNE
Hzekiah Millender has quickly cemented himself as a legit contender to be Gunner Stockton's backup
Most of Georgia's backup quarterbacks were ranked really high out of high school. Ryan Puglisi, Ryan Montgomery and even transfer Bryson Beaver were all highly sought after recruits, and it was big deal when Georgia earned their commitment.
The same however can't be said for Millender.
He was a member of the 2025 recruiting class alongside Montgomery. As mentioned, Montgomery was ranked very high out of school, but Millender was not. In fact, Millender was only the No. 769 overall player in the country.
It's clear why he was overshadowed coming out of high school, but after his G-Day performance that shouldn't be the case anymore.
It's unlikely that he cemented himself as Stockton's backup during G-Day, and it probably isn't likely that he will ever earn that title this offseason. But heading into G-Day many believed that he wasn't even in the conversation, but that isn't the case anymore.
This will be Stockton's last season at Georgia, so heading into next year Kirby Smart will have a heated quarterback competition on his hands. All four quarterbacks behind Stockton have shown great things this spring, so all four could realistically win the starting job.
But Millender no longer can be ignored like he has been for the last year. He clearly is a very good player and has given himself a chance to be Stockton's backup this year and the starting quarterback in 2027.
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