Has any player been doubted more than Gunner Stockton has by the mainstream media and the average college football fan? No Georgia football fan is claiming that Stockton will be the best quarterback in the country this season, but acting like it’s a given he will be bad isn’t fair.
People are allowed to have their own opinions on Stockton, but the opinion any reasonable fan should have on him is that he just needs more time. College football fans need to be more patient so they can actually find out what kind of player he is before they rule him off as a failure.
Gunner Stockton deserves more time to prove himself
The main reason why it is ridiculous for people to already act like Stockton is a failure is because he has barely had a chance to play significant minutes at Georgia. So far Stockton has played just six quarters as UGA’s quarterback, and no player should be judged this harshly after this short amount of time.
These six quarters Stockton played in however came in the biggest moments against the best teams in the country. The one game Stockton started came against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff. The Irish proved to be one of the best teams in the country by making it all the way to the National Championship game with one of the best defenses in the country, and this is a recipe for disaster for any new QB.
Stockton’s first appearance however came in the second half against Texas in the SEC Championship game. Again, there aren’t many stages brighter than that, but what did Stockton do? He led Georgia on a second half comeback and beat a team in Texas who made the CFP semifinals.
Did Stockton look like an elite QB during these six quarters? Not at all. But hardly any quarterback would if these moments were the first time they stepped on the field. Most quarterbacks get to begin their careers as the starter with a few easy non-conference games so they can get comfortable, Stockton however never got that chance.
Gunner Stockton needs to be named starter first
Stockton is yet to be named the starter this season, but if he does he will get to ease into the season like most new QBs do. And after getting his feet underneath him this year, don’t be surprised if Stockton eventually becomes one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC.