Sadly, the Sugar Bowl did not leave Kirby Smart and Georgia with any sweet aftertaste. They got thrashed badly at the hands of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. So, they need someone to flip their luck this time. Unfortunately, they could not count on their good old man, Carson Beck. This might pain Smart a little more since his QB got snatched by the Miami and not any NFL giant.

However, it’s not the right time to go on a bad trip! That’s because their other rising QB, Gunner Stockton, is in deep soup. But why? Again, the Beck factor comes into play as Stockton is believed to be not living up to the ex-QB’s standards.  

Growing pains for Gunner Stockton

Well, the Bulldogs have named Stockton as the player who will become a superstar in 2025. Smart’s program is now on a scouting mission to reload on offense in the post-Beck era. Now, Stockton did not get much opportunity to show his rage on the gridiron. Stockton didn’t play in 2022 as a redshirt, but he has logged a few appearances in 2023 and 2024. He made his first start against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. He carries a resume of 83 career passing attempts. Back in 2024, he also posted 440 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and one interception in 2024. Now he is seen in the light of Beck’s replacement. On the UGA Football on Dawg Post, host Dean Legge stated, “At the beginning, everyone’s favorite quarterback is the backup.”

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Already Stockton had set the ceiling high for himself. The SEC Championship game against Texas in which Beck went down 22-19 in overtime. That’s when Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards and an interception. Legge continued, “If things aren’t going exactly the way people want, they want to assign blame and they want to turn to that…it’s a competition behind the scenes.” That’s where the confidence factor comes into play. As the analyst compared Stockton with Beck. “It’s quite like ‘23. We were really confident at least at least this group that Carson Beck was going to be the quarterback in 2023. He’ been around longer. He was more polished than any of the other guys.” Now, there is no doubt about this claim. 

Stockton is not nearly as developed as Beck, who will be remembered as a pure passer and mental processor in Athens. The gap between the two is a country mile wide. It was evident in Stockton’s rookie mistakes that are expected from QBs who do not have adequate in-game reps. Buckle up, folks! Paul Finebaum had something to say about the QB. 

Gunner Stockton catches up on some mixed reviews 

There looms some serious doubts in Finebaum’s heart when it comes to Stockton. On his The Paul Finebaum Show, the ESPN analyst has voiced doubts about him taking up the QB role. The analyst did not sound quite convinced when he said, “I don’t know about Georgia. I know everybody was enthralled by Gunner Stockton after the Sugar Bowl, I was not.” But so what? Kirby Smart could not stop talking about his QB and his fame within the squad.

“The players believe in Gunner. They love Gunner. The juice that he brought and the passion and energy. And he lives with three or four of those guys, Drew (Bobo) and Oscar (Delp) and some of them. And it was like it gave us an added boost of energy,” said the Georgia HC. Analyst Greg McElroy also sees Stockton having the lifejacket to keep the Bulldogs afloat.  

During the three appearances, he completed 25-of-32 passing attempts (78.1%) for 206 yards and one interception. On the ESPN College Football podcast, analyst Greg McElroy stated, “Well, if you look at Gunner Stockton compared to what they had the last two years with Carson Beck, you have a little bit more mobility at the quarterback spot.” Stockton’s game carries a familiar Connor Shaw vibe, per the analyst. Will Gunner Stockton close the gap on Carson Beck’s popularity?