G-Day, g day? The Georgia Bulldogs are, in some ways, the face of the sport, as hyperbolic as that sounds. In a year when plenty of programs—including fellow bluebloods Nebraska—chose to refrain from holding a spring game, Kirby Smart’s program embracing the tradition was a win for the CFB traditionalists. A faction that’s definitely been put through pain this weekend over the Tennessee-Nico Iamaleava development. Alas, Georgia has come through G-Day unscathed on the injury front. Which definitely took precedence over any takeaways or learnings. However, an answer to head coach Smart and OC Mike Bobo’s quarterback conundrum was also a priority. Gunner Stockton vs. Ryan Puglisi was an underlying theme. Well, we’re privy to the outcome now.

Before spring camp, and largely through its 15 non-contact practices, Gunner Stockton was QB1-elect. He’s the natural successor to the void left behind by Carson Beck. The reasons are fairly straightforward. He’s been at the program longer, biding his time and learning the ropes. By extension, he’s had more time in Coach Bobo’s offense. More importantly, Stockton was a breath of fresh air for the Dawgs when he stepped in for Beck in two massive spots last season. He invigorated the team with his very first series and sparked a comeback in the SEC championship game after coming in on short notice to replace the injured Beck in the 2nd half. Stockton then carried this momentum into the playoffs with a valiant effort against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. But even with all this baked in, Stockton isn’t a guaranteed starter. Puglisi’s really challenging his place atop the depth chart.

Redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi had more than a puncher’s chance heading into the spring game. Did the former 4-star recruit take it? Yes and no. He threw a pick towards the beginning of the day. Coincidentally, so did Gunner Stockton. But it’s almost as if the pair needed to shrug off some jitters and rust. After their initial hiccups, both fared excellently. To contextualize this, Stockton was 10/20 with 147 air yards and an INT at halftime. Puglisi was 10/19, with 87 yards and an INT as well. But the script flipped by the end. Stockton went 7/14 with 162 yards and 2 house calls the rest of the way. Puglisi, with more 1st team reps now, actually slinged it at a higher clip. He threw a whopping 30 passes in the 2nd half. While he had 2 TDs of himself, he completed a measly 13 passes. With this baked into the equation, Kirby Smart resounded his thoughts in the aftermath.

In his post-spring game presser, Coach Smart was asked to leverage his thoughts on the QB hierarchy. With this being the last real data point before fall, fans were prepared to cling to his every word. Unfortunately, Kirby Smart chose to tread with ambiguity and neutrality. “Both did some good things, and both did some poor things… I think both those guys understand the offense.” he said. At least the coach did single out Ryan Puglisi, too, and slightly elaborated on his performance. He mentioned that Puglisi “has come a long way in what was his first spring and made some good throws.”  Coach Smart chose to keep his cards close to his chest, which makes sense. 

With the transfer portal imminently opening, making a direct announcement about his QB1 could lead to the other jumping ship. For a perennial championship contender like Georgia, a good backup QB is requisite. Kirby Smart quite literally experienced this firsthand last season. As a result, keeping both Stockton and Puglisi on their toes through the portal window and into fall is shrewd. That said, not every corner of Athens is taking as balanced an outlook. A prominent member of Georgia media made a much more direct announcement upon the conclusion of G-Day.

Georgia insider gives his verdict on who’s QB1 for Kirby Smart’s 2025 Bulldogs

Kirby Smart largely went into the spring game with an open mind about which direction he could wind up picking in. Or at least that’s the image he projected. Both Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi got fairly equal reps with the 1st unit, and the overall environment was such that there was parity and balance. However, DawgNation’s Conner Riley went into G-Day with a preconceived winner in mind. The events of the day didn’t deter his feelings or force him to switch his stance.

“Over on his X handle, Riley wrote, “Thoughts and takeaways [from the spring game]. Gunner Stockton got better as the day progressed and showed why he’s the clear QB1. This “clear QB1” currently has a NIL value of $859k, which is a far cry from his predecessor, Carson Beck. Riley added, “Ryan Puglisi had some nice moments but was streaky.” That’s a microcosm of the prevailing belief in and around Athens. Stockton was the front-runner already, and while good, Puglisi didn’t quite do enough to leapfrog him.

There’s a small chance Puglisi hops into the portal now. He sat as a true freshman and is now staring down the barrel of another season as a backup. Going somewhere he’d be afforded the chance to start is surely enticing. Conversely, the Georgia Bulldogs aren’t an opportunity you reject unless the circumstances are way too dire. They aren’t for Ryan Puglisi. It’s on the board that he displaces Stockton at some point in the fall. He’s a solid quarterback but has an admittedly low ceiling. Especially in the passing offense, albeit he did connect on some beautiful deep passes on Saturday. There are a lot of layers to peel back with this one. For both players, for Mike Bobo, and for Kirby Smart.