Gunner Stockton the freshman boy we saw featuring in the second half of the SEC Championship now has a great onus on his shoulders. That is after the departure of Georgia Bulldogs‘ first-choice QB Carson Beck he has got a great deal of expectations to match. The only problem? It is easier said than done. And after the team’s debacle in the playoffs stage the voices will get louder and louder. So, the question is, can Stockton successfully step into Carson Beck’s shoes? Or will Kirby Smart ultimately have to turn to the transfer portal?

Well, Georgia’s OC Mike Bobo shared some insights on the issue. “My message to Gunner, and really to any quarterback that I’ve ever coached, is you have to be Gunner Stockton. You can’t try to be Coach Kirby Smart or Coach Mike Bobo. You can’t try to be Carson Beck. You can’t try to be Jake Fromm or Stetson Bennett. You have to be Gunner Stockton, because I’m going to be Mike Bobo, and I want you to be Gunner Stockton. And if we’re who we are all the time around each other, I think that’s where the trust goes“. That is undoubtedly a great message coming from the team’s OC. While it’s true that Stockton’s exploits will be judged with the scale of Beck’s achievements. The only thing that can help him succeed by being true to himself.

Mike Bobo also addressed and highlighted several concerns that Stockton could face in terms of team cohesion and chemistry. “You’ve got the things that the guys and their favorites are going into the game. And a lot of them on my sheet are stars of what Carson’s might be his favorite of what we have on the menu. So I had to go back over what Gunner’s favorites were for those situations. Then you address the football team and talk about, hey, this is what we’re going to do“. This statement also highlights one key issue that the team could face going into the 2025 season. And that is, can the team, in general, find its rhythm with Stockton at its helm?

Let’s assume for a second that he will struggle to perform in the upcoming season. But, he is still a sophomore and has incredible potential. If we only take a look at his previous games in which he played he didn’t really was that bad for a freshman at the time. So, what’s the silver lining?

He played superbly in the SEC championship game by leading on 3 scoring drives and in the dying minutes of overtime earned a first down for the team. In the game against Texas, he was decent and threw 71 yards in total. Surely, people will say ‘But the team lost against Notre Dame’. Well yes, they lost, but we still have a lot to see from Stockton before we could jump to conclusions.

Will Kirby Smart’s woes ease up?

It is not a secret now that Georgia and Kirby Smart have a big problem of their own. And that is their mass exodus of players. Aside from their ace QB Carson Beck, almost 36 players had registered for the transfer portal in December. The list includes prominent names like Rara Thomas (WR) and Michael Jackson III (WR). But is there a fix for Smart’s woes in sight?

Well, aside from his aggressive post-season recruitment plans for the 2026 class. Smart is also pulling all strings to land top-rated running back KJ Edwards. Apart from that, it is mostly looking like his several other targets are actively being pursued by none other than Ryan Day. For instance, Tyler Atkinson is someone who was on Smart’s radar but is being actively pursued by Day right now.

Furthermore, Jared Curtis from Tennessee, an elite QB with almost 3,000 passing yards decommitted to sign for Smart after agreeing terms. All this points to more problems than solutions for Kirby Smart. Now, the last question remains, will Smart overcome his roster problems or not?