Last season, despite leading Georgia to a championship, Carson Beck faced heavy criticism for inconsistent play. Hampered by a weak receiving corps, he saw his 72.4% completion rate come down to 64.7%, and his interception count went from six to 12. But with Beck out of the picture, Kirby Smart will have to rely on Gunner Stockton. While that is a challenge in itself, Smart will have to address his side’s offensive struggles, especially in the receiving room. The head coach, known for his difficult practice drills, has made no secret of the fact that the Bulldogs are not meeting the expected standard in the team’s early spring performance.

Following a March practice, Smart said, “We really can’t practice to our standard because they’re all tired … so we got to do a better job of getting them in shape. They are not where they need to be … they have to be willing to receive coaching.” While Smart acknowledged that his side is an “inexperienced group,” it doesn’t take away the fact that the Bulldogs and Stockton would be under pressure to deliver in the coming season.

Stockton has done what has been asked of him so far. During Georgia’s G-Day. Gunner took the field with the first team’s offense. And in that game, he completed 16 of 34 passes for 309 yards with two touchdowns and 1 interception. Best part? Kirby Smart saw definite improvements in his plays. “[He] has done a very good job with his feet and his legs. He made plays with his legs today,” he said. But despite all this, will Gunner Stockton be able to thrive in a system that led the nation with 36 drops last season? Looks like he can.

Look, we all know how Georgia’s receiving corps made things worse for Carson Beck, but this season, that’s going to change, as Dawgs247’s Jordan Hill candidly points out on the Cover 3 Podcast that Georgia’s receiving unit is set to thrive this season. “Carson Beck had his faults during the 2024 season. There are plenty of mistakes Carson made, but the big thing I would want people to take away from this preview of Georgia looking at Georgia in 2025 is that I think this wide receiver corps is significantly better than the 2024 version. And that’s huge.”

However, Jordan Hill didn’t mince words before landing Gunner Stockton with a reality check. “And the big question for me with Gunner going into 2025 is going to be just how he plays. The big questions on offense are how Gunner meets this moment. I mean, basically he’s had a game and a half of legitimate experience at Georgia — that second half and overtime in the SEC Championship Game, the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame,” he said.

Stockton had a mixed bag in his outing against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. While he completed 20 out of 32 passes for 234 yards and 1 TD, he also had a pair of fumbles (one lost) and had 10 rushes for negative 23 yards. So, if he really wants to thrive this season, consistency is the key.

As a redshirt sophomore, Stockton appeared in five games last season. He completed 45 of 64 passes (70.3% completion rate) for 440 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, resulting in a passer rating of 130.1. His limited experience could count against him, but he remains Georgia’s preferred quarterback option at the moment.

His showings in the SEC Championship and Sugar Bowl highlighted his potential to take the reins of Georgia’s offense in the future. But he has to deliver.

“So if they can meet the moment, it’s going to be a good position for Gunner Stockton because of the pieces he has around him, because of the skill at receiver, at running back. I think this offense has a chance to really shine. But that means there’s going to be a lot of pressure on Gunner Stockton to deliver,” Hill highlighted.

Now, last season, Kirby Smart’s team had its worst rush offense in nine seasons under him, finishing 102nd in the nation, averaging just 124.4 yards per game. They gained 1,742 rushing yards while allowing 1,815. This decline in the ground game was evident in key matchups, such as the loss to Ole Miss, where Georgia managed only 59 rushing yards and allowed five sacks. But with all the new transfer portal additions, Georgia may not see a repeat of Carson Beck’s fate.

“When you have more drops than Trent Dilfer’s UAB Blazers, that’s not a good thing. And they still wound up winning the SEC, as we’ve already said. But they go get Zachariah Branch from USC, who I thought had a fantastic spring at Georgia. You get Noah Thomas from Texas A&M. Colbie Young comes back from Miami — a guy that I think is going to be a big part of this offense as well. And you get Dillon Bell as well,” Hill pointed out.

Georgia has gone and equipped Stockton with the tools he needs to succeed, and the onus is on him. This will be a test of his character and ability, and Paul Finebaum was quick to remind him of the challenge that lays ahead.

Paul Finebaum’s subtle warning to Gunner Stockton

The 2024 college football season featured several outstanding quarterbacks. Cam Ward (Miami), Kyle McCord (Syracuse), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), and Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) all had exceptional years. With these players heading to the NFL, the big question is: who will shine the brightest next season?

During an appearance on his show, SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum talked about Georgia’s new quarterback. He questioned whether Gunner Stockton had the potential to be a top quarterback, noting, “To me, Gunner Stockton is a lot of hype right now.” Finebaum noted the team’s affection for Stockton, yet their execution on the field fell short of flawless. He explained, “We got the bill of goods about how much the team loved him and how hard they want to play for him.”

But Finebaum’s concerns persisted. “I saw that in the Sugar Bowl. I saw just inexcusable mistakes across the board, and he was part of some of them.” Despite the hype, Gunner’s mistakes stood out to Finebaum.

But let’s not forget that Gunner Stockton’s crucial eight-yard overtime run led Georgia to victory against Texas. However, his poor performance in their 23-10 loss to Notre Dame lingers. The Bulldogs’ offense sputtered throughout that game.

Whether Stockton can rise to the top of college football quarterbacks remains to be seen, but his success could put Georgia back in the national championship hunt.