The Georgia Bulldogs may have found their new starting quarterback. Redshirt junior Gunner Stockton looked impressive in Georgia's spring game despite one costly turnover in the end zone.
Stockton helped the Red Team (first-team offense) win 34-17 and gave Georgia fans a lot of reasons to be confident in him. Stockton, who helped Georgia take home the 2024 SEC championship, connected on several deep passes in G-Day.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound quarterback passed for 309 yards and threw two touchdowns and one interception. He completed 17 of 34 passes against the Black Team defense (first-team defense). Stockton was particularly accurate with his deep ball in the second half. He found wide receivers Jeremy Bell and Sacovie White on second half touchdown passes.
Kirby Smart talks about how Gunner Stockton has improved
Stockton statistically outperformed projected back up quarterback Ryan Puglisi, who completed 23 of 49 passes for 224 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. However, Puglisi, a redshirt freshman, did not look bad. He was much more effective in his lone series with the first-team offense.
"Confidence, understanding the offense, knowing when to take a shot, which he didn't do a great job today," said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart on how Stockton has improved. "He had a couple times where he could have thrown the ball or checked it down. He took shots that he probably didn't have to."
Stockton has some mobility, but he's not a dual-threat rushing threat that Georgia can rely on. Stockton finished the day with just five carries for three yards. However, he's no sitting duck. Stockton also uses his mobility to extend plays.
"But he's (Gunner Stockton) done a really good job with his feet, his legs. He made plays with his legs today, and I thought Ryan (Puglisi) did too. They're both good athletes that can extend plays," added Smart.
Stockton appears to have the edge in the Georgia quarterback battle after spring practice. Stockton won the majority of the first-team reps and has a significant experience edge over Puglisi, who has never appeared in a college football regular season game.
Kirby Smart evaluates Ryan Puglisi
"Ryan's (Puglisi) done a good job. Ryan continues to get better since it's his first spring. I mean, he ain't got a chance to compete and do much. He has growth. He's still probably a little bit behind ...
