Why Gunner Stockton Will Be a Success Story for Georgia Football

Why quarterback Gunner Stockton will be a success story for Georgia this season.

The Georgia Bulldogs will have a new starting quarterback this season, and while Kirby Smart has not officially named a starter, all signs point to Gunner Stockton being the guy. There have been a lot of questions raised about Stockton heading into this season, but there are a lot of reasons to believe he will be a success story.

It's well documented at this point that Stockton is a team guy. It was noticeable when he entered the SEC Championship game how the team reacted when he entered the football game. It may sound a bit cliché to talk about how valuable it is to hav e a leader at quarterback, but a team rallying around their guy has proven to be valuable for Georgia over the years (Insert Stetson Bennett).

Stockton's value is beyond that, though. Georgia struggled to run the football last season, and there are several reasons as to why. Stockton will help with some of those issues. His ability to add in on the run game will keep defenders honest, therefore making life easier on Georgia's backs. It was noticeable on film last season that edge defenders immediately crashed in on Georgia's running backs, but they won't be able to do that this season.

This isn't just a quarterback that Georgia chose out of the options they have available. Stockton has a lengthy relationship with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo that started before Bobo was brought back to call plays in Athens. Stockton may be entering his first season as the full-time starter, but he's been building chemistry with Bobo for many years now.

There can also be an expectation that Georgia will be more explosive on offense this season. In 2024, Georgia ranked 29th for 20+ yard plays, 28th for 30+ yard plays and 58th for 40+ yard plays. For context, in 2023, Georgia ranked 6th for 20+ yard plays, 1st for 30+ yard plays and 20th for 40+ yard plays.

Why will Georgia get back to that style of play? Well, they have the personnel to do it. The help in the run game has already been explained, but in the limited number of snaps Stockton had played up to this point, he has shown his willingness to take deep shots in the offense. Add in the fact that Georgia brought in both Noah Thomas and Zachariah Branch this offseason, on top of the other names in the receiving room, and the Bulldogs will be able to create more of those opportunities.

Nothing is guaranteed, and that includes Stockton being a successful starter in Athens. However, for all of the questions that have been raised about the Georgia quarterback, there are just as many reasons to believe he will be a success story for the Bulldogs this season.