On Wednesday, Gunner Stockton stepped into a role with his teammates that was recently held by Carson Beck. In two of the last three Georgia Pro Days, Beck would throw passes to his NFL-bound receivers, including George Pickens and even Ladd McConkey.
While Beck could have been getting ready for the NFL, he chose to transfer to the University of Miami instead. So, Stockton will be competing with Ryan Puglisi this offseason to see who gets the nod for the Bulldogs next year. His teammates are already saying big words of encouragement to Stockton.
NFL-Bound Georgia Athletes Speak on Gunner Stockton as Bulldogs’ Potential Next QB
Georgia’s head coach, Kirby Smart, will likely decide between Stockton and Puglisi. “He’s done everything right since he’s been here. That’s really what he embodies,” says Smart. “He’s a tough kid that loves football, that loves his teammates. You’re not going to get a lot of rah-rah out of Gunner.”
QB Gunner Stockton will be throwing for his Georgia Teammates at UGA’s Pro Day — not Carson Beck, who started for the Dawgs all year before a season-ending injury and subsequent transfer to UMiami. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/1yTYj2z5rk
— Sullivan Maley (@MaleyCFB) March 12, 2025
“He doesn’t feel like that’s his role. He earns people’s respect by how he works and carries himself. He’s got a tremendous amount of confidence in his ability. He’s got a lot of knowledge of our system. I think that kind of resonates with the other players. They kind of rally around Gunner because they’ve got a lot of respect for him.” Smart added.
The NFL-bound players from Georgia spoke highly of Stockton, including center Jalen Wilson. “I love Gunner. I’m so excited,” Wilson said.
“I definitely hated seeing Carson go down, and I never want to see a teammate go down and get hurt, and then the was going through the mental battles he was going through. Once Gunner came to that game, it brought a little extra juice to the team. It was great.”
“No matter what the circumstances, he’s always smiling,” wide receiver Dominic Lovett said. “He’s a great guy to be around. He’s a great leader. I feel like no matter what’s going on, he’s very poised. I feel like he can control the room at his own tempo. He mentors and helps out the younger guys, but not just younger guys, like quarterbacks.”
“He wants to get extra throws,” Lovett added. “He wants to get extra with anybody he can, even with the defensive players. He’s just a brain picker. When you see him, he’s just always jolly. He’s always smiling no matter what it is.”
KEEP READING: 2025 Georgia QB Depth Chart: Carson Beck Gone, Gunner Stockton QB1?
Stockton has many current and former players in his corner as he prepares to compete for the Georgia starting quarterback job. While it remains to be seen what happens here and whether Georgia gets another quarterback through the transfer portal, Stockton should remain in the conversation as Georgia’s next quarterback.
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