Before quarterback Carson Beck was ready to move on from Georgia, the Bulldogs were ready to move on from him, leading him to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and head to Miami this winter, and it was all because of one man: Gunner Stockton.
Stockton filled in for Beck after the two-year starter went down to a UCL injury in his elbow on the final play of the first half of the 2024 SEC Championship, leading the Bulldogs to a 22-19 overtime win.
He was the starter for the team’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in the 2025 Sugar Bowl, throwing for 234 yards on 62.5% passing and a touchdown in the team’s 23-10 loss.
Paul Finebaum Is Skeptical Gunner Stockton Is the Guy for Georgia
ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum shed doubt on his belief in Stockton as the team’s quarterback for 2025 in a segment called “Fine/Not Fine” on “SportsCenter” Tuesday.
Sorry about that one, @KirbySmartUGA 😬😬😬 #FineOrNotFine pic.twitter.com/uyWuEfUKk6
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) May 27, 2025
“I’d say that’s a big ‘not fine,” Finebaum said. I know the team coalesced around him after the SEC Championship game, but I was underwhelmed by what I saw from Gunner Stockton in the Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame.
“Kirby Smart has been steadfast in his support (for Stockton, but) he really doesn’t have another option until next year when the top recruit in the country comes in. So I’m not happy with what I see from the ‘Dawgs.”
But despite Finebaum’s doubts, Stockton’s teammates are in on the quarterback, with USC wide receiver transfer Zachariah Branch calling him “a dog.”
“I knew he was a dog since we, you know, started off in the workouts,” Branch said. “I mean, I can tell easily from, you know, the work ethic and how you prepare yourself to go out there and be the best version of yourself.
“I can definitely tell that he was really trying to compete with every rep. When we’re doing conditioning, he’s really trying to win, trying to push himself to be the best version of himself.
“And that’s what I like to surround myself around, so you know me and Gunner we clicked off pretty early, got a chance to be on the same page, ran some routes on our own time just to get that chemistry down and you know he’s been a real help for me and this offense as well.”
KEEP READING: Experts Claim This QB Has the Tools and NFL Flashes To Be Georgia’s Starter
We’ll see which side ends up being right as the season plays out.
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