Gunner Stockton probably likes that there’s little chatter around him entering the upcoming season.

If you look over the various quarterback rankings entering the upcoming season, Stockton is rarely near the top. Joel Klatt of Fox Sports left the Georgia quarterback out of the rankings entirely. Chris Low of On3 had Stockton as the No. 3-ranked quarterback in the SEC, behind Arch Manning of Texas and Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss. David Cobb of CBS Sports left Stockton outside the top tier of his quarterback rankings for the upcoming year.

All this despite finishing seventh in Heisman Trophy voting last season. It comes a year after Stockton picked up wins over Manning and Chambliss, as the Bulldogs went 12-2, winning the SEC.

So why is Stockton not viewed as highly entering this rapidly approaching season? Looking at the end of last year may perhaps offer our best explanation.

Manning and Chambliss in particular played their best football to conclude last year. The same can’t be said for Stockton.

When looking at the final four games of each quarterback, Manning and Chambliss were playing their best football. The former accounted for 12 touchdowns to just one interception, which came in a loss to Georgia.

As for Chambliss, had 10 total touchdowns and no interceptions. He won two College Football Playoff games before coming up just short against Ole Miss.

Stockton ended the year in a slump. He had only 7 touchdowns, while throwing 2 interceptions. His yards per attempt, 6.31, in that four-game span was not just a full yard lower than that of Manning (7.65) and Chambliss (8.77), but also his season-long average of 7.5.

The ending of Georgia’s 2026 season was unsatisfactory. Stockton himself said as much. His play to end last season played a part in that.

“It definitely left a bad taste,” Stockton said this spring. “And just try not to let that happen and do our best to make it not happen.”

Stockton is never going to put up massive statistics. Only three times in 14 games did Stockton throw for more than 250 yards. Viewing Stockton through the statistical lens isn’t always going to be the best way to view what he brings to the table.

“Few players in college football are more underrated than Gunner Stockton. Just don’t tell the coaches and players who’ve gone against him that he’s underrated,” Low wrote of Stockton. “They will tell you his toughness, penchant for making clutch plays and leadership are all right there at the top of the players they’ve faced.”

Stockton’s biggest strength as a player comes with his intangibles. Not just in his ability to lead, but in his ability to elevate himself in the biggest moments. He does enter the season with wins over Manning and Chambliss on his ledger, in part because of how great he was in the second half of those wins.

It is also worth stressing that no quarterback is an island. Tom Brady had Rob Gronkowski; Joe Burrow was flanked by Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.

Stockton won’t have Zachariah Branch and Colbie Young at his disposal this year. London Humphreys is Georgia’s only returning pass catcher who caught more than 15 passes last season.

But perhaps more importantly, Stockton will get the chance to play with Drew Bobo. The Georgia center made Second Team All-SEC last season, despite suffering a season-ending foot injury against Georgia Tech.

In the four-game sample size above, Bobo started and finished none of those contests. His impact on the Georgia offense, and Stockton in particular, was made very clear to end last season.

Stockton very likely doesn’t care that he isn’t viewed in the same light as Chambliss or Manning or CJ Carr of Notre Dame or Darian Mensah of Miami. Stockton doesn’t desire to win a popularity contest among the other quarterbacks in the sport.

What he truly craves is to lead Georgia to a national championship. If he is to do that in 2026, he and Georgia know they have to play better at the end of the season.

Last season made that abundantly clear, and Georgia has had to hear about it all offseason long.

“With what you do now in the playoffs, in the games you have to win, I think the cream comes to the top,” Smart said. “The best team comes out and wins. It’s who’s playing the best at the end. It might not be who’s playing the best in the beginning, but that’s who wins the championship.”