ATHENS — There were 32 blue-chip quarterbacks in the 2024 recruiting class. Ryan Puglisi was one of those, arriving at Georgia as the No. 10 overall quarterback in that recruiting class.

Of those 32, just nine are still at the school they signed with out of high school. Most of Puglisi’s contemporaries have moved on to other schools.

“I mean, it’s just part of the day and age today, part of the game now, but I think it’s just how it goes,” Puglisi said prior to Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.

Yet Puglisi is still in Athens, even without a clear and obvious path to the starting quarterback job. While Georgia is thrilled to have Puglisi in the quarterback room for another year, the Bulldogs also bring back starter Gunner Stockton.

So Puglisi will wait another year in the Georgia system, backing up Stockton instead of heading for a lesser school to get more playing time.

“I think eventually if you want to get to where you want to go, obviously my goal is to play in the NFL for a long time, so I think whether it’s high school or middle school football, college football, you’re going to have to compete no matter what to get to where you want to go,” Puglisi said on why he’s still at Georgia. “So, I think just having that mindset, be ready to compete every play.”

Puglisi is far from the first Georgia quarterback to wait to see the field at Georgia. Stockton didn’t make his first start until the final game of his third season at Georgia.

Carson Beck didn’t start for the Bulldogs until the first game of his fourth season. Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo gave Beck real credit for making an early impact on Georgia’s promising backup.

“I think he had a great role model when he came in last year,” Bobo said of Puglisi. “Carson (Beck) did a great job of mentoring him and teaching him. And then seeing the backup last year in Gunner, how he worked and how he prepared. I think Ryan’s in that room and he’s seeing those guys, how they prepare, how they work, go about their business, the starter and the backup, was good for him, good to see.”

Puglisi did get playing time this season, appearing in seven games. He completed 16 of his 27 pass attempts for 161 yards. He threw a touchdown against Marshall but was intercepted in games against Kentucky and Tennessee.

Even if his game reps were limited, Puglisi knows he’s a better quarterback at this point in time than he was entering 2025.

“I feel like I’ve grown pretty well,” Puglisi said. “The practices Coach Smart puts together is always second to none, so we’re going against the best defense every day, so I’m getting a lot better.”

Bobo likes that Puglisi preps like the starter, even when it’s clear he won’t in 2026. That’s something Stockton didn’t always do and Bobo did have to get on his current starting quarterback.

Add in Stockton’s ability to take big hits, Puglisi knows he’s just one play away from seeing the field.

“Ryan’s a self-motivated kid. He’s got a natural competitive instinct, character about him,” Bobo said. “I think that’s what drove him to come to Georgia to play at a place like Georgia. He didn’t flinch in who we were recruiting at that time, who we were recruiting after him. He’s never flinched.”

When Puglisi was being recruited to Georgia, the Bulldogs held a commitment from five-star prospect Dylan Raiola. Just before signing day, Raiola flipped to Nebraska, in part to play right away. But after two seasons, he left Nebraska via the transfer portal and is poised to be the backup at Oregon for 2026.

Whether Raiola came to Georgia or not, Puglisi was undeterred. He wanted to be great at Georgia. The coaches saw that competitive fire and are glad to see it on the practice fields.

“He wants to be here,” Bobo said. “He wants to develop in this system, and he has developed. He’s got a ton of reps this year. He went from hardly getting any reps as the three that he’s got. Every rep as the two, and we see his development. I’m really pleased of where he is as a football player and a possible leader in this program.”