ATHENS — This time a year ago, we didn’t truly know if Gunner Stockton was going to be Georgia’s starting quarterback.

He started in a College Football Playoff loss against Notre Dame but he still had yet to show whether he could handle the rigors and pressure that come with being Georgia’s quarterback.

As Stockton begins his fifth spring practice, it’s safe to say we know a lot more about the Georgia quarterback.

He answered those questions so definitively last season his profile rose enough to meet Donald Trump.

When asked about how the meeting came about, Stockton handled it diplomatically like the leader he is for this Georgia football team.

“It was just a chance to meet the president,” Stockton said. “I think me personally, I don’t know your stance, like anybody’s stance, but I’d meet any president when I got the chance to. So that was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it was pretty neat.”

The question about Trump was far from the only tough one the Georgia quarterback faced from reporters on Tuesday.

He was asked about the Ole Miss game, where he was outplayed by Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss as Georgia saw its season come to an end with a 39-34 defeat.

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

Stockton later touched on what he needs to do to get better. As difficult as his job was last year, it’s even more difficult to go from very good to great.

He knows that’s what he’s tasked with in 2026, in addition to leading the 2026 team.

The Georgia program has big goals. It’s on Stockton, more so than it was a year ago, to guide Georgia to a national championship.

“I think being a quarterback, you should always be one of the best leaders on the football team,” Stockton said. “And I think being an older guy and having some experience under my belt will definitely help, being able to lead and kind of have been around here for a long time.”

From an on-field standpoint, Georgia coach Kirby Smart challenged the offense to become more explosive in 2026. Georgia ranked 10th among the 12 College Football Playoff teams in plays of 20-yards or more last season. Some of those came when Stockton went off-script, as he used his legs to extend plays.

Smart hopes that Stockton and Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo are better able to diagnose what might lead to an explosive before the ball is snapped rather than after it.

“We’ve gotta simulate those more for him and allow him to grow to make those plays,” Smart said. “But I think the number one step for him is take what the defense gives you, use the skill set of the players around you, and be more explosive.”

Stockton will have to operate with a different supporting cast. His starting left tackle from last season is poised to be a first-round pick in next year’s NFL draft.

Gone too are six of Stockton’s top seven pass catchers from a season ago. Stockton likes what Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion brings to the table and Georgia does return its top two running backs from last season.

Despite all the moving pieces around him, Stockton doesn’t seem rattled or jittery. He seemed more comfortable when speaking to reporters on Monday.

Teammates have noticed Stockton is more at ease this offseason.

“It’s just confidence,” tight end Lawson Luckie said of Stockton. “Practice is great, helps you build your skills, but the only thing that builds in-game confidence is playing in games. And I think that’s the biggest thing, especially as a quarterback.”

Stockton shouldn’t be defined by how he plays during spring practice. His judgment day will come in December and January when he looks to lead Georgia to a national championship.

The goals are the same for Stockton this spring as they were a season ago. Be a great leader, help the Georgia program and win a national championship.

With the 2025 season under his belt, those should all be more attainable.

“I just think of always, ‘Hey, I wanna make my family proud in the way I handle myself and, two, I’m a reflection of the University of Georgia,” Stockton said. “I don’t wanna let Georgia down and I just wanna make everybody proud.”