ATHENS — Gunner Stockton stepped into a role previously held by Carson Beck on Wednesday.

In two of the previous three Georgia Pro Days, it had been Beck who would rifle in passes to NFL-bound pass catchers. Be it George Pickens or Ladd McConkey, it had been a task performed by Beck.

But instead of showing NFL talent evaluators what he could do, Beck is now at Miami as he recovers from a season-ending elbow injury he suffered in the SEC Championship game.

So it was Stockton once again filling in for Beck.

Stockton hopes to occupy another role previously held as Georgia’s starting quarterback. He is battling Ryan Puglisi this spring to do so.

Kirby Smart will likely want to see the quarterback competition extend beyond the spring. Georgia could always bring in a veteran quarterback via the transfer portal, with another window opening in April.

But everything Smart has observed to this point, he’s liked.

“He’s done everything right since he’s been here. That’s really what he embodies,” Smart said on Tuesday. “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. He doesn’t feel like that’s his role. He earns people’s respect by how he works and he 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 kinda resonates with the other players. They kinda rally around Gunner because they’ve got a lot of respect for him.”

Smart isn’t the only one excited to see what Stockton continues to do. He’s now got one start, one Pro Day and one spring practice under his belt.

He won’t be playing with the guys he threw with on Wednesday. They’ll all be off in the NFL next year.

But all those who spoke of Stockton did so with a smile and enthusiasm that wasn’t always there when they were asked about Beck.

“I love Gunner. I’m so excited,” center Jared Wilson said. “I definitely hated seeing Carson go down and never want to see a teammate go down and get hurt and then him 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.”

Wilson was not the only one to note the difference in his demeanor. Stockton and Beck are very different personalities and the way they carry themselves.

Plenty of teammates acknowledged that Stockton brings a certain “juice” to the team. And that different demeanor does have an impact on the offense, as Arian Smith noted.

“Like I say every day, if you’re not positive, you’re negative, people are going to be negative, too,” Smith said. “If I come in complaining, other people are going to feel the need to complain. But if you come in being positive, it just rubs off on other people. They kind of take after you.”

Wilson acknowledged Stockton could be more vocal, which isn’t uncommon for someone who has made just one start in his career to this point. Experience is something Stockton is lacking, which is why every rep matters, even ones at Pro Days.

That clearly helped Beck as he ultimately became Georgia’s starting quarterback.

Every rep will matter for Stockton this spring, as he is now the most experienced quarterback on the roster.

“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.”

Stockton knows he has a lot to learn. He saw all of what Beck went through last season and has learned from it. He won’t be adding a Lamborghini to his garage, settling instead for his Ford pickup truck.

As it did for Beck, it matters that Stockton was out there throwing to Lovett, Smith, running back Trevor Etienne and tight end Benjamin Yurosek.

He knows he has to improve if Georgia is to have a better offense than Beck was at quarterback.

“He wants to get extra throws,” Lovett said. “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.”