ATHENS — The Heisman Trophy race isn’t over for Gunner Stockton, even if the Georgia quarterback isn’t going out of his way to make a run for it.
Stockton currently sits sixth in the Heisman Trophy odds with a rivalry game with Georgia Tech — and a showdown with Yellow Jackets’ QB Haynes King — directly in his path.
The current odds, per DraftKings.com, reflect it’s a six-man race heading into the final week of the regular season.
• Fernando Mendoza -105
• Jeremiyah Love +350
• Julian Sayin +450
• Diego Pavia +550
• Marcel Reed +1400
• Gunner Stockton +5000
The next two players in the odds, Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith and Texas Tech quarterback Jacob Rodriqguez, are at +20,000.
It might be a long shot to think Stockton can win the Heisman Trophy, but a trip to New York City — the top four finalists get invites — is attainable.
This, even though Kirby Smart and his staff pulled Stockton after the first series of the third quarter against overmatched Charlotte, declining the opportunity to pad his resume with stats.
Smart has said before stats are overrated, and in Stockton’s case, he’s probably right.
But a win over Georgia Tech, and a win in the SEC championship game, will get the attention of Heisman Trophy voters, to be sure.
That’s what happened for Stetson Bennett IV in 2022, as he threw four touchdown passes in a 50-30 SEC title game win over LSU.
Bennett wasn’t an All-American that season, but he had a national title and two CFP game offensive MVP awards under his belt from the 2021 campaign that had increased his exposure.
Stockton, like Bennett, doesn’t figure to be among the more decorated candidates.
But what Stockton has proven is that he’s a winner, and he has had enough oil painting moments and comeback victories to fill up the highlight reels and keep his name on the radar.
It seems the top two favorites for the Heisman Trophy — Indiana’s Mendoza and Notre Dame’s Love — are likely locked-in as finalists.
The Hoosiers and Irish heavy favorites against overmatched opponents this week with Indiana traveling to play Purdue and Notre Dame playing at Stanford.
Sayin can likely solidify Heisman Trophy finalist status with a win over Michigan on Saturday that would snap Ohio State’s four-game losing streak to the Wolverines.
But it’s not a leap to suggest Stockton could among the fourth finalists.
Vanderbilt’s Pavia has a stiff challenge at Tennessee on Saturday, and Reed and Texas A&M are expected to have a battle at Texas on Friday.
Indeed, Stockton could end up with a head-to-head meeting with Reed in the SEC title game if the Aggies win and Auburn upsets Alabama on Saturday.
Here’s how Stockton compares to Reed and Pavia in what figures to be a race for the fourth finalist spot:
Passing Yards
Pavia, 2,924
Reed, 2,752
Stockton 2,465
Completion Percentage
Pavia 71.8
Stockton 71.4
Reed 61.8
Touchdown Passes
Pavia 26
Reed 25
Stockton 19
Passing efficiency
Pavia 174.17
Reed 159.04
Stockton 156.42
Rushing yards
Pavia 661
Reed 395
Stockton 361
Rushing touchdowns
Stockton 8
Pavia 8
Reed 6
