ATHENS — Kirby Smart the football player was a byproduct of hard work, process and a bit of being in the right place at the right time.
That’s what Smart’s 2025 Georgia Bulldogs have in quarterback Gunner Stockton, and how Stockton performs will play a large role, ultimately, in determining the team’s success.
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The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Stockton, of course, was recruited out of Rabun County High School as the No. 110 player in the nation, per 247Sports, and the No. 7 quarterback in the nation in the 2022 Class.
It was the same class that produced Clemson’s Cade Klubnik (No. 2 QB, No. 13 overall), Alabama’s Ty Simpson (No. 4 QB, No. 29 overall) and Penn State’s Drew Allar (No. 1 QB, No. 3 overall).
One year later, Georgia went hard after Arch Manning, losing out in a recruiting battle with Texas.
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The Bulldogs went on to pursue a handful of other quarterbacks through the transfer portal, current USC quarterback Jayden Maiava and, more recently, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Stockton nodded when asked about the possibility of other quarterbacks joining the room, explaining that he expected Georgia to try to get the most talent on the roster.
Through it all, Stockton stuck to his place with the Bulldogs, and he never stopped working to prepare himself for the opportunity that has fallen into this lap with Carson Beck’s transfer to Miami, Fla.
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Indeed, Georgia fans remember Stetson Bennett lll wasn’t “Plan A” either, having a tour through junior college before getting a second chance at UGA when Justin Fields transferred to Ohio State.
Stockton, unlike Bennett, needed only one recruitment to Georgia, and it’s clear Smart appreciates the loyalty and efforts his current No. 1 quarterback has put in to reach this stage.
“I love his work ethic, I love his dedication and passion to film study,” Smart said during his interview with 92.9 The Game on Friday in Athens.
“He takes notes every day, the detail matters to him, he doesn’t get real emotional high and low, he’s not one of these people that’s up and down — he messes something up, he keeps it moving.”
That’s what happened in the SEC Championship Game when, leading 19-16 with 2:30 left at the Texas 31-yard line Stockton rushed a careless pass that was intercepted and led to the Longhorns kicking a field goal to send the game to overtime.
Stockton recovered in overtime, connecting on three straight passes and scrambling to the Texas 4-yard line to set-up the game-winning touchdown.
To be fair to Stockton, it was a situation where he had come off the bench at halftime in relief of Beck, so the playbook was somewhat limited.
Now, with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo having the benefit of designing an offense around Stockton’s skillset, and a beefed up receiver corps, Smart believes Stockton capable of handling the rest.
“I just love his competitive toughness,” Smart said. “He may not be 6-(foot-)4, and people say he doesn’t have great arm strength, he’s got really good arm strength,” Smart said, “but I love the way he goes about his business.”
