This Sentell’s Intel rep on Georgia football recruiting breaks down what offensive coordinator Mike Bobo values the most in a QB prospect.
In case one missed the theatrics earlier this month, Georgia did not sign a high school quarterback in its latest class. 5-star Jared Curtis had been committed, decomitted and recommitted only to flip at the 11th hour to hometown Vanderbilt.
Curtis was a prototype. Big arm. Big instincts. Big wheels. Big size. Big flair for the dramatic. He’s the template for what NFL teams draft in the first round.
He was set to give Georgia more of what it has benefited from with current starter Gunner Stockton in the years to come.
While it does seem like the plus-1 threat Stockton adds in the run game will color the way Georgia looks for in future QBs, that’s not the No. 1 thing that the program values at that position.
Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo broke down what tops his list these days.
“Well, when you are looking at film, you are looking at talent,” Bobo said at the Sugar Bowl Media Availability in New Orleans. “You’re looking at how the ball comes off his hand. How does he move in the pocket?”
Bobo said it doesn’t have to be just like Stockton there. Bobo is quick to defend the success of the 2023 and 2024 seasons. That’s when Georgia reached the SEC Championship Game with a pocket passer in Carson Beck.
“But does he have the ability to have pocket presence?” Bobo continued. “What’s his athletic skill set? That’s what you are looking at, maybe first on film. But to me, at quarterback, they have got to have all that in the physical traits.”
“But I want a guy, when he steps in the huddle, those 10 guys in the huddle and those other guys on the sideline, they know that this is the guy. That’s who I want at quarterback.”
The Dawgs do know that Stockon is the guy for this team. He has earned their respect over and over.
The Bulldogs do not have a QB commitment yet in the new 2027 class. They will be in the market for one after losing Curtis. That said, the Bulldogs have already secured the commitment of 2028 5-star IMG Academy QB Jayden Wade.
Wade is the No. 1 QB prospect in America for his class. That’s the same distinction that Curtis had in the 2026 cycle.
Does Bobo feel he will now seek out more athletic dual-threats like Stockton in the future?
“I don’t think it is the end-all be-all,” Bobo said this week. “But you have to have that. Carson wasn’t that, but we were successful with Carson. He got us to two SEC Championship Games, and you know, played really well at that position at times when everybody likes to think that we didn’t play that well last year.”
Beck accounted for 29 touchdowns (28 passing, one rushing) in 2024. He also threw 12 interceptions and lost three of his seven fumbles. That’s 29 total TDs that were offset by 15 turnovers.
He also completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,485 yards. He added another 71 rushing yards (after sacks) on 55 carries.
“Yes, we had turnovers, but we did get to the SEC Championship Game,” Bobo said of Beck’s final season at UGA. “He was a big part in coming back and winning several of those big games and he didn’t have that plus-one ability.”
Stockton has accounted for 31 touchdowns (23 passing, eight rushing) this season. He’s thrown five interceptions, and his two fumbles were recovered by Georgia. That’s 31 total TDs and five turnovers.
He’s also completed 71 percent of his passes for 2,691 yards. He’s added 441 rushing yards (after sacks) on 116 carries.
The Rabun County native did not throw for as many yards as Beck, but he has been a more efficient player at the position. He’s also been tougher to scheme against.
“But I do think it brings an extra dimension to your offense,” Bobo said of Stockton’s play. “It makes the defenses defend more. It definitely helps in the red zone and in third-down situations where you’ve got a quarterback that can run the ball, but you know, there are different types of guys in our room right now that aren’t Gunner.”
“I think it is your job as a coach to build an offense around what fits your personnel that you have and it always starts with the quarterback. What does he do best? Let’s build things around what he does best.”
Have you seen this week’s “Before the Hedges” weekly recruiting special on YouTube yet? Check it out below.
SENTELL’S INTEL
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