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Comments
I thought the same thing [in re: Beck hitting the portal]. But....We still don't know what Stockton is gonna be, yet. Plus there are 2 other very capable....but, "unproven".... guys standing in the wings.
I think the answer to the following question, should give us some clue, as to what the quarterback room will look like, in '25. [[How far are those guys (Puglisi, Rashada, etal.) away from proficiency in Bobo's Offense?]]
IMO.…Beck, Smart, Bobo, Stockton Puglisi, Rashada, ESPN, Raiola and all of DawgNation....will know more about the '25 QB Situation on January 20.
I suspect that Gunner Stockton is gonna be everything, he was advertised to be. The more I study this kid.…the better I like him. I think he's "Perfect", for a Bobo style offense. Aaron Murray on steroids....Lol.
Makes absolute sense. I was trying to figure out how to say it myself. Lol
IMO....UGA's biggest weakness going into the post season...is the backup quarterback situation.
I was worried about how that might temper Bobo's play-calling, till Kirby said not expect any changes in the offense. I took that to mean....they won't be taking full advantage of Stockton's mobility and running ability.
Which is what I had hoped would not be the case. Stockton is a helluva running back...that can also pass the dang football like very few before him.
As a reminder to my fellow DawgWaggers, on who the Dawgs' "new" quarterback really is.…I'll post an excerpt from an unknown article below....
.....Starks (Jefferson) and Stockton (Rabun County) grew up playing against each other from the ripe ole age of 7.
“I played against him in high school, and I’ve been playing against Gunner since I was 7,” Starks said. “Gunner is by far the best safety I’ve ever played against in my life. He almost made me quit playing football, I kid you not.”
Thornton and Humphreys were surprised to hear that Stockton was such a vicious hitter at safety.
“Gunner was 5 yards away and he spears me, and he knocks my helmet off,” Starks said. “As soon as I got up I went to the sideline. I took my shoulder pads off and I cried the rest of the game. My dad was cussing me out, my mom was cussing my dad out for cussing me out. It was a bad deal.”
Starks said that wasn't the only time Stockton laid the boom.
“He did it again, when we got older,” Starks said. “I was running a toss sweep, I was going for the hole, and boom, I fall back, and I’m done.”
Stockton went on to develop into one of the best players in Georgia high school history. He is first all-time in Georgia in passing touchdowns (177), total touchdowns (254) and total yards (18,024).
Why would he hit the portal? That does not make sense, I hope Stockton does well, but this ove confidence is way out of reach.
there is a lot of concern about Stockton and those around him in that qb room at the moment. I feel like in that position it’s so much more about the fight in that dawg than his skills. Look at Pavia for Vanderbilt or Blake Sims for Alabama or our own SB IV. Gunner is going to do fine, and if we need a backup, we have a kid who was a starter last year at Arizona state ( Rashada).
Whether it’s over confidence or recency bias I’m not concerned about qb. My concern lies with our wide outs.
So, Carson, what a ride young man. Speedy recovery and good luck wherever you land. Remember , just like them boys on Yellowstone, you’re riding for the brand now, go keep us proud of ya!
Go dawgs!
It'd be my guess….based on experience, Jaden Rashada…..but I'd love to see Pugs as well if score allowed!
Gunner comes from a highly competitive family. His Dad Rob was a DB at Ga. Southern and was inducted into their Hall Of Fame. Here goes my memory short circuiting again Lol, but his Mom was I think in volleyball or soccer. And memory alert again Lol, his sister is some sort of athlete.
All that doesn’t mean Gunner will be a great QB but it does mean he’s apt to whole heartedly embracing competition. I Encourage Dawgs fans to go to the UGA official site and look at his HS stats, pay particular attention to what he did with his Arm not to mention his legs.
Also look at his recruiting stats. He set records in GHSA that have yet to be broken. NOW All of that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be a huge success at UGA. Just like winning the Heisman doesn’t guarantee success in the NFL. But it does mean he’s not scared of competition.
Like I’ve said on other threads, to go into the SECCG against a very capable TX defense, and Suddenly due to Beck being injured, he didn’t have the “deer in the headlights” look you see with allot of QBs in a situation like that. STILL this will be his first Ever start and in the Playoffs at that. He doesn’t have even vaguely the experience that Beck had.
ND will no doubt bring heavy blitz packages against him to try to rattle him. So I caution Dawgs fans to temper their expectations. I’m sure he’ll make mistakes. But if he can Limit the number of mistakes, and Recover Quickly when he does to go on to the next play or series,
For Me that’s about all I could ask. Just trust in his training and trust in his skills but stay within in his skill set don’t think he has to do it all by himself. Beck admitted to having that problem and once he started trusting his team to do their jobs His performance went up.
The one thing I’m pretty confident of is Gunner will give his very all to help his team win. He does remind me of Murray to !! Go Dawgs !!
Hoping Beck decidieds to go to the NFL draft this winter…
Obviously this doesn't help his stock. But I'd be very surprised if he goes undrafted.
As far as the game plan with Stockton is concerned, I'd also be surprised if they don't change it at all. Seems to me like Smart just keeping everything close to the vest.
@deputydog it is time for him to turn the page on Athens. Remember: Kirby Smart blamed Beck for his own injury on national television for "not getting rid of the ball quicker." Not for the decision to do a low percentage play, a Hail Mary, that the defense knew was coming. Not the OL that he recruited. Not the WRs who can't separate from the defense or make plays on the ball that he recruited. Not the fact that what he demanded was literally impossible because you can't throw the ball on a Hail Mary until the WRs are downfield in the first place because if you do the ball will hit the ground before the WRs get there. It just seems that he is the scapegoat for the shortcomings of others. By contrast, everyone was all too willing to embrace Smart's dubious claim that Stockton's INT was everyone else's fault despite Stockton was clearly trying to throw it out of bounds but didn't have the arm strength to get it there because he threw it off his back foot while backpedaling.
UGA is going to beat Notre Dame and there is a 75% chance that they will beat Penn State the following week. When that happens, even if they lose the title game, Stockton is going to be the most popular guy on campus with the title game loss blamed on Stockton's inexperience - which folks will blame on Smart not benching Beck for Stockton earlier - plus roster shortcomings that everyone has spent the last 2 years pretending didn't exist. Why? Because Beck is a dropback passer, and Stockton is the "mobile dual threat next Stetson Bennett IV with a stronger arm" that UGA fans have always wanted in the first place. Or at least since 2021-2022 because prior to then UGA fans spent years claiming that they were running a complex pro style offense that required dropback QBs and had no use for those dual threat guys.
Beck isn't going to be recovered from surgery in time to enter the draft. So he can either drop to the 5th round like FSU QB Jordan Travis did last year - and remember Travis was a leading Heisman candidate and discussed as a 2nd round pick before the injury - or he can come back for his 6th year. He should pick one of the many places that will either give him someone to throw to, or where his coach and fanbase won't blame his NIL deals for guys not getting open and dropping passes that hit them right in the hands. The defense-optional Big 12 should fit the bill.
To all of my "nervous nelly's" in Dawg Nation…..Gunner, as a QB technician will more than prove himself passing and running. Where Gunner will truly amaze will be his ability to unite the TEAM and inspire all to play well above there assumed abilities…He will bring the "WANT & DESIRE" to win and it will be contagious….GOOO DAWGS, SICEM….WOOF WOOF WOOF