Gunner Stockton discusses spotlight that comes with being Georgia QB: ‘I’m trying not to let anything change me’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Gunner Stockton was born and raised in a small town, but still was a local star as the quarterback at Rabun County High School in Tiger, Georgia.
That’s nothing compared to the attention he’s getting now that he’s the starting quarterback at Georgia, not just in Athens but beyond. Of course, if you ask Kirby Smart, the QB battle’s not over yet, but with Carson Beck now at Miami, Stockton, a former 4-star recruit, will more than likely be the Dawgs’ QB1 headed into the 2025 season.
“(The attention) kind of comes with being a quarterback in Georgia, or really anywhere,” Stockton said on SiriusXM College Sports from SEC Media Days on Tuesday. “I think Athens is a crazy place, and they’re crazy about football, and that’s what makes it special.”
Playing for Georgia at basically any position makes you a local celebrity in Athens, but not as much as being a quarterback. It’s a balancing act, Stockton said.
“I think there’s a couple more pictures of me around of taken with people,” he said with a laugh. “(I’ve been working on) handling all the (added) attention and being able to also be there for your teammates, and for me, I’m trying not to let anything change me.”
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
