Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton is projected to be one of the 10 best passers in college football next season, per an ESPN analyst.
Bill Connelly released his power-conference QB rankings on Thursday. Stockton, who had a strong first season as UGA’s starter in 2025, clocked in at No. 8 on Connelly’s list. Stockton is also the No. 2 signal-caller from the SEC in ESPN’s ranking behind Texas quarterback Arch Manning in the No. 4 spot.
Here’s an excerpt of Connelly’s analysis on Stockton:
We’ve seen lots of college football offenses called “basketball on grass” through the years, and we’ve seen quarterbacks referred to as point guards even more. But Stockton is a damn point guard. A whopping 38.6% of his passes were thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage, and only 13.7%, about 1 in 7, were 20-yarders. He distributes the ball quickly and accurately, over and over again, and Georgia won a second straight SEC title in 2025 despite ranking 131st nationally in yards per successful play.
Indeed, Stockton averaged 7.5 yards per pass attempt last season, which was tied for 9th among qualified SEC quarterbacks.
It’s possible the Bulldogs will look to pass the ball downfield more in 2026. They will be replacing star receiver Zachariah Branch, who often caught screen passes behind the line of scrimmage.
UGA’s incoming transfer class included ex-Georgia Tech receiver Isiah Canion, who averaged 14.5 yards per reception in 2025.
Here’s a look at the SEC Championship odds for 2026 on Kalshi as Georgia looks for its third straight conference title:
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
