Kirby Smart ‘pleased’ with Gunner Stockton’s growth: ‘Gunner’s improved immensely’
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart spoke to reporters on Wednesday and had a lot of positive things to say about his starting quarterback.
According to Smart, Bulldogs QB Gunner Stockton has “improved immensely” heading into his senior season in Athens. Elaborating further, Smart had this to say:
“You can see his growth, kind of in a lot of areas because some of it’s leadership, some of it’s mentorship, and some of it’s just throwing ability and getting the ball downfield,” Smart said, via UGASports.com’s Harrison Reno. “So pleased with Gunner’s growth and really pleased with his work ethic.”
Stockton is set to enter his second year as Georgia‘s starter, and he simply has to take a step if the Bulldogs are to get back to the national championship game. Stockton was an effective manager as a junior, completing 69.7% of his passes and leading a clutch win over Tennessee to set the tone early last season. He’s also tough and unafraid to utilize his 6-foot-1, 215-pound frame.
But while there were positives to his game, there were also some drawbacks. Georgia wasn’t a particularly threatening team in the vertical passing game last season, and Stockton could stand to be more accurate over the middle of the field, too. A year in the system should help mitigate those concerns, and it looks like Smart is already noticing improvements with the regular season 2 weeks away.
Georgia kicks off the 2026 campaign on Sept. 5 against Tennessee State.
Ethan Stone is a Saturday Down South News Editor and an advocate for the return of the Seattle Supersonics.
