Stockton Season Begins for UGA
It’s Stockton Season
With QB Carson Beck sustaining a UCL injury on the final play of the first half of the SEC championship, backup QB Gunner Stockton was thrown into action. He was able to complete the comeback for the Dawgs, who went on to win in overtime. Now, as Beck has announced he is headed to the draft and has undergone surgery on his arm, this team belongs to Gunner. Read more Stockton season begins for UGA below.
Stockton had a couple of notable moments in his one half of playing time this year. The first came in a scramble, where he lowered his shoulder into a Texas defender for extra yards. He popped up and let the defender know all about it. However, then came a dreadful interception that could have easily resulted in a pick six.
I want to believe Stockton was trying to throw it away, but didn’t have the arm strength to make it to the sideline while throwing off balance. Then came the run in overtime, where Stockton was clobbered with a helmet to helmet hit, sending his own helmet flying and his eyes rolling back into his head. He did, however, hold onto the ball, and was seemingly fine after the game. His presence energized the team, and while he was far from perfect, he got the job done.
Stockton also showed his inexperience in key situations. Inside the 10, Stockton was looking at a box that was heavy to the right side with defenders. He doesn’t check to the opposite side for the run. Instead, he kept the play, had Etienne run right into the teeth of the defense, and the Dawgs had to settle for a field goal.
Hey, make sure you check out our picks on the GW Daily Picks page.
Gunner’s Ability
So from the SEC Championship alone, we can conclude a few things about what Gunner brings to the table. First, he’s not the most polished passer. Beck far surpasses him in that regard. However, Stockton set plenty of state passing records in high school and is perfectly capable of distributing the ball. Stockton can run, but he’s not like Stetson Bennett in that regard either. Bennett was quick, shifty, and actually had pretty good speed.
Stockton is closer to Tim Tebow (gasp!) in his running style. He’s smaller, but the point is that he’ll run over you more than around you. With his legs, RPOs are back in play much more than Beck. UGA also has the ability to dramatically change their lackluster run game since defenders will have to respect Stockton’s desire to run.
As you’d expect with most inexperienced QBs, Stockton panics under pressure. He missed seeing some open receivers because he felt pressure and immediately brings his eyes down and looks to run. As I already mentioned, he also doesn’t always put the offense in the best position to succeed with fits and formations.
Yet, since the game ended, I’ve learned a lot more about the kind of teammate and leader Stockton is. His coaches and teammates were interviewed leading up to the Sugar Bowl, revealing a good bit about him. Dawg fans will love what they said.
OL Tate Ratledge noted that one week he left something in the football facility. He went back around 10pm that night, to find Gunner in the film room, soaking up as much information as possible. Stockton spends hours watching film. He was described as old-school, someone you want to block for, a QB that doesn’t want to slide, who is fearless when it comes to contact.
Plus, he’s not all about NIL money. Carson Beck bought a Lamborghini with his NIL money. Stockton drives an old F-150. Beck frequently traveled to Miami to see his social media influence girlfriend. Stockton was described as posting on social media about his cows when he’s happy. It’s not to say one is better or worse, but Stockton and Beck are quite different in their personality and leadership.
The Sugar Bowl
With Beck out, UGA loses experience and some arm talent. It gains toughness, running threat, and perhaps a leader that the locker room rallies behind. UGA fans have been critical of Beck’s body language on the sideline all year, and his lack of natural leadership ability has been noted even by himself. Stockton is closer to the effortless leader, the one who isn’t flashy, but everyone respects. It’s possible that UGA continues to galvanize around Stockton and makes a deep run in the playoffs. It’s also possible that UGA becomes one-dimensional and stagnant on offense.
The Sugar Bowl this year for the Dawgs is about more than just winning the game. It’s also about learning if Gunner Stockton is the QB of the future, or if he’s just another guy.
