Can Georgia’s Ryan Puglisi overcome lack of experience and win quarterback job?

But that is 83 more than Puglisi has thrown. And Puglisi is the most experienced quarterback option behind Stockton to this point. Georgia brought in Ryan Montgomery and Hezekiah Millender as a part of the 2025 signing class, though the former won’t be fully cleared to practice this spring as he recovers from a knee injury.

It’s a critical spring for Stockton and Puglisi, as the two battle to be the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback. And coach Kirby Smart has made it clear that despite the gap in experience, there is in fact a battle for the job.

“As far as quarterback, it’s just like every position guys,” Smart said Tuesday. “Every day, you’re competing and fighting and doing the best you can to compete with every guy. You think it’s redundant or coach-speak, but there really isn’t a depth chart. It’s just reps. In the spring, we’re giving reps out. We’re giving four reps with four groups at some positions, and we want to see all of those guys compete and get better.”

Rarely of late has Smart sided with a less experienced option at quarterback. JT Daniels was the last quarterback to start for Georgia in his first season in the program, doing so during the 2020 season. That, though, was his third season of college football after he transferred in from USC.

D’Wan Mathis started the first game of the 2020 season as redshirt freshman. He was benched before halftime for Stetson Bennett, who was in his fourth season of college football by that point.

Jake Fromm was the last freshman quarterback to start multiple games for the Bulldogs, doing so during the 2017 season. Georgia reached the national championship game that season, even if Fromm wasn’t the driving reason why.

After starting a freshman in his first two seasons as head coach, Smart has opted for experience in the Georgia system. Carson Beck didn’t start until his fourth season in the program. Stockton got to start at the very end of his third season, but only because of Beck’s injury.

That is what makes the uphill hike for Puglisi so daunting. History suggests that Smart, whether he has Todd Monken or Mike Bobo calling plays, wants someone to quarterback his offense who has spent more time in a slow cooker than in a microwave.

But as Smart pointed out in a recent interview with 92.9 The Game, Puglisi hasn’t been afraid of a little competition. He remained committed to Georgia throughout the entirety of Georgia’s flirtation with 5-star quarterback recruit Dylan Raiola when he was committed to Georgia.

“He’s a competitor. He never flinched during the recruiting process,” Smart said. “We had another commitment at times. I forget the timelines, but he never wavered. Those have been some of the best kids we’re recruited. The ones that say, ‘I don’t care who else is coming, I don’t care who is there, I see the growth and development you’ve had at the quarterback position.’ He had a passion and energy about Georgia.”

Smart did acknowledge that Puglisi has had some impressive moments while working on the scout team. He’ll have the opportunity this spring to carry those flashes over to the first team.

There’s an excitement around the Georgia team to see Stockton lead them. Players beam when speaking about the junior quarterback.

“Gunner’s obviously a very likable human,” offensive tackle Earnest Greene said. “A lot of people don’t have too many bad things to say about Gunner. Just the consistency aspect of it, you know, it’s easy to be who you’re supposed to be for one day or two days, but just seeing somebody be the same person over the course of, I want to say, two months now, so it’s really just consistency that stands out.”

That has developed in part because of all the years that Stockton has spent maturing for this moment.

Georgia would like to see Puglisi do the same. Even if there are parts of the fan base that want to see it happen faster.

“He made some good throws on the run, and he’s got a strong arm,” Smart said. “He does have a long way to go in terms of knowing exactly what we’re asking him to do to command the offense, the volume of the offense, and he’s getting better at all those things.”