ATHENS — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman doesn’t know much about new Georgia starting quarterback Gunner Stockton.
Earlier this week, Freeman estimated he had about 80 plays of video to flip through on Stockton.
Georgia safety Malaki Starks conversely has been watching, and playing against, Stockton since the Georgia safety was roughly 5 years old.
Often it was in a losing effort against the confident Stockton.
“He beat me every year when we were little in rec league,” Starks said. “I got him two times in high school. But, you know, he’s always been that guy. Since I’ve been growing up, he’s always been the guy that, you know. We’re going to play Rabun County. Ah dang, we’ve got to play Gunner. That’s just how it is.”
Stockton has been thrust into the national spotlight ahead of Georgia’s College Football Playoff quarterfinals game Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame. That he drove a 1984 Ford F-150 became big news Friday.
But people in and around the Georgia program are very familiar with what Stockton brings to the table. They weren’t surprised to see Stockton succeed.
He’s often done so in practice in recent years.
“Gunner, speak about the athleticism, the ability to move in the pocket, extend plays, he makes you defend the entire field and he makes you play honest on defense,” defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann said. “You have to account for him on any given play, and it opens up a lot of those plays. We’re talking about with Riley Leonard, where he extends plays and is able to throw the ball down the field that way. (Stockton) does that.”
Leonard will be Notre Dame’s starting quarterback for the big game.
Stockton had only 71 passing yards on 16 attempts in the win against Texas. His arm talent is better than those numbers indicate. He also ran for 8 yards, but his legs are an effective weapon and something that helps open up the ground game. Consider that Georgia as a team ran for 143 yards from the start of the second half through the end of the game against Texas on Dec. 7 in the SEC Championship game.
Of course, perhaps the biggest attribute that Stockton brings to the table is his natural confidence.
Off the field, he comes across as a mild-mannered and nice human being. Starks called him very respectful.
But once he steps between the white lines, the dog in Stockton gets let off its leash.
“Yeah, I think it’s just the confidence that he has in himself,” Starks said. “I think you see everybody having confidence in him. When you see him step out and, you know, he’s running guys over or whatever, that’s just the confidence that he has in his game. And that’s another reason why it makes it so easy to follow him. When you see someone like that who’s so confident, it’s hard to not be confident in them as well. So he’s been doing a phenomenal job. And just the guy he is on and off the field, I mean, it’s amazing.”
Stockton doesn’t just bring an added juice or some rushing ability to the table, but also a calmness through belief.
There’s a different aura not just around Stockton, but within the Georgia team with Stockton leading the way.
“He’s one of those guys that can flip the switch,” outside linebacker Chaz Chambliss said. “Off the field, he’s completely different than he is on the field. He’s a competitor at the end of the day. Obviously when he was in high school, he was one of the best to ever do it in Georgia. He has that fire underneath him.”
Stockton’s next start will be his first since a November 2021 game against Thomasville High School. He recently had broken Trevor Lawrence’s state record for touchdown passes. At that point in time, Georgia had not yet won a national title under Kirby Smart.
If the Bulldogs are to win another this season, Stockton will have to lead them there. Those around Stockton know they’re going to step up around him. The defense, led by Starks and Chambliss, will have to play better, and the offense will have to execute.
But Stockton can’t be only a passenger either. He has his hands on the wheel and is ready to further show why those in the Georgia program have such a strong belief in the third-year sophomore.
“I think you saw it during the (SEC Championship game), a bunch of guys believed in him. I think he’s easy to follow,” Starks said. “But he also puts the work in and he wants to be better. Like, every day, like, he’s asking questions. Like, you can see where he wants to go with it. I think that’s a big thing that everybody loves to see out of him.”
