Gunner Stockton entered the 2025 season facing doubt by many who saw him as the Georgia Bulldogs’ weakest link. Could he become a competent quarterback and keep the Bulldogs on their extended run of excellence? Not only has he done that, but he is crafting a thrilling campaign that has played its best on the biggest stage. He wowed Saturday night against the media favorite Texas Longhorns in an exemplary performance, carrying Georgia to a commanding 35-10 victory.
Stockton took over in last year’s SEC Championship Game for an injured Carson Beck. Stockton’s grittiness and versatility helped the Bulldogs win an overtime thriller against the Longhorns. His excellent relief work also paved the way for Beck to relocate to Miami. While Beck’s mind often seemed elsewhere throughout 2024, and he struggled with turnovers, he was still a prime physical talent projected to be an early-round NFL draft pick. Few forecasted the same for Stockton.
Head Coach Kirby Smart, like many others, saw Beck’s abilities and tried to convince him to stay, to no avail. Many insiders thought Smart would make a run at a quarterback through the transfer portal, but no prominent name was brought in. The doubters rose up and questioned whether Georgia would be able to maintain its lofty standards. Did they have a quarterback who could compete with the SEC’s best?
Beck, after a flashy start with the Miami Hurricanes, crashed and burned against the Louisville Cardinals on October 4th, throwing four interceptions. It brought back memories of his turnover-plagued 2024 campaign and derailed Miami’s playoff run. Since then, Beck has settled in for a good, but not great, season, throwing 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions against weaker competition.
Stockton, on the other hand, has gotten better during the season’s stretch run. He admittedly didn’t play well in the Bulldogs’ lone 27-24 defeat on September 27th against the Alabama Crimson Tide, failing to make plays late. Since then, he has excelled in the fourth quarter.
Stockton has led Georgia to four late-game comebacks, willing turnarounds from deficits against the Tennessee Volunteers, Auburn Tigers, Mississippi Rebels, and Florida Gators. It seemed like the Bulldogs literally rose from the dead to take victories. They received breaks and questionable officiating also played a hand, but the team ultimately fed off the refusal to quit from its quarterback.
Stockton has thrown for 19 touchdowns with only three interceptions on the season; he has also run for 350 yards and eight TDs. Statistically, he dwarfs Beck, but even more so in what can’t easily be defined: intangibles.
Last season, Georgia looked like each game was the equivalent of going to the dentist’s office. There was no joy, and it often felt as if each contest was a chore. This year, there is renewed energy and confidence, no matter the situation. The team loves its quarterback, and the results show.
Stockton not only had to work through constant comparisons to Beck, but he also knew that a showdown with mega-hyped Arch Manning awaited. Smart recruited Manning hard like so many other schools, and for a while, the Bulldogs were in the lead. It appeared Manning would be playing in Athens until he decided to go to Texas.
During the offseason, the Longhorns were proclaimed the media favorite and named the preseason number one team. Manning was projected as the Heisman Trophy favorite. An opening game defeat to the defending National Champion, the Ohio State Buckeyes, knocked Texas off the top perch. The media hasn’t stopped, though, in trying to get it back up into the playoff picture. How many teams with multiple losses get discussed as often as the Longhorns?
Texas rolled into Athens ranked 10th and with playoff hopes if they could take down Georgia. Manning, with a strong performance in one of the most difficult places to play, could legitimize the hype.
Stockton, once again, seemed overlooked by many. Would he wilt in a matchup with Manning football royalty, or would his humble, fearless approach carry the day?
By the end of the night, one of the quarterbacks deserved strong Heisman consideration, but it wasn’t Manning. Stockton amazed on the biggest stage once more and proved that he is one of college football’s most clutch players.
The Bulldogs have made a habit of poor starts and overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles. On Saturday evening, the trend continued with the early deficit. Manning led the Longhorns on a strong opening drive, going 13 plays for 59 yards and consuming six minutes off the clock. Georgia’s defense stiffened, though, holding Texas to a field goal. This proved huge to the game’s momentum as it avoided a bigger hole to dig out of, and what happened against Alabama.
Stockton immediately responded, marching his team down the field on a nine-play, 75-yard series. He completed six of seven passes and capped the thrilling drive off with a 17-yard strike to wide receiver Noah Thomas. Stockton was only getting started.
On the Bulldogs’ next possession, Georgia once again kept Texas’ defense on its heels. They drove eight plays for 66 yards with Stockton completing four passes and running backs Chauncey Bowens and Nate Frazier gashing the Longhorns’ defensive line. Before Texas could provide an answer, Stockton threw another scoring rope to Thomas, extending the Bulldogs’ lead.
The defenses held their ground for the next couple of series, and the 14-3 Georgia lead extended into the second half. Stockton made his lone mistake on the evening, and it was a big one, throwing an interception on the Bulldogs’ 36-yard line, giving the Longhorns life.
Manning, to his credit, took advantage. He led Texas to a touchdown, throwing a seven-yard strike to wide receiver Ryan Wingo. Suddenly, a game controlled by Georgia throughout the night looked ready to derail.
Stockton’s perseverance has not helped him lead his team to incredible comebacks; it has helped him bounce back quickly from slip-ups. Who would have predicted at this point that Georgia would outscore the Longhorns 21-0 the rest of the way? They probably should have, because it seemed like getting adversity is just where the Bulldogs want to be.
Smart has become one of the game’s greatest high-stakes players, often going on fourth down and pulling out trick plays. Doing so cost them against the Crimson Tide, but it played huge against Texas.
The Bulldogs went on fourth down twice on the next series, converting both times. Failure would have given the Longhorns waves of momentum that likely wouldn’t have been overcome. Smart didn’t blink, showing the confidence he has in his quarterback. Stockton rewarded him with prime-time execution and finished the drive with a 30-yard bullet to wide receiver London Humphreys, touchdown pass number three.
Smart doubled down on his aggressiveness, calling for an onside kick. No one anticipated this, and it was executed brilliantly, giving Georgia another possession. Once again, Stockton came through for his coach, marching his mates past a bewildered Texas defense. He finished with yet another touchdown pass, this to tight end Lawson Luckie, who looked unlikely to play after suffering a devastating hit the week before.
The Longhorns had no answer and went out feebly on its next drive. Stockton capped up his profound night by running in for a four-yard touchdown. In a game where the media talked up Texas, Georgia smacked it in the mouth 35-10. Stockton finished with four touchdown passes and a scoring run, 229 yards passing and 29 yards rushing, versatility at its finest.
The Heisman Trophy race is wide open; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, is likely the frontrunner. There is still time to make a strong impression on the voters, which Stockton did in a top ten battle. In two of the Bulldogs’ biggest matchups against Mississippi and Texas, he accounted for five touchdowns both times.
Georgia is now 9-1 and finished 7-1 in conference play. The Bulldogs’ impressive win also likely secured a playoff spot. They face the ACC frontrunner, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the day after Thanksgiving, another excellent opportunity for Stockton to build up his Heisman campaign.
The Bulldogs may have a shot to play in the SEC Championship Game, but they will need either Alabama to lose to the Auburn Tigers or the Texas A&M Aggies to go down to the Longhorns. Whatever happens, Stockton deserves to be one of the four Heisman finalists. He is Georgia’s heart and soul, and the Bulldogs wouldn’t have won the big matchups and come back so many times without him.
Stockton is only getting better as his confidence builds and his teammates are uplifted through him. Smart believes, clearly indicated through his ultra-aggressive coaching. Momentum is rising in Athens, and through it, anything can happen. Stockton, what a remarkable and well-deserved story!
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