Gunner Stockton explains why he did not leave Georgia despite being a backup

Georgia had a bit of an adventurous road to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, arriving there with backup quarterback Gunner Stockton leading the way.

An injury to starting quarterback Carson Beck just before the playoffs might well have derailed the team’s plans, but Stockton did his best to make sure there was little drop-off.

He also discussed what it meant to him to be the guy to step in after such a long wait.

“Yeah, I mean in this day and age the transfer portal is pretty easy to get into and just leave,” Gunner Stockton said. “But like I said, it’s always been my dream to be the starting quarterback at Georgia. I’m really excited.”

Georgia, of course, would fall to Notre Dame 23-10 to exit the College Football Playoffs. For his part, Stockton played well enough.

It just so happened that the Bulldogs couldn’t generate much in the run game and had to be overly reliant on Stockton to move the chains. He finished 20-of-32 passing for 234 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

Now the focus turns toward the future for Gunner Stockton. He knows he might well be battling an elite quarterback going forward, whether from the transfer portal or the homegrown ranks.

“Places like Georgia, I mean they’re supposed to be good,” Stockton said. “Every year they’re supposed to sign the top quarterback in the country. So that’s how it is.”

Gunner Stockton received ample praise from teammates after the game. Said defensive back Malaki Starks:

“Man, I’m honored to share a field with him. Gunner, I wouldn’t want anybody else to be my quarterback for today and tomorrow and the day after that. I think he showed the ability to play. A lot of people doubted him, said he wasn’t ready or whatever. But I think he showed a lot of people he can play, and I’m excited to see what comes for him.”

For his part, Gunner Stockton hopes to grow from his first meaningful experiences as the starter. He wants to build on what he has learned.

Going forward, battle or not, he wants to be in the mix.

“Just all the preparation and just how everything goes into it, being ready, physically and mentally. So that’s the biggest part,” Stockton said about his biggest takeaways from the starting experience. “I’ll have to always get better. Just watch the tape and the little stuff. Just watch it back. I know I can play better.”