Tim Tebow evaluates Sugar Bowl performance, future of Georgia QB Gunner Stockton

Having played the position, Tim Tebow is never one to be outwardly critical of another quarterback.

That said, the former Florida quarterback knows how to call balls and strikes. And based on everything he saw from Gunner Stockton in last week’s Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame, Tebow is high on the Georgia Bulldogs sophomore quarterback’s future in Athens.

Making his first career start in the College Football Playoff national quarterfinal in place on injured senior starter Carson Beck, Stockton completed 20-of-32 passes for 234 yards and one touchdown in No. 2 Georgia‘s 23-10 loss to No. 7 Notre Dame inside New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome. But, perhaps Stockton’s most memorable play in the game was a strip-sack fumble in the first half’s final minute that fed into a 17-0 Fighting Irish scoring run over just 55 seconds of game time to doom the ‘Dawgs.

Despite the loss, Tebow saw plenty that both Stockton and the Bulldogs coaches can build upon moving forward.

“I think he showed a lot. I do not think that loss is on Gunner. Now, do I think Carson would have made a few more plays? Yes, because he’s used to the offense, he’s used to the guys. But you really have to look at what Gunner did with a lot of praise,” Tebow said on Thursday’s The Paul Finebaum Show. “Your first start, against Notre Dame, one of the best defenses in the country, and they didn’t lose because of Gunner. He made plays down the field.

“I think there are a few things he probably wants to work on, touch being one of them, but he has the ability to let it rip. He’s got a strong arm, he was very accurate on a lot of throws, he was pretty accurate with his downfield passes as well,” Tebow continued. “(Stockton is) someone as a Georgia fan you could watch and say ‘Hey, this gives us hope for the future.’ Now I also imagine they’re going to be bringing in some more, because Kirby (Smart) believes in competition, but it’s someone you can at least say, ‘If that’s our guy, we can build around.’”

Tim Tebow addresses Carson Beck transfer decision

The news that Carson Beck planned to enter the NCAA transfer portal caught the college football world by storm on Thursday afternoon, leaving even analysts without an immediate reaction in some cases. Like Tim Tebow.

Tebow joined the set of the Paul Finebaum Show and was immediately ambushed by the show’s host, with Finebaum wondering what Tebow made of the news.

“I literally just heard that as I was walking in right now, so still trying to I think understand and comprehend it,” Tebow said. “It’d be interesting to figure out where he goes and the reasons behind it. But he was one of my favorite players to watch this year, because when the moments were at their biggest he would continue to fight, even when it looked bleak.”

The former Florida quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner probably has a better pulse on Carson Beck than most, coming out of a similar area in high school himself. Then he’s had a front row seat to Beck’s college career.

“He’s someone that I think is a lot better than the credit he gets from people,” Tebow said. “Also remember, and I hate speaking negative about their team, but they had the most drops in college football by far. It’d be interesting to hear the whys.”

Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this report.