Georgia defense sky-high on Gunner Stockton’s potential ahead of Sugar Bowl

ATHENS, Ga. — Getting ready to face off against Gunner Stockton is a top priority in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said the Fighting Irish have probably 80 plays of film on the Bulldogs’ backup quarterback. Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann has seen plenty of Stockton over the last three years though.

“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. 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. He does that,” Schumann said on Friday. “You have to account for him in your rush when you’re playing certain coverages. That’s a big part of playing quarterback nowadays, making the defense play honest.”

“I think that’s the biggest thing about Gunner, he’s extremely competitive,” he continued. “He adds a dimension to the offense that y’all saw a little bit of in the past, and we’ve seen a lot of over the years.”

Stockton has made seven career appearances in three seasons at Georgia. He entered for an injured Carson Beck at halftime of the SEC Championship Game and is expected to make his first career start on New Year’s Day when UGA takes on Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Sugar Bowl.

The former four-star from Rabun County and native of Tiger, Ga. set records playing for his hometown Wildcats. Stockton left high school with state records for career passing touchdowns, combined passing and rushing scores and career passing yards. He was selected as the 2021 Georgia Gatorade Football Player of the Year after leading Rabun to an 11-2 record his senior season.

One of the two losses that year came against Jefferson High School and Stockton’s future teammate Malaki Starks. The five-star Georgia commit played quarterback and linebacker and helped guide the Dragons to a 22-13 victory. Starks wasn’t always as fortunate in matchups with Stockton though.

“Yeah, most of them are bad for me,” Starks said, putting his record against Stockton simply.

“Man, I’ve been playing against Gunner since I was five, I think. He beat me every year when we were little in rec league. I got him two times in high school, but, you know, he’s always been that guy,” the All-American safety continued. “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.”

Starks isn’t the only one that recognizes Stockton’s excellence. Outside linebacker Chaz Chambliss called him “one of the best to ever do it in Georgia.” Inside linebacker Jalon Walker noted his confidence. It’s those kind of traits, his every day effort in practice and a come-from-behind victory in the SEC Championship Game over No. 2 Texas that has Stockton with the full support of his squad.

Stockton carries himself quietly though, at least to those on the outside looking in. Teammates say he’s not necessarily that way behind closed doors. He’s not the “talk your head off” type, but he’s “not a quiet mouse” either.

“I told my mom after the game, ‘I don’t think anybody’s more excited for Gunner than me, other than his parents.’ It’s been a long time for him. He came here and he sat and waited. He put his time in,” Starks said. “… We have a really good relationship. Just to see him go out there and show what he can do after everything that he’s been through while he’s here, I was really happy for 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,” he continued. “When you see someone like that who’s so confident, it’s hard to not be confident in them as well. He’s been doing a phenomenal job. Just the guy he is on and off the field, I mean, it’s amazing.”

Kickoff time for Georgia-Notre Dame is set for 8:45 p.m. ET on January 1st from Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans. Five days away, the Bulldogs enter as favorites of 2 points per VegasInsider.