Eric Zeier has a clear read on where Georgia football stands right now, and he isn’t shy about saying it.
In a recent appearance on 680 The Fan, the former Bulldogs quarterback and former SEC all-time leading passer talked through the standard Kirby Smart has built in Athens, defended Mike Bobo from some of the noise that follows him, and offered a strong endorsement of Gunner Stockton heading into this season.
“What Kirby has done with this program is no different than what (Nick) Saban did at Alabama, raise the standard of what excellence looks like,” Zeier said, pointing to the pressure that comes with Georgia’s run of success in the College Football Playoff era. “There’s a relentless pursuit every single day to get better and separate from yourself, not just the competition.”
That kind of standard, Zeier noted, is part of life in a program that has already won back-to-back national titles under Smart. The bar is higher now, and the expectation is that everyone in the building has to keep pushing forward.
That includes Bobo, whom Smart leans on to keep the offense productive even when the skill-position talent doesn’t draw the same kind of hype Georgia has had in recent years. Zeier said he understands why Bobo has become such a frequent target.
“I think he’s so familiar that he’s an easy target, because he played here, he’s been here for a long time, we never got over the hump …. of not winning a national championship,” Zeier said. “When Monken was here, it was dynamic. He also had some really good guys he was calling plays for - that makes a difference.”
But Zeier didn’t leave it there. He made it clear he thinks Bobo’s reputation deserves more respect.
“I think Mike is one of the best developers of talent in all of college football,” Zeier said, “and the way he puts together game plans, he gets the most out of his talent. I think he’s one of the best in the game.
“I think he’s a great play caller, and he puts his team in position for success, and I think he develops kids to get much better. I think the criticism that he gets is completely unfair.”
Zeier’s own history with Bobo gives that praise a little extra weight. Bobo was Zeier’s backup at Georgia from 1993-97 before eventually taking over as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback.
On Stockton, Zeier was just as direct, and this time the tone was all approval. He said the quarterback’s work last season stood out because of how he handled pressure moments.
“I thought the job he did last year was really special, he steps up in big-time situations,” Zeier said. “Some of the throws that he made were absolutely critical to win games that we probably shouldn’t have won last year - it’s just a testament to the kind of competitor that he is and the kind of leader that he is.
“I’m really looking forward to this season, (because) the more you play the more comfortable you get, (and) mechanically he will continue to get better,” He said.
“You combine all of that leadership with the toughness and improved throwing mechanics and improved footwork, he could have, with the team he’s got around him, a very big year.”
Zeier’s message was pretty simple: Georgia’s standard is brutal, Bobo is better than the criticism he catches, and Stockton has the makeup to turn a strong season into an even bigger one.
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Scott also pointed to the way the room carries itself, crediting a shared leadership culture that helps the unit stay organized even as freshmen get their first taste of fall camp. That matters in Athens because the standard up front has been set high for a while, and the recent NFL success of Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter only reinforces what Georgia expects from that position group every year. [Read more 🡒]