Mike Bobo thinks Gunner Stockton’s next jump is going to come from a simple but demanding place: trusting the deep ball more often.
Bobo said he wants Stockton to be less cautious when plays break down and to keep looking downfield instead of tucking and running too quickly. In his view, Georgia can find more explosive plays this season if Stockton is willing to stay aggressive in those moments.
“You can’t be so risk averse that you don’t push the ball downfield,” said Mike Bobo. “Right before I came in here, we were watching NFL plays of guys scrambling and keeping eyes downfield and making big plays… There are chances for explosives on broken plays.”
That message gets to the heart of what Bobo sees as Stockton’s biggest limiter. He believes the quarterback has been too worried about making a costly mistake, even though caution is usually a good trait. The issue, Bobo’s thinking goes, is that Stockton may be tipping too far in that direction.
There have already been examples of Stockton showing he can make the kind of throw Georgia needs. One of the clearest came against Tennessee, when he found London Humphreys in the corner of the end zone on a fourth-down play late in the game to force a tie. Georgia went on to win in overtime, and without that throw, the result likely would have gone the other way.
Stockton’s legs remain a huge part of what makes him dangerous. Bobo believes that same strength can sometimes work against him when he scrambles, because he may not always be keeping his eyes downfield long enough to spot receivers coming open.
The conversation around Stockton’s willingness to attack deep has been a major offseason theme. Fans and media have pushed for more shots down the field, and Bobo’s comments suggest he’s ready to lean into that idea. But the final decision still rests with Stockton and how much he’s willing to trust those chances.
Even with room to grow as a passer, Stockton already finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting last year. That alone puts him among the nation’s top players, but Georgia clearly thinks there’s another level waiting.
His running ability is already elite, and there may not be much more he can add there. The bigger leap is in the passing game, especially on deeper throws and broken plays where explosive gains are sitting there if he’s willing to take them.
If Stockton sharpens that part of his game, Georgia believes the ceiling gets a lot higher. He could push into serious Heisman contention and, more importantly for the Bulldogs, give them a real chance at another deep playoff run that ends with a national championship.
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