Georgia’s Gunner Stockton may not have an actual bulletin board, but ESPN’s latest quarterback rankings just handed him a fresh stack of motivation anyway.
Jordan Reid slotted Stockton into the “Round 7” tier among college quarterbacks, a placement that stands in sharp contrast to the view coming out of Athens. Georgia’s defense goes against him every day, and the Bulldogs have made it clear they see plenty more in him than that. Still, the real test for Stockton is coming soon enough, because Georgia’s schedule is loaded with quarterbacks who will force the issue.
The Bulldogs won’t see Notre Dame, Texas or Oregon in the regular season, but there’s a real chance one, two, or even all three show up in the postseason. ESPN put Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Texas’ Arch Manning and Oregon’s Dante Moore in the “Round 1” tier, along with Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker.
Carr’s profile is built on arm strength, footwork and vision, plus the kind of quick processing that helps quarterbacks beat the rush before it arrives. Manning brings the name everyone knows, but the scouting report goes deeper than that: he checks in at 6-4, 230 with prototypical size and good foot speed, though the evaluation says he still needs more touch on short throws.
Moore, who stayed in college football rather than leaving as a likely first-round pick after last season, chose the NIL route and the chase for a national title or maybe even the Heisman Trophy. His mechanics are regarded as premium, but scouts will want to see how he looks against elite competition.
Georgia, meanwhile, is set to deal with two quarterbacks in ESPN’s “Round 2” tier during the regular season, and the timing is brutal: those games come just two weeks apart.
The Bulldogs have already seen Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss twice, and the most recent look left plenty of people impressed. Georgia’s trip to Oxford on Nov. 7 will bring another chance to measure that optimism. Chambliss, listed at 6-foot, 210 pounds, is considered a little light by NFL standards, but he brings serious mobility and has shown he can throw accurately when he’s set or moving.
Then there’s South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, another dangerous runner Georgia will have to face on the road Nov. 21 in Columbia. Sellers is a big quarterback at 6-3, 240, and his legs are the standout trait. He’s entering his third season as the Gamecocks’ starter and is working to become a more consistent passer.
Georgia also gets one of ESPN’s Round 3 quarterbacks in its own stadium. Oklahoma’s John Mateer is expected to start at Sanford Stadium on Sept. 26 in Georgia’s first SEC home game.
Mateer was the Heisman Trophy favorite before suffering a hand injury last September - reportedly a broken bone in the thumb of his throwing hand - that required in-season surgery. He returned just 17 days later, but the Sooners’ star wasn’t quite the same after that.
Toughness has always been part of his reputation, and he’s shown he can make a wide range of throws. In the end, his passing accuracy will decide where he lands in the NFL Draft conversation.
As for Stockton, Kirby Smart says the growth has been obvious in his second season as the starter.
“Gunner has improved immensely, (and) I don’t think that it is in one area,” Smart said last week. “I think it’s confidence, mental capacity to handle a lot of information at once, process that information, and yet still make good decisions.
“(Stockton’s) confidence in the pocket and his movement skills in the pocket have improved. His awareness of protections has improved. His ability to handle the pressure of the shot clock, a nine-word call, the defenses throwing at him, and getting people lined up has improved.”
Former Georgia quarterback and radio analyst Eric Zeier sees experience as the key ingredient.
“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,” Zeier said in an interview on 680 The Fan.
“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.”
In Other News...
Georgia QB Battle Is Heating Up As Stetson Bennett Turns Heads
Stetson Bennett keeps finding ways to stay part of the Georgia conversation, even while he is wearing a different uniform. The former Bulldogs quarterback started and played the first half for the Rams in their second preseason game, showing plenty of command and also making an impact on the ground with a pair of rushing scores. Back in Athens, Georgia held its second fall scrimmage and the offense looked sharper than it did a week earlier, a welcome sign as the Bulldogs continue sorting out the depth chart behind Gunner Stockton.
Stockton remains the starter, but the more interesting battle right now may be for the backup job, where Ryan Puglisi and Ryan Montgomery are pushing each other through camp. With Ty Simpson handling the second half for the Rams and turning in a less effective outing, Bennetts strong showing only adds another layer to the quarterback discussion Georgia fans are following closely. The top of the room is settled for now, but the next step in the race is still very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Fans Will Love David Pollacks New Take On Texas
David Pollack has been around enough college football to know the difference between legitimate buzz and empty preseason noise, and his latest read on Texas lands squarely in the first category. The former Georgia linebacker said the Longhorns deserve the attention coming their way entering the 2026 season, pointing to a roster he sees as loaded and a team that ought to carry itself like a contender instead of leaning on excuses.
His comments also carried a clear contrast with the way he viewed Texas a year earlier, when he thought the hype outpaced the results. This time, Pollack is tying the conversation to Arch Manning and the expectations that come with a program built to win big, making it clear that anything short of a high-level run will be treated as a missed opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Stetson Bennett Still Faces One Big Rams Problem After Strong Showing
Stetson Bennetts second preseason game with the Rams gave him a much-needed boost, but it did not really settle the bigger question hovering over his season. He played well enough to remind the team why he has hung around the quarterback conversation, even as Los Angeles continues to map out a future that appears to have Ty Simpson at the center of it.
Bennett is still working against the reality of a quarterback room with a first-round pick waiting in the wings, and his own contract is set to expire after this season. Every strong outing helps his case, whether that means sticking with the Rams or making himself more appealing elsewhere, but the path forward remains murky until the team decides how it wants to handle its long-term plans under center. [Read more 🡒]