David Pollack didn’t need much time to separate the SEC’s quarterback picture into two very different buckets.
On one side, the former Georgia star says he’d happily back Gunner Stockton. On the other, he wants no part of Arch Manning.
Pollack, who spent nearly two decades analyzing college football after a decorated playing career at Georgia, made it clear where he stands when it comes to the league’s passers. On Stockton, he was bluntly positive.
"This year, with that squad-- he had a bad game there's no doubt... but I trust him to take care of the football. That [performance against Auburn] was more of an anomaly to me than anything."
That Auburn game was the one rough spot in an otherwise steady run. Stockton had thrown only two interceptions in 124 passing attempts before that matchup, then matched that total against Auburn and also lost a crucial fumble late, helping set up the Tigers’ winning drive.
Even with that stumble, Stockton still sits at the top of the SEC quarterback conversation in several key areas. He leads the conference in quarterback rating, is completing more than 74% of his throws, owns the SEC’s best yards-per-attempt mark at 9.9, and has 16 passing touchdowns, just one behind Kamario Taylor’s 17.
His overall body of work in 2025 has been strong as well: 2,894 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and only five interceptions. And despite Georgia’s loss last week, Pollack’s confidence in Stockton fits the bigger picture - the Bulldogs, with Stockton steering the offense, are likely headed back to the College Football Playoff.
Pollack was far less generous when the discussion turned to Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
"There's no world, there's no situation, there's nothing period that you can sell me... that I would buy Arch Manning," said Pollack, "I'm assuming the value is as low as it's going to get. Just remember, we were talking about Heisman Trophy for Arch Manning, so the fact that we're sitting here and now we're discussing whether he should be benched, I'm not sure it can go any lower."
Manning’s second full season as a starter has not matched the expectations around him. He ranks ninth among 15 qualifying SEC quarterbacks in QB rating, sits 12th in the league with 1,295 passing yards, and has just 11 touchdown passes, which puts him ninth in the conference.
The numbers tell part of the story, but Pollack’s criticism also centered on the spots that matter most. Manning has not delivered his best in big games, and the only time he has topped 300 passing yards came in the opener against Texas State. His 7.8 yards per pass attempt has been modest, and in his last three games he has thrown three interceptions against four touchdowns.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Enters Week 8 With A QB Debate Fans Should Watch
Week 7 across the ACC offered another reminder that quarterback play can swing a league race in a hurry, with Florida State and Miami drawing plenty of attention in one spotlight game and Louisville-Syracuse adding another layer of intrigue. Injuries continue to shape the picture at places like Syracuse and Pittsburgh, and as the conference turns the page to Week 8, the conversation naturally shifts from what happened to which passers are best positioned to shape the next round of games.
For Georgia Tech, the interest only grows from there. The Yellow Jackets come out of the loss at Virginia Tech with their quarterback still in the top eight of the ACC conversation, and now they head into a Week 8 matchup with Boston College that stands out as one of the more compelling QB duels on the schedule. It is the kind of setup that can tell you plenty about where Georgia Tech sits in the league picture, even before the rest of the weekend is finished. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Needs A Cleaner Performance In A Pivotal Home Bounce-Back Spot
Georgia Tech heads back home needing a cleaner all-around showing after the loss to Virginia Tech, with Boston College next on the schedule and a chance to steady things before the seasons pressures build. The Yellow Jackets passing game will be under the microscope against a Eagles pass defense that can be attacked, while the larger question for Brent Keys team is whether the offense can stay on schedule and avoid the kind of uneven stretches that have made recent games harder than they needed to be.
Turnovers could tilt this one, especially with both quarterbacks facing defenses that are looking to force mistakes and create short fields. Key and Bradford have both pointed to consistency and defensive pressure as the themes Georgia Tech has to sharpen, and this matchup feels like the sort of home spot where the Jackets can either settle into a more reliable rhythm or leave more questions hanging entering the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Faces A Big Test They Cant Keep Failing
Georgia Tech heads into its matchup with Boston College still searching for the kind of complete performance that has been too rare this season. The Yellow Jackets have flashed enough on both sides of the ball to stay in games, but the inconsistency has kept them from turning those moments into wins, and the margin for error keeps shrinking as they look to steady an offense and defense that have both had uneven stretches.
One place the staff believes the answer lies is in getting more streamlined and sharper with how the pieces fit together. The recent defensive stretch against Virginia Tech offered a glimpse of what the group can look like when it plays with more clarity and purpose, and the same idea applies on offense, where finishing drives in the red zone could make the difference against Boston College. [Read more 🡒]