ATHENS - Alabama spent the week bracing for a storm, but the one that mattered most came from Georgia’s quarterback.
Gunner Stockton delivered the kind of road performance that keeps rewriting his story, steering the Bulldogs to a 6-0 record, a 4-0 mark in the SEC and the No. 1 ranking after Saturday night’s win at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where 100,077 watched him do it. It was the latest signature stop on what is becoming a very clear road-warrior résumé.
Stockton has now led comeback wins in some of the sport’s loudest places: Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium, which seats 101,915, and Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, where 88,043 were on hand last season. Add Alabama to the list, and the pattern is getting hard to ignore.
Since Saturday, one question has been floating around Georgia circles: “Did Georgia fans ever think they’d wake up one day saying they were glad Arch Manning chose Texas so Stockton could become the Bulldogs’ quarterback?
The answer may depend on how long ago they started paying close attention. Stockton was a 4-star recruit and the No. 7 quarterback in the 2022 class, but he also arrived with a resume that already made him notable in Georgia. He now stands as the Peach State’s career total TD leader with 254 and its career passing TD leader with 177.
At the college level, though, few outside the program saw this coming. And even now, the numbers only tell part of the story. Stockton ranks third nationally in NCAA passing efficiency at 198.57, trailing Miami QB Darian Mensah at 212.25 and Indiana QB Josh Hoover at 200.52.
That rise has not gone unnoticed in NFL circles, either. A former NFL scout said Stockton had long been viewed as a strong college quarterback, “but” he “doesn’t have an NFL draft grade” going into the 2026 season. That same scout said Monday that Stockton made throws against Alabama that pro quarterbacks make, throws he hadn’t shown before.
Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, who has coached Matthew Stafford and Aaron Murray, sees the progression in a broader way. In an exclusive interview with UGA’s NIL-content site, ‘Glory Glory,’ Bobo pointed to the daily work behind Stockton’s jump.
“You see a guy that constantly prepares day-in and day-out, and sometimes you think, ‘man, maybe that guy has reached his ceiling and maybe that’s who he’s going to be, “ Bobo said in an exclusive interview with UGA’s NIL-content site, ‘Glory Glory.’
“But I’ve learned over the years that if guys continue to work and don’t think they know everything, and don’t think they have the answers, and go out every week and try to improve on how they can improve as a football player, they’re going to get better,” said Bobo, the play caller for the No. 2 scoring offense in the nation (46.2 points per game, behind Miami’s 49.6) and the SEC’s top third-down conversion offense (54.7%, sixth in the nation).
“Gunner is a perfect example of that, he’s constantly working to get better at his craft and getting better.”
Against Alabama, Stockton was 18-of-22 passing for 249 yards with a touchdown and a deflection that was intercepted. Even more telling was what he did on third down, where he completed 9 of 10 passes for 104 yards. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, who has coached quarterbacks at a high level himself, had plenty of praise afterward.
“Yeah, I think Gunner Stockton was clutch,” said DeBoer, who’s considered to be a bit of a QB guru having coached up two first-round picks in Michael Penix Jr. and Ty Simpson, and one of the best young quarterbacks in the nation in Keelon Russell.
“You know, (Stockton) moved the chains, and so many times his guys, you know, (were) making catches right down towards the ground there.”
DeBoer’s point was clear: Stockton was precise, poised and more aggressive throwing into tight windows than he had been before.
“You gotta give him credit for those plays that he made,” DeBoer said. “He was in control, just extremely efficient. You know, that’s been the story of the season for him.”
Bobo believes there is still more in the tank. With Auburn next at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, he said the steady work with coach Brandon Streeter and the film study have helped Stockton speed up his processing and build confidence, but the ceiling still isn’t reached.
“I think the more he does day in and day out, the drills he does with coach (Brandon) Streeter, and the film work he does, has given him confidence to go out there and seeing things faster, and get through his progressions faster,” Bobo said. “But there’s still a lot of room for improvement.
“Playing in big ball games helps give you more confidence, and he definitely has confidence right now.”
For his part, Stockton kept the answer simple when asked what runs through his mind in those pressure-packed moments.
“I look to the sideline to get to the next play,” Stockton said. “and just try to get the play and get to the next moment.
“I just try to be calm in the chaos.”
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