ATHENS - Gunner Stockton keeps adding chapters to a road-warrior story that already feels bigger than the moment it’s living in.
On Saturday night at Alabama’s 100,077-seat Bryant-Denny Stadium, Stockton delivered the latest signature performance of his rise, leading Georgia to a come-from-behind win that pushed the Bulldogs to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the SEC, and into the No. 1 spot. It was another big-stage road victory for a quarterback whose legend keeps growing every time the lights get brightest.
Stockton has now stacked comeback wins in some of college football’s loudest places. He did it at Tennessee’s 101,915-seat Neyland Stadium.
He did it at Auburn’s raucous Jordan-Hare Stadium, where 88,043 were packed in last season. And he did it again against Alabama, adding another jewel to a resume that is turning heads far beyond Athens.
The conversation around Stockton has taken on a different tone since Saturday night. More than one person has wondered aloud whether Georgia fans ever imagined they would one day be saying they were glad Arch Manning chose Texas so Stockton could become the Bulldogs’ quarterback.
For a player whose path started with a 4-star rating and a No. 7 ranking among quarterbacks in the 2022 class, the climb has been striking. Stockton is now Georgia high school football’s career total TD leader with 254 and its passing TD leader with 177, a place in the record book that only underscores how far his game has carried him.
The numbers at the college level back up the rise, too. Stockton currently 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.
Even so, NFL chatter around Stockton used to come with a familiar qualifier. As one former NFL scout put it, Stockton was viewed as a great college quarterback, “but,” the scout said, “he doesn’t have an NFL draft grade” entering the 2026 season.
That same scout said Monday that Stockton made throws against Alabama that pro quarterbacks make, the kind he had not shown before, or perhaps had not been asked to show yet.
Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo sees the development as the product of steady work, not a sudden leap. Bobo, who has coached quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford and Aaron Murray, described Stockton’s climb in an exclusive interview with UGA’s NIL-content site, ‘Glory Glory.’
“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 finished 18-of-22 for 249 yards with a touchdown and a deflection that was intercepted. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer called him clutch after watching Stockton go 9-of-10 for 104 yards on third downs against the Tide.
“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 also pointed to Stockton’s control and efficiency under pressure, noting the way he worked throws into tight windows with confidence that hadn’t always been there 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 said there is still more Stockton can unlock, and Georgia’s next test comes Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Auburn.
“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.”
Stockton kept his own explanation 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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Oregon State Defense Could Decide How This Week Really Plays Out
Washington State heads into this week with a chance to find some offensive rhythm against one of the Pac-12s toughest scoring outfits, and the Cougars are banking on a familiar-looking solution at quarterback. Eshelman, praised for his leadership and passing accuracy, is set to guide the offense as WSU tries to clean up its execution and keep pace with Oregon State, the 10th-ranked scoring team in FBS.
The bigger question may still be on the other side of the ball, where the Cougars defense has carried them with a second-place conference ranking but now gets its sharpest stress test yet. Oregon State brings the leagues leading passing attack, and several WSU defensive backs will have to tighten their communication if the Cougars are going to keep the Beavers from dictating the game. [Read more 🡒]