Kirby Smart may not be riding the same hot seat as Florida’s Billy Napier, but make no mistake—things are getting toasty in Athens. Georgia fans are used to dominance, not drama. But after last season’s stumble against Notre Dame and a shaky offensive identity, the pressure is real. Smart already had to juggle Carson Beck’s 12-interception rollercoaster and deal with a receiving corps that led the nation with 36 drops. Now? The spotlight shifts to a new QB1, Gunner Stockton. And the expectations are quite high.

Stockton, who waited behind Beck for two years, finally got his shot after Beck’s departure. He stepped up against Notre Dame, throwing for 234 yards and a touchdown while completing 20-of-32 passes. Not bad. But Georgia still didn’t get the W. That’s why Inside Texas Football’s Coach Dub isn’t totally sold.

He said, “We don’t know what Gunner Stockton’s really going to be like. We saw him scramble and use his legs a bit, right? I know they got a ton of new weapons at receiver. I mean, I trust Kirby Smart when it comes to defense, but they’re just replacing a lot of continuity.” While Smart focuses on defense, his OC, Mike Bobo, runs the offense.

But then came the twist in the narrative—Coach Dub threw cold water on the Stockton–Bobo pairing. Mike Bobo might’ve endorsed Stockton’s work ethic, but stylistically? They may not be aligned. “It just doesn’t seem like a complete fit to what they want to do on offense,” Dub said. “I don’t think Gunner Stockton fits what he wants to do, right? I think he likes more of that pro-style quarterback, where Gunner’s a scrambling guy, likes to run around, make plays off-schedule, right?” That’s a tough pill for Kirby Smart.

Bobo publicly vouched for Stockton, saying, “His day in and day out, how he approached getting ready for the game as if he was a starter, I think has prepared him for this moment.” But when the X’s and O’s hit the field, does the trust match the scheme?

To be fair, Georgia’s offensive challenges last year weren’t just about the quarterback. The offense was pretty average, ranking 51st nationally with 405.4 total yards per game and only 37th in scoring at 30.2 points per game. They weren’t RBU either, finishing 102nd in rushing with just 124.4 yards a game. Even with a tough schedule and injuries, it’s clear this isn’t the dominant offensive machine from the Stetson Bennett era.

Pressure mounts on Kirby Smart and Co.

Gunner Stockton isn’t walking into a polished setup. Georgia’s once-feared rushing attack hit rock bottom this season. Under Smart, they’ve typically averaged between 185 and 258 yards per game—ground-and-pound was the name of the game. But last year? They barely cracked 124.4 yards per contest, the worst in the Smart era and near the SEC basement.

Their only game-breaking 170 yards on the ground? A meaningless blowout against UMass. Every other outing was a struggle. That drop-off exposed some serious flaws—either in the talent pipeline, the blocking scheme, or the play design. And unless one of those gets fixed, Georgia risks losing the offensive balance that made it a powerhouse.

With Branson Robinson and Roderick Robinson both banged up and depth razor-thin, Georgia even had to experiment with wide receiver Dillon Bell at running back during spring. Nate Frazier is their best bet, though his success is more a hope than a certainty.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach summed up the backfield issue perfectly. “As hard as it is to believe, the program that produced NFL running backs Nick Chubb, D’Andre Swift, and James Cook in recent years might have a question mark at the position going into the season.”

Add to that a mass exodus of over ten players to the NFL and transfer portal, and Smart is now in full rebuild mode. Yes, he reeled in the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class. Yes, he’s still Kirby Smart. But continuity? Chemistry? Those things take time. And time isn’t a luxury in the SEC.

There is some upside. Georgia added elite playmakers like Zachariah Branch from USC and Noah Thomas from Texas A&M to bulk up the receiving unit. That could finally give Stockton something Beck didn’t get last season—space, separation, and speed.

Still, this team has potholes. The rushing game is unrecognizable, the quarterback is unproven, and the offensive identity is in limbo. And when your OC prefers a pro-style QB while your starter likes to run and improvise, things could get messy.

Kirby Smart’s not in trouble—yet. But if this Gunner Stockton experiment falters, and Georgia’s offense sputters again, the whispers will only grow louder. Because in college football, especially in the SEC, loyalty is nice—but winning is everything.