College football madness has arrived, and several powerhouses are breaking in fresh faces at the QB1 position. The Bulldogs are one of them. With Carson Beck gone, questions have naturally followed, and this year it’s Gunner Stockton‘s turn to step up.“It’s always been my dream to be the starting quarterback at Georgia,” he admitted. But the doubts about his ability have lingered. Back in June, analyst Shane Collins rated Georgia’s national title chances at just a 7.5 out of 10, pointing to “the quarterback situation” as the reason. And, much to Dawgs fans’ frustration, Pine Finebaum has added fuel with yet another sharp critique of Georgia’s offensive leader.

When asked which quarterback concerned him the most, his response came without a pause. “It is Gunner Stockton at Georgia, and there has been a big narrative after he took over for Carson Beck late last year,” Finebaum said on ESPN College Football. Last season, Stockton registered 83 passes for 588 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Though after Beck got sidelined, Stockton started against Notre Dame, but his performance didn’t cheer up the mood.

“He was not spectacular when he played against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, but some of that was his coaching on the sideline, but I’m just worried about him at this moment.” But Kirby Smart stood beside his QB as criticism poured over, saying that Stockton played against one of the best defenses in the country and performed well for a guy who hadn’t gotten a lot of reps with the ones. He complimented the quarterback on handling those stressful moments well. And going into this year, as well, he is optimistic about Stockton. “Gunner is a winner,” Smart said.

Paul further continued.“He is well loved by his teammates, that’s what I hear from the team,” Finebaum admitted.“But can he handle the moment? He won’t have one for a few weeks, but he will see Alabama at the end of September, and Alabama seems to have Georgia’s number lately.” After last season, Kirby Smart’s roster was in a delicate position. It lost 13 of its players to the NFL draft, and the remaining players do not have the experience that the previous roster had.

Yes, he pulled in 10 players from the transfer portal, but players need time to gel. Chemistry between players is as significant. Even Josh Pate is not confident in Kirby Smart’s offense. “I bought Georgia to miss at +198.” His reasons? Tough schedule and an unproven QB1. This season, the Bulldogs will face off against powerhouses such as Alabama and the Arch Manning-led Texas Longhorns.

This ain’t the first time Finebaum made his doubts public on his show. A couple of weeks back, he reiterated the same sentiment. He would rather have Carson Beck than Stockton steering the offense. “I’m not confident in Gunner Stockton. I sat with Kirby a couple of weeks ago, and he acted like he was, but I’d like to give him a lie detector test. Carson Beck had his faults, but I’d much rather have him than Gunner Stockton,” he laid out bluntly. But there might be one person rooting for him at Athens.

Former Georgia QB exudes confidence in Gunner Stockton

Holding breath for this weekend, the fandom is an equal mix of excitement, anticipation, and criticism surrounding Gunner Stockton’s ability has been a crushing force at Athens. But a former Georgia QB, Aaron Murray, has surfaced, rooting his confidence in the quarterback. He studied his game films and came to his conclusion. Murray’s verdict? “He’s gritty. He’s athletic. He’s a great leader. I think he’s got more than adequate arm strength.” Having seen his last year’s performances, Murray is confident that Stockton can bring the third national championship for Kirby Smart.

Gunner’s response to the criticism? “I’m not really worried about what people say. Just ready for the season. Can’t wait,” he said during SEC Media Days. Although Smart has not yet officially announced the QB1. Stockton’s presence to be one of the three players, including DB Daylen Everettee and LB CJ Allen, representing Georgia at Media Days is indicative of something.