If you’re a Georgia fan, buckle up. It’s SEC quarterback drama time. Gunner Stockton is stepping into the spotlight after a season that felt like a rollercoaster. He snatched the starting job and led the Dawgs to an overtime win over Texas, only to stumble in the CFP quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame. Now, Paul Finebaum is throwing fuel on the fire, calling Stockton the Bulldogs’ “undoing.” Can Gunner shrug off the shade and silence the doubters? 

Finebaum’s jab came with fire. On ESPN’s First Take, he said about the Georgia team last year, “They had a great team. They start off number one, but they had to play on the road in Alabama, Texas and all this. They lost a couple of those games, two of them, to be exact. This year they have those games at home, so they have a chance. But I don’t think Georgia has a quarterback, which is what is going to be their undoing.” Those are some harsh words, man. But Finebaum, being Finebaum, didn’t stop there. 

He continued, “Gunner Stockton did not show me anything in the just epic loss…and loss of composure.” Ouch. That cuts deep, but it’s just words, right? Nah, when someone like Finebaum talks about you like that, it drastically affects your stock. Look at Arch Manning. Finebaum fought half the ESPN panel plus Cam Newton, just to prove his point. Well, lucky for Georgia, Stockton got the Dawg in him.

When he was asked about Finebaum’s comments on him, he shot the reporters with his own hypothetical. “If somebody said you’re a bad reporter…how would you take it?” he asked. “But I take it like anybody else. I’m not a big social media guy,” he continued. So he’s hardly looking for online pity parties. He keeps it real. And to be honest with you guys, this demeanour is what will make him successful. Carson Beck is a tough act to follow, but Stockton’s nonchalance towards anything exterior of football is what will make him a Georgia great. It’s not a prediction; it’s a forecast.

Gunner Stockton has revealed his marching orders to the media. Tune his footwork, sharpen his pocket awareness, and keep composure under fire. If he does, Georgia’s playoff path is wide open. If not, Finebaum might be calling more than his name soon. And we are so here for it. Are you?

The kindest “mean-machine” ever

There’s something refreshingly real about the way Gunner Stockton handles pressure. No spin, no finger-pointing, just straight-up honesty. After Paul Finebaum’s scorching take labeled him Georgia’s potential “undoing,” Stockton could’ve easily clapped back or taken the high road in silence. But instead, the guy leaned into the fire. That’s our guy, right there.

Talking to reporters this week, Stockton didn’t flinch when asked about the rough spots, especially the sacks and the strip against Notre Dame. “A couple of [the sacks], I had something to do with it. I’m just working on it,” he said, with the kind of quiet confidence you want in your quarterback. Was it the speed of the game? Bad luck? Nope. “It was just me at fault.” The man’s got accountability, and if you’ll watch the video, the guy looks anything but impolite. He is one of those ‘kill them with kindness’ type of guys. He’s calm, respectful, and likable.

And that’s the reason his coach backs him up publicly. Kirby Smart told Finebaum, “I’m excited. Gunner got the message. He got the message. You did your job. He’s a tremendous leader, but that’s nothing I didn’t already know. He’s done everything right since he’s been here. … He earns people’s respect by how he works and how he carries himself. He’s got a tremendous amount of confidence in his ability.” That’s how you know Georgia’s helm is in good hands. And sometimes those hands slip, but come September, you’re going to witness the mean machine in red and black again. And, there won’t be any slip-ups this time around.