Kirby Smart already has a clear QB1 in Gunner Stockton, but a minor knee injury limited him during Saturday’s opening spring scrimmage inside Sanford Stadium. While Stockton is expected back to full health soon, his absence gave reliable backups Ryan Puglisi and Ryan Montgomery a rare turn in the spotlight.

Gunner Stockton’s knee tweak actually gave Kirby Smart a hidden advantage. The backups, Montgomery and Puglisi, revealed a major insight when they stepped up for the QB1. The Bulldogs have two young QBs who are already comfortable in managing complex, pro-style concepts under serious pressure. And although it wasn’t clean reps with Puglisi throwing two interceptions and Montgomery throwing one, the exposure is valuable in a closed scrimmage like this. 

As for Gunner Stockton, he played well in limited action, but he had one pick in the two-minute drill. Coming off a productive junior season with 3,356 total yards and 34 total touchdowns, he has been limited this spring with a minor knee injury. He’s practicing, but not fully unleashed. And with him returning, Ryan Puglisi had every reason to transfer. But he has already made peace with the waiting game.

“I think eventually if you want to get to where you want to go, obviously my goal is to play in the NFL for a long time, so I think whether it’s high school or college, you’re going to have to compete no matter what to get to where you want to go,” he said. “So, I think just having that mindset, be ready to compete every play.”

Ryan Puglisi played in seven games already, completing 16 of 27 passes for 161 yards, with a touchdown against Marshall. But more importantly, he’s been forged against Georgia’s defense every single day. And even in a scrimmage where he threw two picks, the bigger story is that he’s still very much in the race for the future. His competition, meanwhile, is playing a different game entirely.

Ryan Montgomery didn’t come to Georgia expecting early snaps because long-term investment is on his mind. He redshirted with minimal reps and no complaints. 

“I came here to be developed,” he said back at the Sugar Bowl. “That’s why I came to Georgia. It is such a prestigious program. The culture here is just different. I love being here in the facility. There’s really nowhere else I’d rather be… I’ve just been excited to learn, continue, and grow.”

Saturday was a glimpse of that patience paying off. Aside from his lone interception, he was able to earn trust from the staff to run the offense in a live setting. And behind the QB2s, even the third-string group flashed. Hezekiah “Buddha” Millender and Oregon transfer Bryson Beaver “had their moments,” according to sources. 

Kirby Smart said it himself earlier this week. Most programs don’t have the depth to run full-speed, competitive snaps from QB1 through QB4. But in Georgia, everybody is getting reps. 

“All those guys are getting quality reps, quality work, growing in that room,” he said. “In between practice days, they’re getting 20 to 40 reps of walkthrough, position meetings, and extra.”

With all the backup pieces getting quality reps, let’s come back to Gunner Stockton, who’s still the headline despite his limited action. 

Is Gunner Stockton ready for what’s next?

With a nearly 70% completion rate, Gunner Stockton has done enough to secure the starting job. Last season, he helped Georgia post the best touchdown percentage in the SEC inside the 20. Still, there were questions too. Headed by OC Mike Bobo, this offense is structured like the pro, and Stockton fits well, but sometimes he leans too heavily on his legs. He rushed for 462 yards, but the Bulldogs’ downfield passing game slacked. 

Georgia posted their lowest explosive pass rate since 2020. A lot of the offense flowed through short concepts, especially to Zachariah Branch. But when it came to elite defenses, that strategy got shaky, as seen in the Ole Miss matchup in the CFP run. To take the next step, Gunner Stockton has to evolve with quicker reads and more vertical passing. 

Gunner Stockton is still the starter, no doubt about that. But if something happens where he has to stay out (which hopefully doesn’t happen), Georgia still has a prepared pipeline in the pieces behind him. This is exactly why spring reps matter. If Stockton still struggles to read the field quickly and relies too heavily on his legs, Smart now knows his younger guys have logged enough high-stress snaps to step in and push the ball downfield.