Gunner Stockton, the farm boy from Tiger, Georgia, doesn’t roll around in Lambos or stack his wrists with jewelry. He keeps his circle tight, even staying away from the noise of social media. But the quiet exterior can fool you. At 215 pounds, Stockton is built to run through people, and when the whistle blows, there’s nothing sweet about the way he lowers his shoulder. Being the nice guy under center in Athens has only invited more scrutiny, especially at a place where the microscope is always turned up to maximum.

Gunner Stockton joined Darien Rencher and Mo Hasan on I AM ATHLETE and got right into what fires him up between the white lines. When asked what gets him more excited, between a good run or a deep completion? “Probably like a deep run both. Cuz if I’m outrunning some guys like it’s more uh more accomplished,” Stockton said. Hasan pushed further, offering the scenario of a first down where he runs someone over. Stockton didn’t hesitate: “Yeah, I’d probably be hyped if I ran somebody.” For all the talk about Georgia’s QB lineage, Stockton made it clear—he’s not afraid to put defenders on highlight reels in a different way.

On the field against Austin Peay, Stockton’s second career start was a mixed bag. The Bulldogs rolled 28-6, and he was more active in the passing game, finishing 26-for-34 with 227 yards. He built some rhythm with Colbie Young, but the deep ball wasn’t there. Gunner Stockton missed wide-open receivers, couldn’t connect on chunk plays, and flirted with disaster on a near pick-six.

Analyst Joel Klatt didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts on The Next Round. “Georgia’s starting quarterback had to throw 34 passes against Austin Peay!” Klatt said. “Guys, if Julian Sayin or Dante Moore would’ve thrown 34 passes against Austin Peay, they would’ve scored 873,000 points.” His exaggeration made the point: Georgia’s passing game lacked efficiency, and the bar in Athens is higher than just moving the chains. Blowouts are the expectation, especially with Tennessee looming on the schedule. The Bulldogs needed style points, not stalled drives.

Kirby Smart, though, stuck to his long-game philosophy. “I’m pleased with where he’s at,” the head coach told reporters. “I want him to have confidence in the pocket and make some throws.” That patience is part of the Smart blueprint—develop through repetition, build trust in the system, and don’t let outside noise rattle the locker room.

Gunner Stockton’s growing pains come with a lesson in patience

The numbers don’t lie—UGA’s new starter has been efficient but not exactly explosive. Through two games, Gunner Stockton is 40 of 58 for 417 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Clean football, sure. But the advanced metrics tell a different story. Stockton’s average depth of target sits at just 5.1 yards, per PFF, which is more ‘checkdown comfort zone’ than ‘stretching the field.’ He’s produced only one pass of 30-plus yards, tying him for 13th in the SEC. That’s not the kind of air raid Dawg fans are used to.

Former Missouri and NFL QB Chase Daniel summed it up in real time on ESPN+. “All Tennessee is going to have to work with is inside zone, some gap scheme running, and some bubble screens on tape from Georgia today,” Daniel said in the Q4 of Saturday’s 28–6 win over Austin Peay. He wasn’t wrong. The Bulldogs hit on short stuff, but when Talyn Taylor and Young popped open deep, the ball never arrived.

And it’s not just Daniel calling it out. On a YouTube breakdown, former Georgia QB Aaron Murray pointed to three plays where Stockton was late and inaccurate. He zeroed in on a second-quarter throw to Branch, stopped at the 1. “The ball’s got to get out of your hands, especially in the red zone,” Murray said. “Got to be faster there.” Kirby Smart insists practice is sharpening Stockton against pressure, but Saturdays remain the real test.