The 2025 campaign is officially under wraps, and Gunner Stockton’s report card has dropped. He piloted the Georgia Bulldogs into the College Football Playoff, but the title run stalled short of the finish line. Now the numbers are doing the talking, focusing exactly where Kirby Smart’s quarterback must level up heading into 2026.

“Something for Gunner Stockton to work on in year 2,” tweeted The Bulldawg Report on January 4. “Dropbacks under pressure 87, QB responsible pressures 25 (28.7%).”

Going by the stats, 25 of 87 pressured dropbacks were quarterback-responsible. So, too many pressures came from Stockton holding the ball too long. He got to take care of his time-to-throw on known pressure looks and identify pre-snap identification of blitz packages.

Georgia understands that explosive plays won’t come unless Stockton is properly propped up. With 16 yards as the benchmark, the Bulldogs have seen Stockton generate only eight explosive passing gains through the first two games.

“28.7% of pressures QB responsible for: Highest out of playoff QBs, Second-highest among SEC QBs, Fifth-highest among P4 QBs,” the tweet mentioned.

Elite quarterbacks tend to limit self-inflicted pressure by moving through progressions quickly and taking what defenses give them. Stockton’s numbers indicate that when his first read was covered, plays occasionally stalled.

Cutting down the stats in 2026, he will require faster processing, earlier checkdowns, and a greater willingness to throw the ball away and not extend plays that allow defenders to collapse the pocket.

Here is a thing to note- Stockton’s quarterback-responsible pressures often come from bad pocket movement, not lack of athleticism. So, what does his 2026 fix look like? Stockton got to step up rather than bail out and would reduce his unnecessary hits. What does the ranking hint at?

Being near the top in quarterback-caused pressure among playoff, SEC, and Power 4 quarterbacks shows that Stockton’s struggles were enhanced against elite competition. The Sugar Bowl is the biggest example.

Stockton lit up the first half against the Ole Miss Rebels, punching in two rushing touchdowns and spreading the ball to seven different targets on gains of 15-plus yards. The moment that cemented the buzz came in the second quarter, a 26-yard strike to Cash Jones that had the crowd roaring. 

But after halftime, the rhythm faded, and Stockton couldn’t sustain the same level of dominance. Ole Miss tightened the screws defensively, breaking through more consistently and getting hands into passing lanes to disrupt Stockton’s rhythm. 

The turning point came in the fourth quarter, when a botched fourth-down snap caught Stockton off guard and ended in a strip-sack by Rebels linebacker Suntarine Perkins. 

Now that Stockton’s focus will be on the 2026 season to bring down the 28.7% stat, this brings up the NFL Draft discussions. 

Where does Gunner Stockton stand in the NFL Draft spotlight

Stockton suited up as a redshirt junior for Georgia in 2025, wrapping up his fourth year in Athens. Thanks to NCAA eligibility rules, he still has one more season in his back pocket heading into 2026.

“I haven’t thought about any of that,” said Stockton in early December when asked about his plans to switch to the NFL.

Walking with the seniors on Senior Day had fans buzzing about a possible NFL leap. But Stockton moved fast to shoot down the draft buzz.

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“I walked with senior day because those are all the guys I came in with. Just a moment to look back and appreciate that,” Stockton said.

NFL Draft Buzz has Stockton pegged as the 16th-ranked QB in the 2026 class. At 6’1”, 215 pounds, he’s the 171st overall prospect and a likely fifth-round selection.

According to FanSided’s Patrick Rifino, Stockton could hear his name called by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2026 Draft.

Gunner Stockton’s 4.65 40-yard speed shows he can improvise and extend plays, but his sub-NFL size creates questions about durability and pro-level throws. So, he still has plenty of areas to refine before taking the next step.