When it come to the confidence in Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, coach Kirby Smart is ready to defend his starter. Stockton didn’t turn the ball over and completed 76% of his passes for 227 yards in a 28-6 win over Austin Peay. “I’m pleased with where he’s at,” Smart said. “I want him to have confidence in the pocket and make some throws.” That’s the only demand he has from Stockton. But looks like someone is not at all sold by the quarterback. That’s none other than Joel Klatt. 

Many debate that Stockton’s highlights for the 2025 season has been against not-so-dominant programs like Marshall and Austin Peay. On top of that, he carries the burden of succeeding Carson Beck, who is flying high in Miami. As Stockton gets ready to face an SEC defense, Klatt came with a grounding alert before their Tennessee face-off. 

On September 7, the analyst was invited to The Next Round podcast. That’s when he came up with his take on Stockton, which might upset Georgia fans. “Georgia’s starting QB had to throw 34 passes against Austin Peay! If Julian Sayin or Dante Moore would’ve thrown 34 passes against Austin Peay, they would’ve scored 873,000 points,” said Klatt. Well, Stockton throwing so much to beat a cupcake opponent like Austin Peay is a big turn-off. Ideally, a powerhouse like Georgia should dominate such teams on the ground with efficiency, and not have to resort to that many passing attempts.

To Klatt, had there been highly touted quarterbacks like Julian Sayin or Dante Moore, they would’ve lit up the scoreboard with ease against such a soft opponent. Considering the Stockton factor, it becomes easier for Klatt to pick his favorite for the upcoming Tennessee vs. Georgia face off. 

“I kind of like Tennessee. Like, at home, they’ve looked really solid. They’re clearly internally motivated. [Joey] looks like a quality player. Everyone thinks that I have, like, this animosity towards Tennessee because of my take about Nico Iamaleava…And, like, does that offense develop you for the NFL as a quarterback? No, probably not. Is it a good college offense? Hell yeah, it is,” shared the analyst. 

After all, Hendon Hooker thrived in it. Mind you, this is the same Klatt who claimed Heupel’s offense doesn’t develop quarterbacks. But he cleared the air, claiming that it fits best in the college landscape, and fails in the pro game. While the analyst raised a warning for Georgia, Heupel is all ready with their plan for Stockton.   

The Vols defense needs to account for Stockton’s legs

The Bulldogs have won eight straight meetings in their series with Tennessee, with all eight victories by at least 14 points. So, Heupel is obviously not willing to leave things on autopilot mode. He has done some homework on Stockton.

Heupel walks on the path of praising the rival quarterback. During the press conference on Monday, September 8, the Tennessee head coach shared,  “He’s played really well. Look at him this year, he’s taken great care of the football. He’s been accurate with it.” Heupel may be hiding his real criticisms and saving them for his game plan.

As he continued, “He’s got the ability to be extremely mobile and extend and create plays on his own. You’ve got to do a great job of applying pressure, but still bottling him up inside of the pocket, not letting him get outside of it. And if they choose he certainly can be a part of the quarterback run game as well, and try to tilt the numbers. So huge test for us defensively.” Talking about dual-threat skills? Stockton hits the right spots. So, Heupel now focuses on bolstering his defense, which will need to do more than just cover receivers. They now have to stunt Stockton’s scrambling ability.

Heupel has made a request for the Tennessee fans. Turns out he is not only counting on his roster, but wants the support of the 100,000 from the Neyland Stadium stands. As Vols insider Wes Rucker reported, “Tennessee coach Josh Heupel on next week’s showdown against Georgia: We want to be the best team on the field that day. To do that, we’ll need to be at our best, and we’ll need our fans to be at their best, too.” Will Tennessee reward Klatt’s confidence and their fans’ hopes, or will Stockton finally be able to prove his critics wrong.