After an eventful spring, the coaches and athletes lace up their shoes for the main show. The regular season is two months away, and the most crucial question that keeps the fans gushing is who will smash as the best QB in the mix, topping the intense SEC push. Josh Pate dug deep into the question and came up with an intriguing top 10 list led by DJ Lagway. But that’s not the highlight of the story. Most notably, Pate didn’t have the two most hyped-up QBs on his coveted list, and he spells out why.

The glossed-over QBs in question are none other than Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Georgia’s Gunner Stockton. Kalen DeBoer has yet to decide who will grace his QB1 spot, but Simpson is the clear frontrunner in the race. With three years of experience under his belt, he’s far less likely to miss his shot this time. Since stepping into Tuscaloosa, Simpson has only appeared in 12 games, completing 24 passes for 310 yards and scoring three rushing touchdowns on 22 career rushing attempts for 130 yards. It’s high time he saw his name roar up in the 2025 season over anyone and everyone. Ryan Grubb wasn’t delusional when he said, “At the end of the day, if we’re playing a football game tomorrow, Ty Simpson would start.”

Meanwhile, Gunner Stockton was the lone bright spot for the Dawgs following the ugly fallout of Carson Beck after an injury shakeup. Aaron Murray’s recent comments suggest that Carson Beck struggled to connect with his teammates, while Gunner Stockton earned their trust. But gaining trust in the locker room isn’t enough; performance on the field is also crucial. Last season, he only gained 440 yards and scored one touchdown, and the Bulldogs are still feeling the sting of the Sugar Bowl loss he played in.

When Josh Pate put together his top SEC quarterback list, he made it clear. “I’m ranking these quarterbacks in SEC based on the caliber of football I expect them to be playing to start the 2025 season.” He started his list with Lagway, followed by Arch Manning at number 2, and LaNorris Sellers at number 3. However, Simpson and Stockton aren’t even in his top 10; they were not among his main choices. Pate directly addressed this, saying, “Now you’ll notice I don’t have Ty Simpson in here. You’ll notice I don’t have Gunner Stockton in here.”

But on the contrary, both teams have a very high ceiling heading into a new, fresh year. Their roster looks all but cooked up for a solid redemption. DeBoer, in his second year, looks more poised than before. His huge recruiting spree is supposed to reap fruit with some marquee names in the box, including Keelon Russell, cornerback Dijon Lee, and offensive lineman Michael Carroll etc. Meanwhile, the Georgia roster also includes Nate Frazier (running back) and Oscar Delp (tight end), and their defensive unit is also in a strong position.

Pate knows that, but he doesn’t give the free pass to their QBs yet. “Everyone, including me, thinks that Georgia and Alabama will compete in the SEC championship this year. Yes, I do. This is not an error; neither of those guys possesses overwhelming, like indisputable, physical attributes, and because of that, I am not blindly ready to just call them top 10. Now it could be by week 4, either one of them is in top 5.”

Meanwhile, for Georgia, Kirby Smart receives a contradictory projection that, to some extent, dismisses Josh Pate’s doubts.

Georgia receives an overwhelming winning prediction

In the modern era of football, the hardest thing you can do is to win the games and keep winning. No talks, no fuss, just wins. Can the Dawgs surpass the threshold of their 9.5 wins this season?

“The oddsmakers should be higher on the Bulldogs.” Wrote YardBarker’s Chris Peterson, “The defending SEC champions will have a new starting quarterback, but Gunner Stockton did start the Sugar Bowl. He will have experience under his belt.”

However, their season doesn’t support the hope. They will face Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, and other top-tier teams, putting their strength and overall forces on the line. The room for error is slim. But the good thing is the Dawgs will get to play the majority of their gusty games at home.

The Bulldogs have a rich history of shining bright under the gaze of their home-grown crowd. They boast a 30-game win streak at home and have not lost a game in Sanford Stadium since the 2019 season. Will Gunner Stockton matter? Well, yes, but he doesn’t have to be anything over the top; just going by the book will do the job.