Despite an impressive first year as a starter, Georgia QB1 Gunner Stockton has also seen some unwarranted criticism. Former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith donned his analyst cap, and during his draft discussion on WR Dillon Bell, he didn’t hold back on Stockton, calling his play ‘awful.’ Kirby Smart heard the comments, and he’s not having it.

During an appearance on Atlanta’s 680 The Fan, Kirby Smart was asked about his thoughts on Steve Smith’s comment on his quarterback, and he did not hesitate to remind Smith of his need to up his game as an analyst. 

“Do your homework,” he said. “Do a little more homework. I think if you look at small sections of it, there are things he can do better. If you look at the total body of work, it’s been really good. I think it’s going to get better with experience.”

In his first season as the quarterback, Stockton threw for 2,894 yards and 24 touchdowns with just five interceptions. His running game was equally brilliant, with 462 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. With him as QB1, the Bulldogs had a successful defense of their SEC title. The consensus remains that Stockton has a few things to improve on, but for a first-year starter, he was quite decent. And if at all there are lapses in his performance, they could come in a more constructive manner than Steve’s remarks have come. 

“People look past a lot of things, and they’re going to judge Gunner off a throw or a play,” Smart said. “Judge him by his toughness, his intangibles. The throws he does make. I don’t really know Steve Smith personally,” Smart said. “I’ve got nothing to respond to him. I don’t really worry about what he says. I worry about whether we win football games and whether we produce.”

The Georgia coach, highlighting the units Smith focused on, noted that the Bulldogs have the second-most receivers drafted in the last seven NFL Drafts and that they are also part of the top two in the SEC in passing over the last five years, despite having multiple quarterbacks over those years.

Steve Smith’s criticism of Gunner Stockton

Ahead of the NFL Draft, Smith was breaking down footage on his 89 with Steve Smith Sr. podcast. And while he examined Bulldogs’ wide receiver Dillon Bell, he complained about the team’s offense, insinuating that the offense, led by Stockton, was more of a curse to Bell than a blessing. 

“Let’s get right down to it,” he said of quarterback Gunner Stockton. “I don’t know the young man’s name, and I don’t want to because the way I watched him play quarterback, hell, I’m irritated just watching it. Goodness gracious. The quarterback play from the Georgia Bulldogs, awful… As a wide receiver, I’m going on strike, right? I’m not working or running a route until I get a better quarterback. And holler at your boy when you get it, because I’m out of here.”

Coming from a wide receiver who had over 14,000 receiving yards in the NFL, there is some basis to Smith’s comments. And that is the reason why Smart was even asked about it. However, how can he analyze just Bell in isolation?

Zachariah Branch, who had 830 receiving yards on 81 receptions, was the focal point of Georgia’s passing game. On the other hand, Bell was mostly used as a rotational piece in both the passing and run games. In fact, even Colbie Young had a bigger offensive role than Bell. A lot of things could have been different in hindsight, but the fact is that the Bulldogs had better offensive playmakers than Bell.