Kirby Smart Georgia Problem Gets Surprise Verdict After QB Gunner Stockton Receives Key Support

The offseason has been a mad dash of recruiting victories and roster adjustments, and Kirby Smart has shown again why he’s among the best recruiters in college football. But things aren’t all sunshine in Athens. The quarterback situation is under scrutiny, with Smart still refusing to identify a starter between Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi. The choice to remain in-house over pursuing a proven transfer has raised concerns, particularly in the wake of Carson Beck’s exit. The Bulldogs paced the country in drops last season, and the wide receiver corps was an annoyance for fans and coaches alike.

But Smart is not a man to allow an issue to marinate. He has aggressively overhauled the team, adding star transfers Zachariah Branch (USC) and Noah Thomas (Texas A&M), each of whom is likely to see the field immediately. There’s also plenty of youth and potential: five freshmen receivers inked in the 2025 class, including top-100 recruits Talyn Taylor and CJ Wiley. So, as the Bulldogs prepare to make another SEC and beyond push, the storylines are as interesting as ever. And can a once-vilified wide receiver unit now step up and be the playmaking unit the Dawgs require? I believe they would, particularly after the best-kept secret within the wide receivers’ room.

While everybody’s raving about the high-profile names and glitzy transfers, there’s a fellow who’s flying beneath the radar and could just be the magic ingredient for the whole enterprise, and that’s what Dean Legge of UGA Football on Dawg Post and Cole Cubelic of the Cube Show is bringing to everybody’s attention. “We’ve been talking about Georgia’s wide receiver room basically the entire off-season. It’s loaded with talent. It’s deep, but there is a secret weapon in that room that I’m not sure Georgia fans are really expecting, and according to Cole Cubec, it’s London Humphreys.” Humphreys isn’t a household name, at least, not yet. Last year, fans and Cubelic were talking about one thing, “every week last season, I was wondering where he was and why he was not on the field.” But Humphrey was the sort of player who may not set the stat sheet on fire, but he’d quietly pick up a couple of crucial passes per game.

Cubelic states, “He’s a great route runner, I think there’s some Ladd McConkey in him. I know Georgia fans are going to love that. Again, he can run routes, and he has a high football IQ. The kid’s a good wide receiver, and I think that he can help this offense. When you take his skill set inside of everything else that Georgia has, it could be a perfect fit to take advantage of how defenses are going to be forced to play them.” There’s something unique in a wide receiver who just understands the game, not necessarily the speed or the size, but the intelligence and the route-running accuracy. That’s where London Humphrey enters the picture.

Georgia fans recognize that style well—McConkey was a fan favorite for years, and Humphrey has that same ability to find the soft spot in the defense, know when to get off a route, and make himself a quarterback’s best friend. And so Dean concurs with what Cubelic is saying, “the guy can make plays, and he can really run. And he is a good wide receiver, uh, excuse me, a route runner. We didn’t see enough of him.” Kirby Smart is not the type to fawn over newcomers, particularly not publicly, but when it comes to London Humphrey, Georgia’s head coach couldn’t help but tip his cap.

Humphrey arrived primed to work, adapted to the culture, and instantly appeared like a man who could be counted on in crunch time. Smart emphasized Humphreys’ value as a do-it-all receiver and eagerness to learn, two commodities that are gold in a receiving corps that recently has been constantly in the spotlight.

How Gunner Stockton won the locker room

As the wide receiver corps receives its magic man in London Humphrey, everyone in Athens suddenly has eyes on the man who’ll be delivering him the ball—Gunner Stockton. When Carson Beck departed for Miami, he left behind more than a starting role. He created a leadership vacuum—a void that former Bulldogs QB Aaron Murray believes didn’t consistently fill the team with the kind of energy that makes it gel. But with Stockton being the one to fill it, the difference is noticeable. Murray summed it up candidly. “Guys kind of rallied around Gunner Stockton. They had a little bit more of belief in him as maybe [a] person, just a human being.” When Stockton replaced injured Beck in the Sugar Bowl, teammates such as Oscar Delp, Trevor Etienne, and Tate Ratledge were quick to offer their support.

What’s crazy about Stockton is how well he has adopted the “Eat off the floor” philosophy—the unofficial (but very real) team motto of the Dawgs. He’s not the flashy quarterback. Against Texas, he got crushed, had his helmet knocked off, and just walked away like it was a typical day at the office. But it’s not only about grit. Stockton’s leadership is the genuine article. You can’t coach that chemistry.

The SEC is paying attention, the doubters are sitting in the waiting room, and the schedule is unforgiving. Stockton has to play through a minefield of high-profile games: Tennessee on the road, Alabama at home, and Georgia Tech for good measure. If he pulls it off, he’ll be a legend. So, what’s the verdict? The locker room believes in him. He’s got the toughness, the leadership, and his teammates’ support. The only thing remaining is whether he can convert that belief into on-field results.