Georgia’s QB battle is heating up, and all signs point to Gunner Stockton holding the edge over Ryan Puglisi. During Thursday’s first fall camp practice, Stockton consistently took the opening reps. A subtle but telling clue. Although Kirby Smart kept things low-key, avoiding flashy QB drills while media watched. But the message was clear: Stockton might already be the guy, even if the decision hasn’t been made public yet. And now, another clue emerges to further cement Stockton’s position.

Well, Gunner Stockton’s story in Athens keeps getting more intriguing. His center, Drew Bobo, joined Rusty Mansell, Steak Shapiro, and Drew Butler on The Steakhouse Friday morning, sharing what makes Stockton tick. The junior QB already proved his grit last season, stepping in for an injured Carson Beck to spark a comeback win over Texas and later starting in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame. So, Bobo summed it up best, stating, “I’m confident in him because I see him every day, and he’s one of the most genuine nice guys, but he flips a switch when he comes on the field. When it’s game time or practice time, he just flips a switch and he’s a different person.” But there’s more to the story.

It’s not just teammates hyping up Gunner Stockton; Kirby Smart is all in too. DawgsHQ reported on August 1st that the Georgia HC singled out his junior signal-caller for his relentless drive. “I love his work ethic,” said Smart, before laying out what makes Stockton special. “I love his dedication and passion to film study. He takes notes every day. The detail matters to him. He doesn’t get really emotionally high or low. He’s not one of these people that’s up and down, and when he messes something up, he keeps it moving. I love his competitive toughness.” But Smart wasn’t done yet.

Smart doubled down on his skills, too. “He may not be 6-foot-4, and people say he doesn’t have great arm strength, but he has really good arm strength,” said Smart. “I like the way he goes about his business.” But, the QB competition isn’t over yet, as Stockton is still locked in a fierce battle with Puglisi to claim the starting job this fall.

Gunner Stockton etched his name in Georgia lore during the 2024 SEC Title Game. Thrown into the fire after Beck’s injury, the junior QB coolly completed 12 of 16 passes and used his legs to fuel a thrilling 22-19 overtime win over No. 2 Texas. Long before that moment, Stockton dominated the Georgia high school scene at Rabun County. Rewriting record books with 177 TD passes and a Gatorade Player of the Year crown to his name. Now, while Stockton’s future shines bright, another Georgia leader is stealing the spotlight.

If it’s not Gunner Stockton, then who is it?

Right now, C.J. Allen is steering the ship at LB with Rayan Wilson by his side. But Georgia’s depth is stacked. Expect plenty of rotation, with Chris Cole and Justin Williams ready to make plays. However, on the July 31 episode of UGA Football on DawgPost, insider Ryan Kerley dropped an intriguing practice nugget. He said, “The way that they are dealing with these inside linebackers, it looks like they are training Justin Williams to be the next Mike, the next kind of captain of the defense.” So, in other words, the Bulldogs may already have their next locker room leader in the making, and Justin Williams looks primed to take that crown. But the reason?

Justin Williams isn’t just another Bulldog. He’s the Texas defector turning heads in Athens. Well, the No. 1 LB in the 2024 class stunned his home state when he spurned Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns for Georgia. Then, he had a front-row seat as the Dawgs took down Texas twice. Once in Austin, then again in the SEC Title. “Me not choosing Texas was a big thing because I’m from Texas, but there was good competition,” admitted Williams back in March.

But now, with another clash looming on Nov. 15, Georgia is banking on his elite talent to make waves on defense. And this time, Williams won’t have to shoulder the fight alone. Now, let’s see how this next leader carves his path to make a mark with his leadership, while Georgia’s QB works to live up to his head coach’s confidence.