Just when Gunner Stockton’s position atop the Georgia depth chart seemed secure, Kirby Smart has introduced a new challenger. The arrival of Oregon transfer Bryson Beaver, a QB with over 8,200 high school passing yards, sends a clear message that the battle for QB1 in Athens is far from over.

“I wasn’t the most highly recruited kid coming out of high school,” Beaver poured his heart out in an interview with GloryGloryGA analyst Bryce Koon. “Towards the end, I picked up some steam. I had to grind, put my head down and keep working, stay working. I think that helped me. My goal was to play Division One football; that’s what I wanted to do since I was a kid.”

The warning bells are ringing for Gunner Stockton and other Georgia QBs. Beaver cut his teeth playing high school football at Murrieta (Calif.) Vista Murrieta. The present Georgia recruit was not on the five-star radar. Beaver was the four-star prospect who was ranked No. 194 overall player and No. 13 in the 2026 cycle. 

Five-star prospects are labeled as future stars from the jump, guys scouts believe will change games the moment they step on campus. Beaver wasn’t in that tier at first.

“Effortlessly delivers with velocity from multiple arm slots,” wrote Rivals’ Chad Simmons in Smart’s quarterback’s scouting report. “Shows a willingness to deliver strikes while taking hits. Strong passer on the move. Reactive athlete with the quickness and agility to avoid pressure and make improvisational plays. A loose mover with natural fluidity.”

Beaver’s name wasn’t buzzing early on, but season by season, the production kept piling up. Over four years at the varsity level, he quietly carved out a prolific résumé, throwing for more than 8,200 yards and 81 touchdowns while completing just over 61 percent of his passes. Smart’s quarterback’s stock exploded over the summer, with Rivals leading the charge by dishing out a four-star label on him. Just ahead of the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles, he thought of trying his luck elsewhere and flipped his commitment to Eugene.

Nevertheless, his path led him to Smart’s program after Dante Moore returned as the Ducks’ starting quarterback. Quarterbacks not getting early hype is common in college football. For instance, Buffalo Bills’ quarterback turned heads with impressive stats at Firebaugh High School. However, he had zero Division I scholarship offers in his bag.

Well, Beaver’s story of rising to fame is similar to Smart’s other quarterback, Gunner Stockton’s rise. Will the senior be threatened?

Competition grows in Kirby Smart’s quarterback room

The Bulldogs’ quarterback room is already crowded. With Beaver in, Smart has redshirt senior Stockton, redshirt sophomore Ryan Puglisi, redshirt freshman Ryan Montgomery, and redshirt freshman Hezekiah Millender. However, Stockton could stand out, beating all the odds. 

As a third-year sophomore in 2024, Stockton was still essentially an unknown commodity. His in-game reps were scarce, limited to just three appearances before the SEC Championship: 12 pass attempts against Tennessee Tech and four more versus UMass. But Smart never stopped believing in him. 

“I definitely wish he would have gotten that playing opportunity, it gives you typically more confidence going into the next year,” said the Bulldogs’ head coach.

Stockton flipped the script in his first full year as the starter, putting together a breakout campaign. He racked up 2,894 yards and 24 touchdowns while keeping mistakes to a minimum with just five interceptions. He helped Smart’s program engineer fourth-quarter comebacks against Tennessee and Ole Miss.

“Tennessee played him man-to-man, and he shredded them,” said DawgsHQ’s Rusty Mansell in Stockton’s praise. 

If Bryson Beaver wants to develop himself like his friend Ryan Montgomery, he doesn’t need to look further than Kirby Smart’s team. Will he end up leaving Stockton behind in the stat sheet?