Is it the calm before the storm? Because this weekend is going to be a whirlwind when No. 15 Tennessee (2-0) welcomes No. 3 Georgia (2-0) in Neyland Stadium. It’s a game that had Paul Finebaum circling in red on the calendar. Josh Heupel and Co. are hunting for a statement win while Kirby Smart and the Dawgs are trying to prove that their offense should be feared. And at the center of it all is Gunner Stockton, the QB everyone’s waiting to figure out. But what he revealed about his grind at Georgia might flip the narrative heading into Knoxville.
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On the I AM ATHLETE show on September 10, Gunner Stockton peeled back the curtain on his mentality, loyalty, and quiet obsession with preparation. In today’s transfer portal era, the easy play is bailing when you’re buried in a depth chart. But not this Georgia QB. “I think it was just a lifelong dream to be the quarterback of the University of Georgia,” he said. “The transfer portal makes it easy nowadays to just up and leave. But I think it says something about being loyal and just sticking out and being playing all four years at your school.” He stayed. He endured the grind. He ran the scout team in his freshman year, spent long nights in the film room, and prepared like a starter even when he knew Saturday would pass him by. And now, he has it.
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Syndication: Online Athens Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton 14 arrives before the start of the Georgia G-Day spring football game in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Athens , EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJoshuaxL.xJonesx USATSI_25911092
Gunner Stockton’s teammates vouch for his work ethic. Tight end Oscar Delp shared how the QB was burning tape at 11 p.m. on nights when he wasn’t even QB1. That’s an obsession. And it showed when he finally got reps late last season. Still, being a backup in Athens isn’t for the faint of heart. “It kind of can discourage you a little bit,” he admitted. “But just got to keep doing the what you know is right.” That willingness to wait in the shadows is why Saturday feels like a proving ground rather than a guessing game.
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Through two games, Gunner Stockton has put up efficient stats. 40-of-58 passes, 417 yards, 2 TDs, no picks. Add 86 rushing yards and 2 more scores, and you’ve got a dual-threat QB doing just enough to win. But against Austin Peay, Georgia’s offense looked stale. The QB was tentative, the Dawgs led just 28-6, and the AP voters punished them, dropping two spots. Kirby Smart didn’t sugarcoat it after the game. “We’ve got to find ways to be explosive,” he said. But Neyland Stadium isn’t exactly where quarterbacks go to find themselves.
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Can Gunner Stockton survive Tennessee?
Josh Heupel knows what’s coming. “He’s played really well,” he said of Stockton. “You look at him this year, he’s taken great care of the football, he’s been accurate with it, he’s got the ability to be extremely mobile and extend and create plays on his own.” Tennessee plans to pressure him, cage him, and force Georgia’s receivers to beat them downfield.
Meanwhile, analysts like Joel Klatt are raising eyebrows. “Georgia’s starting QB had to throw 34 passes against Austin Peay! If Julian Sayin or Dante Moore would’ve thrown 34 passes against Austin Peay, they would’ve scored 873,000 points.” Stockton has the loyalty, the preparation, and the numbers. But Saturday is the moment his patience, loyalty, and grind get judged in real time under Neyland’s orange glare. Will it pay off or vanish under 100,000 screaming Vols fans cheering for Joey Aguilar?
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If Gunner Stockton thrives, Georgia keeps marching toward another title run. If he falters, Joel Klatt’s prediction will have been solid. “So who wins this week, Tennessee or Georgia? I kind of like Tennessee, like at home, they’ve looked really solid.”