Georgia QB Gunner Stockton Ranked Among Nation's Best

Stockton enters second year as starter after leading Bulldogs to SEC title

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

After being viewed as a question mark entering the 2025 season, Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton is now considered one of the top quarterbacks in college football. ESPN's Bill Connelly recently ranked Stockton as the 8th best quarterback in the country, praising his efficient distribution of the ball and ability to minimize turnovers.

Why it matters

Stockton's emergence as an elite quarterback is crucial for Georgia as they look to defend their SEC championship. His point guard-like play and quick decision making have allowed the Bulldogs' offense to thrive, even with a lack of explosive downfield passing.

The details

Connelly lauded Stockton for his quick passing and efficiency, noting that 38.6% of his passes were thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage. He also only had 13.7% of his passes go for 20 yards or more. Despite this, Georgia won the SEC title in 2025 thanks in large part to Stockton's leadership and the production of wide receiver Zachariah Branch, who set a program record with 81 receptions.

  • Stockton enters his second year as Georgia's starting quarterback in 2026.

The players

Gunner Stockton

The Georgia quarterback who is ranked as one of the best in the country heading into the 2026 season.

Zachariah Branch

The USC transfer who set a Georgia program record with 81 receptions for 811 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2025.

Bill Connelly

The ESPN analyst who ranked Stockton as the 8th best quarterback in the country in his pre-spring Power-Four quarterback rankings.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“But Stockton is a damn point guard. A whopping 38.6% of his passes were thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage, and only 13.7%, about 1 in 7, were 20-yarders. He distributes the ball quickly and accurately, over and over again, and Georgia won a second straight SEC title in 2025 despite ranking 131st nationally in yards per successful play.”

— Bill Connelly, ESPN Analyst (on3.com)

What’s next

Stockton will look to build on his strong 2025 season and lead Georgia to another SEC championship in 2026.

The takeaway

Stockton's efficient, point guard-style of play has allowed Georgia's offense to thrive, even without a dominant deep passing game. His ability to quickly distribute the ball and minimize turnovers has been crucial to the Bulldogs' recent success, and he will be counted on to lead them to another conference title in 2026.