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Georgia football unveiled a new Bulldogs hero on Saturday in Atlanta with the Southeastern Conference title at stake. Kirby Smart, however, saw this outcome coming once Gunnar Stockton went in against Texas.
Starting quarterback Carson Beck left the SEC Championship contest with a shoulder injury. Stockton, once the lone 2022 QB signing for Georgia, got the call. And he had to navigate the Bulldogs against a hard-nosed Longhorns defense that entered Mercedes Benz Stadium on a roll.
Stockton never showed a wide-eyed moment. He never crumbled under the bright lights and pressure of this pulsating overtime game. The QB2 ended his night completing 12 of his 16 passes for 71 yards. His relief duty ultimately helped lead the Georgia 22-16 OT win to seal the SEC crown, plus a College Football Playoff appearance.
The inexperienced 6-foot-1 QB had the weight of the moment planted on his shoulders once Beck stepped out. Texas threw every ounce of pressure to rattle the unknown QB. Smart, however, knew he was turning to a winner to lead Georgia. And that was the title he gave the backup after the exhausting win with ESPN's Holly Rowe.
How much did Gunnar Stockton win before Georgia's SEC title win?
Stockton collected victories even before adding his biggest one yet in the Peach State's largest city on Saturday.
He cracked the starting lineup at Rabun County High School as a young freshman. Rabun County ended the season delivering a state playoff quarterfinals run with Stockton behind center. He fired 34 touchdown passes compared to six interceptions in his prep debut.
Stockton rose to national recruit during his sophomore season. The Wildcats' QB1 shredded defenses with 59 total touchdowns (43 passing) per MaxPreps. He capped his prep career with a state semifinals postseason run.
Georgia nearly didn't get the in-state talent. Stockton originally verbally committed to South Carolina. However, that was through Will Muschamp. Following Muschamp's firing, Stockton flipped to Georgia.
Stockton proved to be beyond ready to lead Georgia in an emergency. He even took a viscous hit in overtime that saw his helmet fly off.
Stockton needed to step out for a play by rule. Beck came back in to hand the victory over to Trevor Etienne, who scored from four yards out to capture the SEC title.
Beck may have finished the game. Stockton, however, kept Georgia in the contest against a Longhorns team attempting to prove right away that the SEC belongs to them. But Smart clearly remembered he flipped a winner two years ago to give Georgia a championship moment. Stockton added just that in relief duty.
