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Carson Beck went down at a crucial point, just ahead of halftime as the Georgia Bulldogs faced the Texas Longhorns in the SEC Championship Game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
This caused several to hold their breath as a largely inexperienced Gunner Stockton took the field with the responsibility of winning Georgia another conference title. In fact, “largely inexperienced” might even be an understatement, considering that Stockton entered the game with just a handful of games he appeared in as a relief player when Georgia was winning in a blowout. Now, he's set to be used for much more than that.
With Beck's status for the Sugar Bowl murky as can be, here's everything you need to know about Gunner Stockton, how he got here and what to expect moving forward.
Gunner Stockton's performance in the SEC Championship Game, Carson Beck injured
There's no question Carson Beck is Georgia's solidified starter and has played a huge role in propelling an offense that has been stifled several times due to drops by receivers. Beck has, perhaps unfairly, yielded a lot of the blame from the fan base for some of the sputtering on that side of the ball.
But, there is equally also no question that when Stockton entered the game on Saturday, there seemed to be a new sense of life injected into the offense. Whether or not that had to do more with the fact that Georgia has simply been more of a second-half team this season or his heightened mobility over Beck is something that could be debated.
Stockton finished out the game completing 12 of his 16 passing attempts for 71 yards. The unimpressive stat line does not reflect how truly, indeed impressive, his performance was.
Head coach Kirby Smart said after the game that he felt the only mistake Stockton made in the game was his lone interception. And even that, according to Smart, wasn't all on him.
“The only mistake he had, and I feel like it was partially on us,” Smart explained, per Benjamin Wolk of 247Sports. “He didn’t have time to evaluate what they were doing. If he sees that, he can pick it up and do some things with it. But we were down on the shot clock… he throws the pick there that could have been costly.”
Players said they could feel the energy when he entered the game.
“Everybody was just excited,” Bulldogs wide receiver Arian Smith told us in the postgame press conference. “Not excited because they wanted him to play or wished that he were starting. But just that he had that moment and that chance to go out and play quarterback for us.”
Stockton rising to the occasion did not necessarily come as a surprise to anyone who had been around him for a consistent period of time, though.
“The way he prepares, I expected nothing less of him,” running back Trevor Etienne said after the team brought home the SEC title. “He comes in and works hard every day. He’s probably played this moment a thousand times at practice. Tonight, he was able to show the world.”
They'll hope that the juice he brings continues to carry over at the most pivotal time possible.
Gunner Stockton's high school career, Stetson Bennett narrative
Gunner Stockton's at least temporary time of success to the point shows shades of the Stetson Bennett situation when the former walk-on overtook JT Daniels, who was once considered to be the best male athlete in the nation. There's not quite as much of a gap when it comes to status as a recruit between Beck and Stockton.
That's the primary thing — Bennett did come in with also having a small number of in-game reps but was a lowly recruit who managed just one FBS offer and spent a stint of his career at Jones Community College.
Stockton was listed as a four-star prospect for his class, according to 247Sports. The signal-caller out of Rabun County High School in Tiger, Georgia, was listed as the No. 7 quarterback in the country, the No. 11 overall prospect in the state of Georgia and the 110th-ranked prospect in the nation.
Here's a look at his scouting report from 247Sports analyst Chris Singletary:
“Thick built player with average height for the position. He is a better athlete than one would think, He is able to make plays in the pocket when the rush breaks down by using his feel and presence for where the rush is coming from and how he needs to buy time. Does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield to make a play when he is flushed and on the move. Shows good arm strength with the ability to make throws with touch when need be, allowing for his receivers to make plays on the move to get extra yardage. He has a quick release and is able to process if his 1st read isn't there to get through his progression.”
Stockton held multiple FBS offers from prestigious programs, including SEC rivals like Alabama.
Gunner Stockton's future outlook at Georgia in the College Football Playoff
There is a high level of uncertainty surrounding Stockton and how things could go if he is indeed asked to carry the Georgia offense through the Sugar Bowl and potentially all the way through a national title game. Head coach Kirby Smart has indicated that while Beck and Stockton have very differing skill sets, the offense will not change much.
Stockton doesn't bring to the table the pure experience Beck has and is thus a bit behind in some areas when it comes to finesse as a pure passer and mental processor. But his mobility and improvisation ability do exceed Beck's, though Beck has shown he does have what it takes when it comes to extending plays on third down.
Despite that, Smart has made clear that he does not see the offense having to change or adapt much because it is Stockton taking the snaps and not Beck.
“I think his strengths are somewhat different than Carson (Beck's) obviously,” Smart said when he met with the local media on Sunday afternoon.
It will be interesting to see just how things shake out as the Bulldogs take the field once more in the Sugar Bowl matchup on Jan. 1. The team's opponent has yet to be determined, though it will reveal itself as teams that did not get a first-round bye like Georgia did continue the journey through the College Football Playoff.
Depending upon how well Stockton takes advantage of this opportunity, the sophomore may just earn himself a long-term starting position at Georgia. While the path once looked unorthodox and not necessarily likely, he has shown the “it” factor and the ability to deliver at one of the highest stages college football has to offer.
