The plan for Gunner Stockton

Gunner Stockton is watching in real time how his career could go.

Carson Beck waited three years before taking his turn running the Bulldog offense. As Stockton enters his third spring in Athens, Beck is entrenched as Georgia's starter.

But, like Beck before him, Stockton isn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon.

"Carson's a perfect example. He's shown resilience and waited his turn. He's worked hard and proven that he's one of the best quarterbacks in the country. It's just a privilege to take from him and learn from him," Stockton said. "At Georgia, you're going to win. That's the biggest part. You can go to a lot of different places, but there's a lot of things Georgia has that they can't offer."

As he met with the media on Tuesday, Stockton referred to how green he felt when he got to Athens. He said he "didn't know what I didn't know."

After redshirting in 2022, Stockton appeared in four games in 2023. He saw his most extensive action in the Orange Bowl win against Florida State. Against the Seminoles Stockton completed six of 10 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns.

Stockton is building on that experience this spring.

"I think just more reps and everything going along with it," Stockton said. "Just all the walkthroughs and everything we do the whole year makes me more comfortable. Heck, that all goes into just every opportunity you get, and maximizing it and making the most out of it."

Stockton said his spring got off to a good start. He recalled not throwing a single incompletion during the first padded practice. There have been good and bad days over the past few weeks, but Stockton is trying to take each as it comes.

From a more tangible standpoint, Stockton said he's working more on his presence in the pocket. He also credited offensive coordinator Mike Bobo for doing a great job of teaching the quarterbacks in the meeting room.

Stockton will get plenty of work during the G-Day game on Saturday. After that, he will be back in backup mode heading into Beck's final season in Athens.

But that's just fine with him. All Stockton wants is to show he is a player who can be trusted both this year and beyond.

"I’m just trying--God forbid if something happens--just to prove to everybody that I can step up and it can click like nothing else happened," Stockton said.