06-30-2025, 05:18 AM
Not exactly two peas in a pod, IMO. 
9 hours ago, By Mike Griffith, Dawgnation Staff
Gunner Stockton reportedly had no problem speaking up for himself while among the quarterbacks attending the Manning Passing Academy.
To be clear, Stockton is not one to seek out the spotlight, nor revel in it.
But when asked about comparisons to Stetson Bennett, Stockton indicated to SI.com reporter Crissy Floyd he could see “a lot of similarities” between them.
The finished version of Bennett, in 2022, had obviously shown great improvement from the time he backed up Jake Fromm in 2019 and came off the bench to replace season starter D’Wan Mathis in 2020.
Bennett’s 2021 and 2022 statistics exceed anything Stockton has accomplished this far in his career.
It’s much more practical and fair to compare Stockton to the 2020 version of Bennett — when both players were entering into their fourth year of college football.
Bennett, as a back-up seeing his first UGA action in 2019, played in five games and was 20-of-27 passing for 260 yards with 2 touchdowns, an interception and 4 carries for 12 yards and a touchdown.
Stockton as a back-up to Carson Beck in 2023, played in four games and was 12-of-19 passing for 148 yards with 2 touchdowns, an interception and 11 carries for 63 yards.
Bennett played in eight games in 2020, starting five of them, and was 86-of-155 passing for 1,179 yards with 8 touchdown passes, 6 interceptions and 24 carries for 54 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Stockton, in 2024 as Beck’s back-up with one start against Notre Dame, played in five games and was 45-of-64 passing for 440 yards with a touchdown, an interception and 21 carries for minus-13 yards.
But Stockton said he sees a lot of the same qualities Bennett had at Georgia in himself.
RELATED: Griffith column, too soon for Rams to give up on Stetson Bennett
“The way he played, the way he styled some of the things he did, the way he carried himself,” Stockton said. “Mobility, he’s quick, he can get out of the pocket and has good pocket movement.
“Had a lot of swagger with what he did. I see the same things in myself.”
Expectations for Stockton are mixed entering the 2025 season after his inconsistent showing in the G-Day Game and the mere fact UGA has undergone massive changes at the skill positions.
Continuity — and a rugged SEC scheduled — would not seem to be working in Stockton’s favor when it comes to measuring up to Bennett’s success.
Whereas Bennett had all-world tight end Brock Bowers along with rising NFL stars Ladd McConkey and James Cook on the receiving end of passes and hand offs, Stockton will be relying on a reloaded receiving corps anchored by transfers and a relatively modest stable of backs.
It’s as important to note the differences in supporting cast as it is to take the difference defenses and offensive coordinators into consideration.
Still, some will make the comparisons, as both Bennett and Stockton were former Georgia high school players who began their careers as undersized backups that had to wait their turn before getting their shots.
Bennett’s history is well-documented, from UGA walk-on, to JUCO transfer, to back-up QB behind Fromm and JT Daniels, before an injury to Daniels provided the so-called “Mailman” a chance to help deliver unprecedented back-to-back CFP championships.
It’s still early in Stockton’s career, but he has already matched Bennett by contributing heavily to an SEC Championship Game win — and as an underdog in a come-from-behind role, at that.
To be clear, Stockton has talent around him, but to this point none as proven as the three aforementioned players that were part of the Bulldogs’ 2021 title team — which also featured future NFL receivers George Pickens and A.D. Mitchell and NFL backs Zamir White and Kenny McIntosh.
Time will tell how Stockton performs for Georgia, as there’s still a fall camp ahead before two warm-up games against Marshall and Austin Peay prime the offensive for UGA’s SEC opening game at Tennessee on Sept. 13.
There are still more questions than answers about the efficiency of the supporting cast.
It’s fair to say Georgia has great optimism about its transfer skill players and returning backs and receivers.
Certainly, improvements are expected after last year’s receiver group led the nation in dropped passes and the backfield and offensive line struggled to stay healthy, greatly effecting Carson Beck’s passing numbers and output.
Now that Beck is gone, having transferred to Miami, it will be up to Stockton to shoulder the responsibility of leading the team entering into fall camp.
Ryan Puglisi is another talented quarterback on the Georgia roster who Coach Kirby Smart has praised.
But for now it’s Stockton’s team, and the expectation will be for him to show the same progress and improvement as Bennett once did in the Georgia offense.
________________________________
Sweet Jesus, what a reach.
9 hours ago, By Mike Griffith, Dawgnation Staff
Gunner Stockton reportedly had no problem speaking up for himself while among the quarterbacks attending the Manning Passing Academy.
To be clear, Stockton is not one to seek out the spotlight, nor revel in it.
But when asked about comparisons to Stetson Bennett, Stockton indicated to SI.com reporter Crissy Floyd he could see “a lot of similarities” between them.
The finished version of Bennett, in 2022, had obviously shown great improvement from the time he backed up Jake Fromm in 2019 and came off the bench to replace season starter D’Wan Mathis in 2020.
Bennett’s 2021 and 2022 statistics exceed anything Stockton has accomplished this far in his career.
It’s much more practical and fair to compare Stockton to the 2020 version of Bennett — when both players were entering into their fourth year of college football.
Bennett, as a back-up seeing his first UGA action in 2019, played in five games and was 20-of-27 passing for 260 yards with 2 touchdowns, an interception and 4 carries for 12 yards and a touchdown.
Stockton as a back-up to Carson Beck in 2023, played in four games and was 12-of-19 passing for 148 yards with 2 touchdowns, an interception and 11 carries for 63 yards.
Bennett played in eight games in 2020, starting five of them, and was 86-of-155 passing for 1,179 yards with 8 touchdown passes, 6 interceptions and 24 carries for 54 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Stockton, in 2024 as Beck’s back-up with one start against Notre Dame, played in five games and was 45-of-64 passing for 440 yards with a touchdown, an interception and 21 carries for minus-13 yards.
But Stockton said he sees a lot of the same qualities Bennett had at Georgia in himself.
RELATED: Griffith column, too soon for Rams to give up on Stetson Bennett
“The way he played, the way he styled some of the things he did, the way he carried himself,” Stockton said. “Mobility, he’s quick, he can get out of the pocket and has good pocket movement.
“Had a lot of swagger with what he did. I see the same things in myself.”
Expectations for Stockton are mixed entering the 2025 season after his inconsistent showing in the G-Day Game and the mere fact UGA has undergone massive changes at the skill positions.
Continuity — and a rugged SEC scheduled — would not seem to be working in Stockton’s favor when it comes to measuring up to Bennett’s success.
Whereas Bennett had all-world tight end Brock Bowers along with rising NFL stars Ladd McConkey and James Cook on the receiving end of passes and hand offs, Stockton will be relying on a reloaded receiving corps anchored by transfers and a relatively modest stable of backs.
It’s as important to note the differences in supporting cast as it is to take the difference defenses and offensive coordinators into consideration.
Still, some will make the comparisons, as both Bennett and Stockton were former Georgia high school players who began their careers as undersized backups that had to wait their turn before getting their shots.
Bennett’s history is well-documented, from UGA walk-on, to JUCO transfer, to back-up QB behind Fromm and JT Daniels, before an injury to Daniels provided the so-called “Mailman” a chance to help deliver unprecedented back-to-back CFP championships.
It’s still early in Stockton’s career, but he has already matched Bennett by contributing heavily to an SEC Championship Game win — and as an underdog in a come-from-behind role, at that.
To be clear, Stockton has talent around him, but to this point none as proven as the three aforementioned players that were part of the Bulldogs’ 2021 title team — which also featured future NFL receivers George Pickens and A.D. Mitchell and NFL backs Zamir White and Kenny McIntosh.
Time will tell how Stockton performs for Georgia, as there’s still a fall camp ahead before two warm-up games against Marshall and Austin Peay prime the offensive for UGA’s SEC opening game at Tennessee on Sept. 13.
There are still more questions than answers about the efficiency of the supporting cast.
It’s fair to say Georgia has great optimism about its transfer skill players and returning backs and receivers.
Certainly, improvements are expected after last year’s receiver group led the nation in dropped passes and the backfield and offensive line struggled to stay healthy, greatly effecting Carson Beck’s passing numbers and output.
Now that Beck is gone, having transferred to Miami, it will be up to Stockton to shoulder the responsibility of leading the team entering into fall camp.
Ryan Puglisi is another talented quarterback on the Georgia roster who Coach Kirby Smart has praised.
But for now it’s Stockton’s team, and the expectation will be for him to show the same progress and improvement as Bennett once did in the Georgia offense.
________________________________
Sweet Jesus, what a reach.
