As of right now, Stockton has not been selected as Georgia’s starting quarterback for the upcoming campaign.In spite of this, he traveled to Atlanta this week as one of Georgia’s player representatives for SEC Media Days, demonstrating his importance as a player and leader on the team.
However, despite all of the discussion about how amazing Stockton could be for Georgia, it ignores the fact that Georgia shouldn’t need him to be the SEC’s top quarterback.
This week, Georgia coach Kirby Smartreadily admitted that the team must perform better against Stockton than it did against quarterback Carson Beck the previous year.
In terms of yards per game, the run game did not place in the top 100 nationally the previous season.
“I believe our offensive line will be crucial,” Smart told Chris Low of ESPN. We have a lot of fresh players there, and while it goes without saying that Stockton’s skill and ball distribution will be crucial, we also have some excellent players surrounding him.
Georgia returns four offensive linemen with starting experience, including tackles Monroe Freeling and Earnest Greene. Stockton’s life should be considerably simpler if those two are able to fulfill their All-SEC potential.
The Bulldogs have brought back Nate Frazier, a running back who has the potential to be among the best in the league. His selection as a preseason All-SEC player wouldn’t be shocking.
Josh McCray, a transfer from Illinois, was also added by the Bulldogs. In addition to Frazier’s breakaway potential, he adds a physical element to Georgia’s run game.
Regarding McCray, Smart remarked, “I like his physicality.” He’s an Alabama kid that we knew from high school, you know. He is tough. He’s big. We have a different kind of runner than him.
A season ago, Georgia had the most drops in the nation. The wide receiver corps really needs to get better. This summer, the Bulldogs welcomed seven new players to the position, with Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas being the main transfers.
In order to facilitate those two’s transfer to Athens, Stockton made it a point to align with them throughout the offseason.
Cornerback Daylen Everette stated that when it comes to joining a squad as a transfer, you won’t be the most at ease right away. However, you can see that they are beginning to feel more at ease with us with time.
The desire to play complimentary football is constant in Georgia. Stockton’s burden would be much lessened by a strong defense. For quarterback Stetson Bennett, it was much simpler to play with the Georgia defense from 2021.
Bennett had sufficiently developed by the time of the 2022 College Football Playoff Championship game to be able to produce plays that won games. Since he first gained starting experience in the 2020 season, he has advanced significantly.
Stockton stated, “I think it’s kind of awesome to just sit back and look at Stetson and Carson throughout the process and just see how they treated it and acted through it.” Thus, it was interesting to observe their responses and management of the situation.
“You’re definitely in the spotlight just by being the Georgia quarterback and being in Athens,” Stockton said. It matters a lot how you handle yourself. I’m happy that I don’t have to be someone else but myself. I’m happy that way.
It is positive that Stockton has demonstrated himself to be one of the team’s leaders. Stockton exhibits a degree of maturity that is uncommon for a quarterback making his first start.
An excellent illustration of that is the way Stockton responded to criticism from TV commentator Paul Finebaum.
“You take offense to whatever fuels you, just like anybody else,” Stockton remarked. Doing the right thing for my teammates and attempting to keep them happy is what drives me.
For Stockton, being a good teammate is very important. The teammates’ admiration for the quarterback is evident. When Stockton replaced an injured Beck in last year’s SEC Championship game against Texas, the team’s enthusiasm changed, reflecting that.
How well Stockton performs this season will be determined in due time. He will have to contend with a challenging schedule that would test even the SEC’s top quarterback.
After SEC Media Days, however, Stockton is aware that he doesn’t have to be the league’s greatest quarterback to help Georgia reach its end-of-season goal of first place.
He needs to be the best version of himself and his teammates.
Stockton stated, “I just go to work every day, put our team in the best position we can be, and control what I control.”
