Who is Georgia's quarterback against Notre Dame in the CFP? What you should know about Gunner Stockton

If Georgia football wins the College Football Playoff national championship, it won’t be because of Carson Beck.

Instead, it will be Gunner Stockton – and of course Kirby Smart.

Stockton, the Bulldogs’ redshirt sophomore backup quarterback, will make his first start in the CFP quarterfinals on Wednesday in New Orleans when No. 2 Georgia meets No. 7 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome.

Required reading:Georgia meets Notre Dame: College Football Playoff quarterfinal preview in the Sugar Bowl

The Tiger, Georgia native was Beck’s backup throughout the second half and most of overtime as Georgia won the SEC Conference championship before exiting himself after suffering a gruesome blow to his helmet at the end of a run .

“It’s different,” Stockton said Monday about having time in recent weeks to prepare as Georgia’s starting quarterback against Notre Dame. “Damn, I didn’t really have time to think about it at the SEC Championship. It was halftime. This is a little different. I’m happy that I can just prepare properly.”

Here’s what you need to know about Stockton ahead of Wednesday’s CFP quarterfinal game against Notre Dame and more:

Who is the quarterback of Georgia football against Notre Dame?

The Bulldogs’ backup quarterback Gunner Stockton will start Wednesday’s CFP quarterfinal against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.

“You know, he can run their offense,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said of Stockton on Dec. 23. “He does some things a little differently. He can extend plays with his legs. He’s a good athlete.”

Stockton led the Bulldogs to their first SEC championship win since 2022 against Texas on Dec. 7. On the first drive of the second half, Stockton led Georgia down the field for a touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 10-6 lead. He later led a field goal drive to give the Bulldogs a 13-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

“This boy is a winner. This boy is special. He’s a winner,” Smart said of Stockton postgame to ESPN’s Holly Rowe after Georgia’s SEC championship win.

Required reading:Georgia meets Notre Dame: College Football Playoff quarterfinal preview in the Sugar Bowl

During his Dec. 27 appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” former Alabama coach Nick Saban mentioned that he tried to recruit Stockton to the Crimson Tide out of high school. Saban also mentioned Stockton adding an additional runner on offense to his dual-threat capabilities.

“If you look at the second half of their game against Texas in the SEC Championship Game, they didn’t change anything. The first two plays the guy plays are passes,” Saban said.

“The only thing he gives them extra is that he’s a little better runner (than Beck). … They showed by the way they played (in the second half vs. Texas).”

Why is Georgia’s Gunner Stockton starting for Carson Beck?

Stockton will serve as Georgia’s starting quarterback against Notre Dame (and for the remainder of the season) as Beck undergoes season-ending elbow surgery on December 23.

Beck underwent surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), which he injured at the end of the first half of the Bulldogs’ SEC championship game win over Texas on December 7.

The 6-foot-4 quarterback’s injury occurred during a Hail Mary attempt near the 50-yard line in the curvy seconds of the first half when he was tackled to the ground by Texas’ Trey Moore for a sack . Beck returned in extra time to score the game-winning delivery to Trevor Etienne after Stockton was taken out following a blow to the head. He had an MRI on Dec. 8 before Georgia officially heard his name called during the CFP selection show.

Georgia said Beck is expected to make a full recovery and begin throwing in the spring of 2025, according to Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald.

Kirby Smart on Gunner Stockton

Smart spoke at length about his new starting quarterback during a Sugar Bowl event on Monday and also said what he thinks makes Stockton a good quarterback:

“I think the most important thing a quarterback has to have is the ability to make decisions. The most important thing is that he makes really good decisions. The second thing for a quarterback is accuracy, not necessarily armed talent, but accuracy. He has accuracy,” Smart said. “… Athletic ability and talent are probably third. He has those qualities.”

“All the intangibles in terms of toughness and character embody what he grew up with. His dad was a really good football player, played at Georgia Southern… All the players play harder for him. “Do you make the players around you better?” is what you want from a quarterback. I think that because of his personality, he increases the skills of everyone around him.

Gunner Stockton stats

In Georgia’s win in the SEC Championship Game, Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with two sacks and an interception. He also added eight carries for eight rushing yards to his stat line against the Longhorns.

Here’s a look at Stockton’s stats this season:

vs. Tennessee Tech: 10 of 12 (83.3%) passes for 90 yards
vs UMass: 3 of 4 (75%) passes for 45 yards
vs. Texas (SEC Championship): 12 of 16 (75%) passes for 71 yards with two sacks and one interception

Gunner Stockton 247 Rankings

Star rating: Four stars
National Rating: No. 124 overall
Position evaluation: Quarterback No. 7
Country rating: No. 12 player from the state of Georgia

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Who is Georgia’s quarterback against Notre Dame in the CFP? What you should know about Gunner Stockton

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