Who is Gunner Stockton? Get to know the Georgia QB making first start in CFP

Several months ago, if you'd imagined the Georgia Bulldogs' path to a third College Football Playoff national title in four years, that path would certainly have included quarterback Carson Beck playing a major role. Beck was coming off a sensational 2023 campaign, one that positioned him as not just a Heisman Trophy candidate but a potential first-round pick in the NFL Draft at the start of this season. But when the Dawgs take on seventh-seeded Notre Dame in a star-studded CFP quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl on Thursday afternoon, it won't be Beck deciding their fate — instead, it'll be a little-known redshirt sophomore by the name of Gunner Stockton.

Georgia and the nation were introduced to the Tiger, Georgia, native when he came on for an injured Beck in the second half of the SEC Championship Game against Texas. Now, though, he's set to make his first collegiate start, and he'll do it on one of the biggest stages in the sport. Here's everything you need to know about Stockton ahead of Thursday's game.

Who is Georgia's starting quarterback against Notre Dame?

Kirby Smart has already confirmed that Stockton will lead Georgia against the Irish on Thursday, and while he's not nearly as decorated or experienced as Beck, it's safe to say that his head coach has full confidence in his ability to get the job done.

Stockton got thrown straight into the fire in Atlanta last month, coming on to start the second half with his team trailing Texas 6-3. He engineered two scoring drives in regulation, then picked up a big first down with his legs in overtime before getting knocked out of the game on a brutal head-to-head collision. He's had plenty of time to recover, though, and should be 100 percent entering the quarterfinal against Notre Dame.

Why is Gunner Stockton starting for Georgia over Carson Beck?

Beck got hurt on the final play of the first half against Texas, when he took a hit while attempting to throw a Hail Mary near midfield. He was able to return in emergency duty when Stockton got hurt in overtime, handing the ball off to Trevor Etienne for the game-winning touchdown, but despite Smart's best efforts to keep his QB's status as vague as possible, it was clear that something wasn't right.

Sure enough, on Dec. 23, Beck underwent surgery to repair the UCL in his throwing elbow, ending his 2024 season. Beck is expected to make a full recovery and began throwing again in the spring, but the rest of Georgia's season now belongs to Stockton.

Gunner Stockton recruiting profile

While Stockton isn't Beck, he's no scrub in his own right. A consensus four-star recruit in the class of 2022, the 6-foot-1 QB was ranked 110th by the 247Sports composite, the No. 7 quarterback and No. 11 player in the state of Georgia. He initially committed to play for Will Muschamp at South Carolina, but when then-OC Mike Bobo left to take the job at Auburn, Stockton flipped to the home-state Dawgs. Of course, Bobo wound up back in Athens just a year later, reuniting him with one of his most sought-after recruits.

And as if all that SEC pedigree isn't enough, none other than Nick Saban was after Stockton in his final years at Alabama.

Gunner Stockton high school and college stats

Stockton was a four-year starter at Rabun County, racking up a total of 254 passing and rushing touchdowns over 53 games played. Stuck behind Stetson Bennett IV and then Beck at Georgia, he's played only sparingly at the collegiate level so far, competing 13 of 16 passes for 135 yards
in mop-up duty against FCS Tennessee Tech and UMass earlier this season. Thrown into the fire against Texas, he showed some signs of that inexperience, taking two sacks and throwing a costly interception late in the fourth quarter. But he also showed plenty of physical ability, going 12-for-16 for 71 yards while making multiple big plays with his legs.