Georgia Bulldogs quickly realized what should be the last of their worries in 2026 after a dominant win over Tennessee State
The Georgia Bulldogs didn’t have many issues last year with quarterback Gunner Stockton, but he looked amazing against Tennessee State.
The Georgia Bulldogs made one thing clear on Saturday: quarterback Gunner Stockton is ready to take another massive step.
After elevating his game significantly from 2024 to 2025, Stockton put together a near-flawless performance against Tennessee State, and Georgia’s offense looks like it will only get better because of him. Stockton was in his bag from the jump, completing 15 of 16 passes for 202 yards and 3 touchdown passes in a dominant first game.
Stockton took what the defense gave him
Saturday’s competition was overmatched. Nobody is pretending otherwise. But what stood out about Stockton’s performance was how disciplined he was despite the talent gap. He didn’t force the issue. He didn’t try to make a bigger play than necessary because he knew he was facing an inferior defense. Instead, he took what Tennessee State gave him, and the result was a nearly perfect game.
Most importantly, Stockton didn’t get sacked. He didn’t even have to scramble. The offensive line held its own, and that allowed Stockton to do what he does best: survey the field, go through his progressions, and make the right decisions on time. That last part matters more than anything. Stockton can run.
He can improvise. Georgia fans have seen him scramble his way out of trouble plenty of times before, and it has worked out extremely well. But the Bulldogs didn’t need that from him on Saturday, and the fact that he recognized it and stayed patient in the pocket speaks volumes about his growth.
Stockton spread the ball around to perfection
Beyond the raw stat line, the way Stockton distributed the football told an even better story. Fifteen different players caught a pass from him. The most any single receiver hauled in was three catches, and only two players reached that number. Everybody else had one or two. That kind of distribution is exactly what you want to see from a quarterback playing behind a dominant offensive line against an outmatched opponent. He wasn’t locking onto one target. He read the field and delivered.
The run game looked great too, and a large reason for that was Stockton’s ability to sell the run with play action. His execution in the passing game opened up lanes on the ground, and the entire offense fed off that balance. When a quarterback can make the run game better with his presence in the passing game, you have something special.
Stockton could be one of the best quarterbacks in college football
This is something Georgia will see the rest of the season. Stockton took a massive leap from 2024 to 2025, and if Saturday was any indication, he may be even better in 2026. The Bulldogs will face far tougher defenses as the schedule ramps up, but the foundation Stockton showed in the opener should give Georgia fans plenty of confidence.
He’s making the right reads, he’s spreading the ball around, and he’s elevating the entire offense around him. Gunner Stockton could end up being one of the best quarterbacks in college football this year.
