Who is Gunner Stockton? Georgia backup QB comes in for Carson Beck

Update: Gunner Stockton rallied the Georgia Bulldogs to a 22-19 overtime victory against Texas. Kirby Smart said the Bulldogs believed in Stockton. ‘He’s a winner.’

Georgia football received quite the spark to open the second half of Saturday’s SEC championship game, as the Bulldogs looked to fight back from a 6-3 halftime deficit.

And it came from its backup quarterback.

Bulldogs backup quarterback Gunner Stockton started the second half of Saturday’s game against No. 2 Texas at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for injured starting quarterback Carson Beck.

Beck sustained an injury to his hand in the final play of the first half when he took a hit from Longhorns defensive edge Trey Moore. Here’s what you need to know about Stockton as he looks to lead Georgia to its first SEC championship title since 2022:

Who is Gunner Stockton?

Stockton is a redshirt sophomore backup quarterback on Georgia.

Stockton led the Bulldogs down the field for an opening touchdown to begin the second half. He later led a field goal drive to give Georgia a 13-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Gunner Stockton stats

The 6-foot-1 quarterback out of Tiger, Georgia, appeared in four games last season for the Bulldogs as a backup, completing 12 of 19 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his touchdowns last season came in the second half of the Bulldogs’ Orange Bowl win vs. Florida State, a 4-yard pass to Lawson Luckie and a 14-yard pass to Anthony Evans III.

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

vs. Tennessee Tech: 10 of 12 (83.3%) passing for 90 yards
vs. UMass: 3 of 4 (75%) passing for 45 yards

Gunner Stockton 247 rating

Star rating: Four stars
National rating: No. 124 overall
Positional rating: No 7 quarterback
State rating: No. 12 player from state of Georgia

He committed to the Bulldogs on Jan. 28, 2021, over the likes of Alabama, Appalachian State, Arkansas, Auburn and Florida, among others.