Gunner Stockton’s limited experience and low profile in comparison to some of his peers has excluded him from many of the top quarterback lists we see this time of year. I don’t see this as unfair.
It’s reasonable to wonder how Stockton will perform. Yet it’s also reasonable to think he might be set up for more success than some realize.
Stockton’s first big game will be a tough environment at Tennessee in September. But given the turmoil the Vols have faced this offseason, couldn’t Stockton easily be the best quarterback in that game?
Two weeks later, UGA hosts Alabama. If the knock on Stockton is inexperience, won’t the same thing be true of whomever Alabama trots out?
In other words, Stockton might not have to wait long to prove his critics wrong.
For the rest of the news, check out our coverage below.
Trivia time
What two Georgia high schools did Kirby Smart’s father, Sonny, coach at?
Happy guessing! Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.
Zureikat is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and will be a long way from home when he gets to Georgia.
But the Bulldogs went all the way to the Keystone State to land the No. 1 ranked kicking prospect in the country according to Kohl’s Kicking.
Zureikat had offers from Penn State and Boston College.
Woodring has been one of the best kickers in the country since he arrived on campus. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors last year as a placekicker and First Team honors as a kickoff specialist.
Woodring is draft-eligible after this season, so that could be something to consider. Of course, Brett Thorson was draft-eligible when Georgia brought in Drew Miller in the 2024 recruiting class. That addition paid off when Miller had to step in for an injured Thorson in the College Football Playoff.
For more on Georgia’s newest commitment — the third of the week — check out DawgNation’s Jeff Sentell story on Zureikat.
Georgia gets its chance with the No. 1 player in the state
Georgia has landed three commitments in the past week. If it is to keep that hot streak rolling, it will need to impress this weekend’s set of visitors.
Atkinson is no stranger to Georgia, as the Grayson High School standout has been to Georgia many times at this point.
Atkinson has taken official visits to Clemson and Oregon already, while keeping his options open for what comes after the Georgia visit this weekend.
Georgia has missed out on a few key 5-star targets this cycle in offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell and tight end Mark Bowman. Those misses make the battle for the No. 1 player in the state of Georgia all the more important. Atkinson is also the No. 1 linebacker in the country as well.
No program has done a better job of developing linebackers than Georgia, which will make the Bulldogs very tough to beat in this race. So long as Glenn Schumann is in Athens, Georgia should have a very real chance to land Atkinson.
The 5-star linebacker is not the only big-time visitor in Athens this weekend, as 4-star running back Derrek Cooper and 4-star offensive lineman Malakai Lee will also be in town.
This may well be Georgia’s most star-studded recruiting weekend of the cycle. If Georgia can land Atkinson, Cooper and Lee, the Bulldogs could very well end up with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country once again.
How Georgia football game times impact the schedule outlook
We now know a game time for nine of Georgia’s games following ESPN’s announcement earlier this week. The game against Auburn doesn’t have a formal game time, but we know it will start between 6 and 8 p.m. ET.
The Alabama game being given a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff excited plenty of Georgia fans.
Georgia gets Kentucky at home the week after it hosts Alabama. If there were ever a spot for a letdown, regardless of what happens against Alabama, it would be against the Wildcats.
They went just 3-9 and lost a lot of talent off last year’s team. It would not be a surprise if this were a sleepy Georgia crowd.
Georgia’s next noon game comes Nov. 8 when it visits Mississippi State in Starkville. This game will start at 11 a.m. local time.
Like Kentucky, Mississippi State was one of the worst teams in the SEC last season. The Bulldogs were the only team that did not win a conference game.
This game comes sandwiched between a rivalry contest against Florida and a massive home contest vs. Texas. It has all the makings of a trap game for Georgia, even if Mississippi State isn’t good enough to trip up a team as talented as Georgia.
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Photo of the Day
Five-star linebacker target Tyler Atkinson (left) poses with Georgia LBs coach and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann during an in-home visit on Jan. 29 in Loganville.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Quote of the Day
Kirby Smart on his father passing away …
“Yeah, it was one of the toughest times of my life. And if it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get through it. But I know how he would have handled it, and I know how he would have wanted things handled. And our family, my mom, my brother and sister, all did the things that he wanted done, and he kind of went the way he wanted to go, and peacefully. And we miss him. We miss him often. My mom misses him, but he did a lot for a lot of families. He was a great high school coach in the state. He was a great high school coach in the state of Alabama. But I am who I am because of him, and I miss him often, but I’m also proud of the legacy he left.”
Ellis Robinson enters pivotal second season at Georgia
The former is now at Texas A&M while the latter is back at Georgia. Daylen Everette returns as well, meaning Robinson doesn’t have a clear path to playing time.
Robinson was the No. 1 ranked defensive recruit in his class. That type of recruiting ranking attracts a lot of questions and expectations.
He is far from the only 5-star player from Georgia’s 2024 class pushing to get on the field. Justin Williams was the No. 1 ranked linebacker in the cycle and he could be the No. 4 inside linebacker for Georgia this fall.
As Georgia’s wide receivers will tell you, Robinson may be Georgia’s best pure cover corner on the team. But there is more to playing cornerback than just being sticky in coverage.
If Robinson could improve in those areas, Georgia could have one of the best secondaries in the country. And that could make a massive difference for a young Georgia football team.
For more on Robinson, check out Connor Riley’s article below.
