The Georgia Bulldogs need their quarterback to take the next step this season much like one of the legends before him.
The Georgia Bulldogs are headed into the regular season here in just over a week and the question on everyone's mind is whether or not they can get back to true national title contention.
Despite winning SEC titles in each of the last two years, the Dawgs have also been eliminated in their first playoff games and ultimately fallen well short of the goal for the program. Last year, Gunner Stockton took over as the starting quarterback, and while there were of course moments of brilliance in the regular season, there is untapped potential as well.
Dawg Nation Daily made the comparison to Stetson Bennett's first and second full year starting, which while of course both ending with titles did look very different. In 2021, the Dawgs won with Bennett, but in 2022, they won because of him, and now it's time for Stockton to take the similar next step.
Stockton Needs Second-Year Rise Similar to Bennett for Georgia
"Gunner has to do a better job this year of not just being more consistent but being less reliant on the play of his teammates, he has to be a force multiplier in a sense and I think he can do that," the hosts said. "I think last year Georgia had planned to win with Gunner Stockton, this year they know because of limitations they may have around him offensively, they're gonna have to win because of him."
From 2021 to 2022, Bennett was unquestionably able to take a massive leap as a passer and as a leader. The first title, the Dawgs were able to ride the back of an elite defense who ultimately won them games, and while the defense was still strong in 2022, it was Bennett's playmaking that put them over the top.
Of course, Stockton will not have the benefit of having skill guys like Brock Bowers or even Ladd McConkey, but him taking a personal step as a player could unlock a lot of things for this offense which is trying to take things to the next level.
Stockton may be the most important singular player on this team in terms of how much his play will impact the legitimate chances for this team to win a title. If he can indeed make the kind of leap that Bennett did, the rest of the country should look out.
If he cannot though, there may be a ceiling to what Georgia is capable of in 2026.
