Paul Finebaum Admits He May Have Gone Too Far on Rising SEC Quarterback originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Paul Finebaum of ESPN has built his career on offering opinions, whether positive or negative, about teams, coaches and players. This offseason, he has been particularly critical of Gunner Stockton, the quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs.
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Stockton is anticipated to take over the starting position from Carson Beck, who held the role for the past two seasons. During his time as the starter, Beck recorded 7,426 yards, 52 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. After the 2024 season, he decided to transfer to the Miami Hurricanes.
On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” the SEC Network analyst admitted that he has been critical of the young signal-caller, but the success of his season will depend on the support around him.
Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) drops back to pass against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Caesars Superdome.Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
“I’ve been hard on Gunner Stockton,” Finebaum said. “Maybe that’s overdone. I think the success of Gunner Stockton will entirely depend on everything around him. Does he get protection? Does he have what Carson Beck didn’t have? Does he have receivers that can catch the ball?”
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Paul Finebaum Doesn’t Think Gunner Stockton Can Lead Georgia to a National Championship
Finebaum has been critical of Stockton this offseason, stating that he doubts Stockton can lead Georgia to a national championship.
“My answer is no,” Finebaum previously said. “I don’t have a lot of faith in Gunner Stockton. The better question is, do I have more faith in Gunner Stockton today than I did in Stetson Bennett four or five years ago? I probably do. So, it’s proven that Georgia, if it has an elite defense and enough complements on offense, can get there.”
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Stockton begins the 2025 season with limited playing experience, having participated in only five games last season. During those appearances, he threw for a total of 440 yards and one touchdown. Most of his contributions came in the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff loss, which occurred after Beck suffered a season-ending injury.
Gunner Stockton Showed Flashes Against Texas, Youth Against Notre Dame
Stockton played a crucial role in leading the Bulldogs to an overtime victory against the Texas Longhorns, securing the SEC title after stepping in for Beck, who was injured in the first half.
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Georgia secured a 22-19 victory, highlighted by Stockton’s 8-yard run on second-and-8 from the 12-yard line during overtime. On the following play, Trevor Etienne rushed for the game-winning touchdown from four yards out.
Georgia faced a tough playoff quarterfinal match against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, ultimately losing 23-10 after struggling offensively throughout the game. Stockton completed 20-of-32 passes for 234 yards and one touchdown. A critical moment came when he fumbled the ball with just 33 seconds remaining in the first half; he was sacked for a 12-yard loss, and Notre Dame recovered the fumble.
Paul Finebaum Believes Gunner Stockton Is ‘Middle-of-the-Pack’ in the SEC
Due to Stockton’s performance in those two games, Finebaum stated he is not convinced about the Bulldogs’ quarterback.
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“I don’t rank him really high,” Finebaum previously said. “I think he’s middle of the pack. Maybe middle to lower of the pack. He could go higher. That’s a cliche, but I’m telling you that anyway, and ultimately he has a lot to prove.”
Finebaum ultimately wants to see more from Stockton to assess whether Georgia can become an elite team in 2025 or if the Bulldogs are just a good team that cannot win a national championship.
Georgia will open the season against the Marshall Thundering Herd at 3:30 p.m. ET on August 30, giving him a chance to prove Finebaum wrong.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names SEC Powerhouse That He Isn’t Convinced Will Be ‘Great’
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
