"What if Gunner Stockton isn't that guy?" - Greg McElroy raises major question for Kirby Smart's Georgia post Carson Beck's exit

Football commentator Greg McElroy has raised doubts about Gunner Stockton, who will be leading the offense for Kirby Smart's Georgia next season. The quarterback will be the successor to Carson Beck, who transferred to Miami in the offseason.

Many have questioned whether Stockton will be able to fill the void left by Beck. On Friday, ESPN's Greg McElroy discussed the Bulldogs' 2025 season and Stockton leading the team's offense.

"What if (quarterback) Gunner Stockton isn't that guy?" McElroy asked on his 'McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning' show (via Athlon Sports). "What if they can't adequately replace some of the pieces that they lost on the offensive line? What if their defensive line isn't quite as good, and they continue to kind of struggle a little bit against some versions of the run game? That's a problem."

Beck reportedly earned $10 million in NIL money with his transfer to Miami in January. He committed to Georgia in 2020 and redshirted his freshman year. He also won two national championships with the team while serving as a backup.

Beck got the starting QB role for the Bulldogs in the 2023 season and held it for two seasons before transferring to Miami. He will replace former Hurricanes star Cam Ward, whom the Tennessee Titans took with the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL draft.

Georgia HC Kirby Smart responds to Paul Finebaum's criticism of Gunner Stockton

NCAA Football: Georgia Bulldogs QB Gunner Stockton - Source: Imagn

Last week, SEC analyst Paul Finebaum expressed skepticism about Georgia’s quarterback situation. He also recalled Gunner Stockton’s relatively underwhelming outing against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl as a concern heading into next season.

However, Georgia coach Kirby Smart defended Stockton while speaking to Finebaum, suggesting that his team is looking to challenge on all fronts next season.

“I’m excited. Gunner got the message, man,” Smart said (via MSN). “He got the message. You did your job.”

“I love question marks,” Smart added. “I love when you, when you have question marks, right? You provide a lot of motivation for us, boss. It’s why I keep coming back to your show because you give me great question marks.”

Stockton started in place of the injured Beck in the Sugar Bowl against the Fighting Irish in January. He completed 20 of 32 passes for 234 yards with one touchdown in Georgia's 23-10 loss.

It will be interesting to see how Stockton fares in his first season as a full starter for Georgia next season.