Kirby Smart refuses to name Georgia's starting quarterback

USA Today

a day ago

Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart does not sound like he'll be naming Georgia's starting quarterback ahead of the season opener. Smart was asked if he would name redshirt junior quarterback Gunner Stockton as Georgia's starter.
"Yes, so y'all can write about it (naming Stockton the starter)?" Smart said. "Nah."
Smart's decision to refrain from naming Stockton as the starter should not come as a surprise. Smart likes as much competition as possible to bring out the best in his players. He tries to keep his press conferences out of the spotlight most of the time and this was no exception.
Smart's decision to not name a starting quarterback differs from the approach several other college football coaches are using. Tennessee, Alabama, Notre Dame and Ohio State all recently named their respective starting quarterbacks.
Georgia does not appear to have too much to gain from not naming a starter. The Bulldogs open the season against the Marshall Thundering Herd and then play Austin Peay the following week. When Georgia plays Tennessee in Week 3, every coach in college football will already know Georgia's starting quarterback. Perhaps the additional competition could help Gunner Stockton continue to take his game to the next level, but we'll find out soon enough on Georgia's Aug. 30 season opener.
Kirby Smart explains what he expects out of Stockton
"Good decisions, good decisions," Smart said. "Make good decisions, continue to develop, understanding situational football.
"We've made football so complicated, some quarterbacks, I don't think they know the down and distance. I don't think they actually know, 'Do I have another down after this play, or is this my last chance to get the first down?'
"It's just little things. Being a quarterback, understanding the game, understanding what the defense is doing. He's grown so much in regards to that. ID (identification) in protections, ID in run game. Playing quarterback is like being a computer. It's got a million things going on at once, and he's gotten better and better at handling those things. That's what I want to see him do when he gets the opportunity."
College football quarterbacks have a lot put on their plate, but Gunner Stockton has been preparing to start for a long time. His preparation and experience are big reasons why he'll be Georgia's starting quarterback in Week 1 if Kirby Smart names him the starter or not.
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