Georgia QB Gunner Stockton finishes among top-10 Heisman Trophy finalists
Just ahead of the Heisman Trophy ceremony on Saturday, the Top 10 finalists were revealed Thursday night on ESPN. Georgia starting quarterback Gunner Stockton was among them, finishing at No. 7 on the list.
He is only behind Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. The Georgia quarterback is the second-highest vote finalist behind Pavia, but ahead of Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. Georgia Tech’s Haynes King was the only other quarterback to finish inside the top-10.
The Tiger, Ga., native becomes Georgia’s highest finisher in the Heisman vote since Stetson Bennett. The two-time national championship quarterback finished fourth in the voting for college football’s most prestigious individual award in 2022. This is the 18th time a Georgia player has finished inside the top-10.
Bulldogs’ Top-10 Finishers in Heisman Vote
- 1941 – Frank Sinkwich, 4th
- 1941 – Frank Sinkwich, winner
- 1946 – Charley Trippi, 2nd
- 1966 – George Patton, 10th
- 1976 – Ray Goff, 7th
- 1980 – Herschel Walker, 3rd
- 1981 – Herschel Walker, 2nd
- 1982 – Herschel Walker, winner
- 1983 – Terry Hoage, 5th
- 1992 – Garrison Hearst, 3rd
- 1993 – Eric Zeier, 10th
- 1994 – Eric Zeier, 7th
- 1998 – Champ Bailey, 7th
- 2012 – Jarvis Jones, 10th
- 2017 – Roquan Smith, 10th
- 2021 – Jordan Davis, 9th
- 2022 – Stetson Bennett, 4th
From Question Mark to Finalist
In his first season as the starter between the hedges, Stockton led the Bulldogs to an 11-1 regular season, which was capped off with a second-straight SEC Championship.
After entering the year as a potential question mark, it didn’t take long before Stockton proved his worth under center. His first career road start provided arguably his biggest highlight as he led Georgia’s fourth-quarter comeback at Tennessee, which included his game-tying fourth-down touchdown pass to London Humphreys.
That play served only as a highlight of Stockton’s abilities. He would go on to play well down the stretch for the Bulldogs in ranked wins over Ole Miss and Texas. While Georgia fell in their first clash against Alabama, it wasn’t without a strong effort from its starting quarterback in the fourth quarter.
Stockton finished the regular season with 2,691 yards passing with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. Meanwhile, he rushed for another 442 yards and eight scores.
The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner will be announced during the Heisman Trophy Ceremony that will air Saturday (Dec. 13) at 7 p.m. ET on ABC. Georgia begins preparations for its College Football Playoff quarterfinal game versus the winner of the Ole Miss-Tulane first round game.