South Carolina’s 2022 class kicked off in a huge way with a pledge from one of the nation’s top quarterback prospects, Georgia’s Gunner Stockton.
The talented dual-threat passer is ranked by Rivals.com as the nation’s second-best quarterback prospect, checking in at number 28 nationally and right on the cusp of five-star status. If that ranking ends up holding until the end of the process, Stockton would represent the highest-ranked quarterback signing for South Carolina in the Rivals.com era.
Stockton put up eye-popping stats playing for Rabun County head coach Jaybo Shaw last season, completing 71 percent of his passes for over 3,400 yards and 43 touchdowns while also rushing for over 1,100 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground.
The two finalists here were South Carolina and Georgia, and there’s no denying this is another big head-to-head recruiting win over the Dawgs. It’s not as if Georgia was without some interesting connections here, as well. Stockton told Rivals.com’s Chad Simmons recently that he’s dreamed of playing the rivalry game against Florida in Jacksonville and winning it for his grandfather, who had a heart attack and passed away at a tailgate at the game early in Stockton’s life. Former Dawg Charlie Woerner attended Rabun County and knows Stockton well. Stockton also liked the staff at Georgia plus the tradition, and we all know from past experience that it can be plenty hard for in-state prospects to turn down the allure of the home state program.
Although Stockton recently publicly narrowed his list to two, South Carolina has quietly been sitting in a pretty favorable spot, and behind the scenes there had been a thought that he may be approaching an early decision. Stockton had always taken the mentality that he was not going to waste any program's time during the process, and was going to commit whenever he felt he was ready. Tonight, he was ready.
There were certainly some helpful connections for the Gamecocks in place, as well. We mentioned Jaybo Shaw, and he’s of course the brother of Connor Shaw, a Gamecock great who’s long been a role model for Stockton.
Mike Bobo was also a significant key here, as Bobo’s father, George, was the individual responsible for teaching Gunner how to throw a football at an early age. Stockton and Mike’s son, Drew (a 2022 Hammond OL who carries a Gamecock offer) are also friends.
Stockton has been on South Carolina’s campus numerous times for games, so he was familiar with things prior to Bobo’s arrival on staff. However, Bobo landing the offensive coordinator job in Columbia certainly put things over the top and immediately gave the Gamecocks a prime seat at the table for the prospect’s services.
Interestingly, Stockton said in a recent interview with Rivals.com that – despite his ties to the Shaw and Bobo families – that he was really drawn to Will Muschamp in watching the Gamecocks practice because of his energy and the way players respond to him. The idea of heading to South Carolina and being part of the first championship was appealing to Stockton.
As for his playing style, the parallels to Connor Shaw are pretty striking. He may not be as athletic as Connor – a former wide receiver – was during his playing days, but he’s more advanced at the same stage as a passer. Make no mistake, he can also make plays with his legs. Stockton also is made up of the right stuff mentally and loves football.
In summary, this is a significant pickup for the program and one that will capture the attention of other prospects on that side of the ball in the 2022 class.
The talented dual-threat passer is ranked by Rivals.com as the nation’s second-best quarterback prospect, checking in at number 28 nationally and right on the cusp of five-star status. If that ranking ends up holding until the end of the process, Stockton would represent the highest-ranked quarterback signing for South Carolina in the Rivals.com era.
Stockton put up eye-popping stats playing for Rabun County head coach Jaybo Shaw last season, completing 71 percent of his passes for over 3,400 yards and 43 touchdowns while also rushing for over 1,100 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground.
The two finalists here were South Carolina and Georgia, and there’s no denying this is another big head-to-head recruiting win over the Dawgs. It’s not as if Georgia was without some interesting connections here, as well. Stockton told Rivals.com’s Chad Simmons recently that he’s dreamed of playing the rivalry game against Florida in Jacksonville and winning it for his grandfather, who had a heart attack and passed away at a tailgate at the game early in Stockton’s life. Former Dawg Charlie Woerner attended Rabun County and knows Stockton well. Stockton also liked the staff at Georgia plus the tradition, and we all know from past experience that it can be plenty hard for in-state prospects to turn down the allure of the home state program.
Although Stockton recently publicly narrowed his list to two, South Carolina has quietly been sitting in a pretty favorable spot, and behind the scenes there had been a thought that he may be approaching an early decision. Stockton had always taken the mentality that he was not going to waste any program's time during the process, and was going to commit whenever he felt he was ready. Tonight, he was ready.
There were certainly some helpful connections for the Gamecocks in place, as well. We mentioned Jaybo Shaw, and he’s of course the brother of Connor Shaw, a Gamecock great who’s long been a role model for Stockton.
Mike Bobo was also a significant key here, as Bobo’s father, George, was the individual responsible for teaching Gunner how to throw a football at an early age. Stockton and Mike’s son, Drew (a 2022 Hammond OL who carries a Gamecock offer) are also friends.
Stockton has been on South Carolina’s campus numerous times for games, so he was familiar with things prior to Bobo’s arrival on staff. However, Bobo landing the offensive coordinator job in Columbia certainly put things over the top and immediately gave the Gamecocks a prime seat at the table for the prospect’s services.
Interestingly, Stockton said in a recent interview with Rivals.com that – despite his ties to the Shaw and Bobo families – that he was really drawn to Will Muschamp in watching the Gamecocks practice because of his energy and the way players respond to him. The idea of heading to South Carolina and being part of the first championship was appealing to Stockton.
As for his playing style, the parallels to Connor Shaw are pretty striking. He may not be as athletic as Connor – a former wide receiver – was during his playing days, but he’s more advanced at the same stage as a passer. Make no mistake, he can also make plays with his legs. Stockton also is made up of the right stuff mentally and loves football.
In summary, this is a significant pickup for the program and one that will capture the attention of other prospects on that side of the ball in the 2022 class.
