Kirby Smart Fires Back at Steve Smith After Comments Made About Gunner Stockton

Head coach Kirby Smart fired back at Steve Smith after his comments on quarterback Gunner Stockton.

A hot topic in the Georgia space over the last few days is the comments former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith made about Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton and wide receiver Zachariah Branch.

Smith was doing a breakdown of Branch ahead of the NFL draft and went on to say that Georgia misused the very talented wide receiver. However, perhaps the strongest statement he made was about Stockton.

"I don't know the young man's name, and I don't want to. Because the way I watched him play quarterback- hell, I'm irritated just watching him. Goodness gracious," said Smith."The quarterback playing for the Georgia Bulldogs, awful. Dog doo-doo. As a wide receiver, I'm going on strike. I'm not working or running another route, until I get a better quarterback."

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was given the opportunity on 680 The Fan to respond to Smith's comments about his quarterback, and this is what Smart had to say.

Kirby Smart Responds to Steve Smith's Comments on Gunner Stockton

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart looks toward the field during the Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinals at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Do your homework," Smart said. "Do a little more homework. I think if you look at small sections of it, there are things he can do better. If you look at the total body of work, it's been really good. I think it's going to get better with experience."

In typical Coach Smart fashion, he also went on to mention that he does not care what outsiders think about his players or his program.

"I don't really know Steve Smith personally," Smart continued. "I've got nothing to respond to him. I don't really worry about what he says. I worry about about do we win football games and do we produce?"

Coach Smart also addded on that there is a whole lot more to Stockton's game than just throwing football, and Georgia fans quickly learned that about their quarterback last season.

"People look past a lot of things and they're going to judge Gunner off a throw or a play," Smart said. "Judge him by his toughness, his intangibles. The throws he does make."

Stockton helped lead the Bulldogs to an 11-1 record in the regular season, an SEC title for the second year in a row and a college football playoff appearance. Not too shabby for a first year starter, and he will be looking to add on to that next season in Athens.

Add us as a preferred source on Google