It ain’t always sweet tea and Saturdays in Athens. Sometimes, it’s real spicy under them hedges. One moment you’re dapping up your bro in the locker room; the next, you’re side-eyeing him in film sessions ’cause y’all gunning for the same throne. You feel that? That Georgia quarterback room heat? Yeah, it’s cooking. And while everybody was hollering about Carson Beck to Miami after fumbling the season, another storyline been brewing—one that just got a little louder. Ryan Puglisi reveals Mike Bobo‘s four simple yet powerful-word message going into the 2025 season.

Now, let’s not act like we didn’t see this plot twist coming. Carson Beck pulled a Houdini on NFL draft and dipped to South Beach, leaving Kirby Smart with a juicy quarterback duel. Enter Gunner Stockton—the fan favorite with some real game-day mileage—and Ryan Puglisi, the fresh arm from Massachusetts who’s been keeping receipts. Both want that QB1 spot like it’s the last Popeyes chicken sandwich on Earth. So, when Puglisi stepped up to the mic ahead of the G-Day spring game, he didn’t mince words, rather just laid it bare.

“I mean, it’s been great. I think that’s why you come to Georgia — just to compete and get better no matter what,” Puglisi said. “You hear the quote all the time, ‘iron sharpens iron,’ so however way I can make Gunner better and however way he can make me better… that’s why you come to Georgia.” Respect. But let’s not gloss over that side-eye level tension. Reporters weren’t playin’ softball. One asked him straight-up if the competition was even real, given Gunner’s edge in experience. Puglisi didn’t flinch. “You’re always going to compete. You’re competing with yourself every day… just trying to be better than you were yesterday,” he said. And then he dropped the bomb. The message from Mike Bobo? “Just get better every day.”

Simple. Direct. A little cold-blooded even. But that’s Georgia football in four words. You either level up, or you’re gettin’ left behind. And while Gunner’s got the in-game tape and some battle scars, don’t sleep on what Puglisi’s been cooking in spring. See, Stockton already got his SEC moment in the spotlight. Dude came in cold during the SEC Championship when Beck’s elbow said, ‘Sayonora’ And Gunner? Man, he kept it together. Twelve completions on sixteen passes. A pick, yeah—but he got the dub against Texas, 22-19. Then he started the Sugar Bowl and threw for 234 yards and a touchdown. Not bad for a guy who barely sniffed the field before that. He even completed over 70% of his passes all season. That ain’t rookie luck—that’s calm under fire.

Georgia Bulldogs to make SEC history and new QB competition tea

Here’s the real tea, though: Georgia’s gunning for some straight-up SEC history in 2025. They already got four straight title game appearances. Make it five, and they’ll tie the all-time record with the Florida Gators from the Steve Spurrier era. That’s big-dawg energy. And if they make it eight title game appearances in 10 years? Boom. That’s a new SEC record, period.

But all that hinges on one thing—who’s under center. Gunner’s got that edge on the resume, no doubt. But insiders are chirping new intel on Athens’ QB tea. Rusty Mansell from On3 said it loud, “Gunner Stockton is having a really good spring. We’ve reported on that a lot. Ryan Puglisi is also having a great spring. It sounds like the game is starting to slow down for him, and he’s earning the confidence of the coaching staff. Puglisi has starting to come on in his second spring at Georgia, especially in the past week or so.”

This QB battle ain’t just drama—it’s Georgia’s secret weapon. Iron sharpens iron, remember? Stockton brings poise and that clutch gene. Puglisi brings raw juice and that chip-on-shoulder swag. The Dawgs are stacked, but this duel could be what makes ‘em legendary. Whoever wins that job isn’t gonna be handed anything. And whoever loses? Better stay ready. Because in Athens, one snap and your whole life changes.

So yeah, Mike Bobo might’ve kept it short—“Just get better every day”—but don’t get it twisted. That message? It’s gospel in Athens right now. Because whether it’s Gunner or Puglisi under center, Georgia ain’t just playing for wins. They’re playing to make history.