When you see a 5-star quarterback committing to an SEC school you wouldn’t expect that school to be the University of South Carolina, but that’s just what happened on Thursday. Gunner Stockton, the No. 1 DT-QB in the Class of 2022, took to Twitter to announce his commitment to the Gamecocks.
Growing up in Tiger, Georgia, Gunner has always dreamed of playing for South Carolina, and has had a close bond with the university since he was little. Stockton’s family has been around offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s family since Gunner was just seven. They also know former South Carolina quarterback, Connor Shaw, and the rest of his family very well too. These relationships obviously played a big role in having the star quarterback commit to the school.
The 6’1, 200-pound quarterback has received offers from schools like Auburn, Ohio State, LSU and more but narrowed his list down to two on July 30th. The two schools fighting for his talents were Georgia, and of course South Carolina.
247Sports ranked Gunner Stockton as the No. 24 overall prospect in the Class of 2022, the No. 3 player in the state of Georgia and the No. 1 DT-QB in the entire nation. He is the highest rated quarterback to ever commit to South Carolina, and just jumped Stephon Gilmore as the 7th best recruit all time for the University.
South Carolina has been able to keep talent rotating through their quarterback room and currently have two ESPN 300 quarterbacks on the roster. Ryan Hilinski was the No. 2 PP-QB in the Class of 2019, and threw for 2,357 yards passing, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games for the Gamecocks last season. Luke Doty was the No. 4 DT-QB in the Class of 2020, and the No. 2 player in the state of South Carolina.