South Carolina kicked off its 2022 recruiting class with a bang Thursday night when elite quarterback Gunner Stockton announced his promise to the Gamecocks.
The Tiger (Ga.) Rabun County four-star prospect is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 2 quarterback and No. 28 overall prospect in the 2022 class.
Stockton announced his promise on Twitter Thursday night, choosing South Carolina over fellow finalist Georgia.
Before naming Georgia and South Carolina as his top two, Stockton spent time talking to various schools, including North Carolina and Ohio State, among others, to let those coaches know he was cutting his list.
Stockton has several ties to the South Carolina program starting with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, who has served as his recruiter of record.
“At the age of six or seven, coach (George) Bobo (attacking coordinator Mike’s father) showed me how to throw a football,” Stockton told Rivals three weeks ago. “He then persuaded my father to make me a QB instead of an LB. Now that I’ve built a relationship with build Mike, I see the same qualities in him that I love about his father. He’s a family man who is competitive, faithful, and like Christ. You can not ask for more than that. “
Stockton’s head coach is also Jaybo Shaw, whose brother is a former South Carolina quarterback and current director of student-athlete development Connor Shaw.
“As for Connor, he was my role model from a young age, and he still is,” he said. “I hope and pray that I will grow up to be the man and father that he is. I saw him play from almost every high school and college. I dreamed of wearing 14 just like he and my father.”
But ultimately, and what South Carolina could have potentially put over the top was Stockton’s faith in head coach Will Muschamp.
“I believe championships can be won in South Carolina. The facilities are in place, the support is there, and it’s ready to take off. It’s well documented the relationship I have with the (Jaybo) Shaw and Bobo’s family, but when I went to practice in South Carolina, I found myself looking at Coach Muschamp more than anyone else. His energy was unreal, and you could see the players reacting to him. “He’s in his office and he was very easy to talk to. He believes in South Carolina and he wants to bring fans a championship. I loved everything about who and what he stands for.”
In his first two seasons, Stockton has already passed for well over 6,300 yards and 77 touchdowns.
Stockton is South Carolina’s first 2022 class commitment.
