Kirby Smart Warned of Georgia Locker Room Meltdown as Major Ryan Puglisi Revelation Confirms Gunner Stockton Trouble
The calm before the storm in Athens may be over. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, long praised for his ability to maintain a tight, unified locker room, now finds himself at the epicenter of what insiders are calling the “Dawgs’ Disruption.” Whispers that began as offseason speculation have exploded into full-blown controversy, following a shocking revelation about freshman quarterback Ryan Puglisi and its implications for sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton’s role—and morale.
According to sources close to the program, Smart was privately warned earlier this spring about a “volatile imbalance” brewing in the quarterback room. While public statements from the coaching staff painted a picture of healthy competition between Brock Vandagriff (who has since transferred), Gunner Stockton, and incoming freshman phenom Ryan Puglisi, the internal reality was far grimmer.
The revelation that Puglisi has been taking an overwhelming majority of first-team reps in closed practices sent shockwaves through the locker room, particularly to Stockton’s camp. Recruited as the future of the program and once hailed as a hometown hero from Rabun County, Stockton has struggled to gain meaningful snaps despite his tenure. With Carson Beck returning for his final season, many assumed Stockton would be his clear successor. But that narrative, insiders say, is crumbling by the day.
Puglisi, a 6’3″ gunslinger from Massachusetts with a cannon arm and NFL poise, was never meant to threaten the upperclassmen this early. Yet his rapid development has reportedly blindsided not only Stockton but a faction of players who rallied around him. This faction—primarily upperclassmen who came in with or shortly after Stockton—now feel alienated, creating what one anonymous player described as “two teams in one locker room.”
“The writing’s on the wall,” said the source. “Stockton’s not the future anymore. And a lot of guys are not taking that well.”
Tensions boiled over during a recent team scrimmage when, according to two independent sources, an argument between members of the offensive unit turned physical. While the incident was downplayed by team officials as “competitive fire,” others believe it was a clear symptom of deeper locker room fractures. Smart, known for his iron grip and military-style discipline, is reportedly aware of the situation and “concerned but confident.”
But concern may not be enough. A locker room divided, especially over something as politically charged as the quarterback depth chart, is a dangerous cocktail for a team with national championship aspirations. While Puglisi’s rise is a boon for Georgia’s future, it may come at the cost of its present cohesion.
“This is what happens when you stockpile blue-chip QBs with no real plan for succession,” said a former SEC coach under the condition of anonymity. “Eventually, someone gets pushed out—and it’s never clean.”
Stockton’s family is said to be exploring transfer options, though nothing official has emerged. If he leaves, it would mark the second high-profile quarterback exodus in two years, following Vandagriff’s departure. Such instability at the most critical position could spell trouble for a program that once seemed invincible.
Smart now finds himself in a delicate balancing act—nurture Puglisi’s development while salvaging unity among his veterans. If mishandled, this could be Georgia’s downfall in what was supposed to be a return-to-glory season.
As one insider put it, “Kirby’s greatest challenge isn’t Nick Saban, Steve Sarkisian, or the playoff format. It’s his own locker room.”
