BLITZ Football Player of the Year: Gunner Stockton

Posted on December 10, 2021 by blitzsportsga Leave a comment

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Everyone knew it was coming. Barring some crazy injury, a sharp downturn in play, or someone else locally putting up better numbers, the BLITZ Football Player of the Year award was destined to go to Gunner Stockton. He becomes the first-ever BLITZ athlete to 4-peat a Player of the Year award.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

4,134 pass yds (9th most in single-season), 55 TD (2nd)
956 rush yds, 15 TD
71% completion (236/331)
5,090 total yds, 70 total TD
151.9 QB Rating
13,652 career pass yds (2nd all-time), 177 TD (1st)
4,372 career rush yds, 77 TD (19th)
18,024 career total yds (1st), 254 TD (1st)
46-7 Career Record

These numbers don’t lie – a 55:1 TD-to-INT ratio is just ridiculous. His 4,134 passing yards is the 9th most in state history in a single season, and his 55 TD throws ranks second. Both of those marks led the entire state in 2021. This season, he led the Wildcats to an 8th consecutive region championship and 7th straight Quarterfinals run. The 5-star UGA commit broke Deshaun Watson’s state records for all-time total yards and TDs, and broke Trevor Lawrence’s all-time TD passes mark. He finished just 250ish behind Lawrence in all-time passing yards.

Stockton closes his prep career as a top-5 national QB statistically all-time. Read that sentence again. There won’t be another like him in Georgia to put up these kind of numbers. At least not anytime soon. The 4-time All-American, 4-time Region Player of the Year, 4-time All-State Player, and now 4-time BLITZ POY also was an AJC Super 11 this year and was recently named Gatorade Player of the Year.

VOTING RESULTS

Gunner Stockton – 80 pts (16 1st-place votes)
Jaden Gibson – 37.5 pts
Sammy Brown – 24.25 pts
Cam Lacy – 24.25 pts
Kyle Oakes – 16.75 pts
Darius Cannon – 7.5 pts
Cooper Scott – 5.75 pts

Voting included our 16-person panel made up of sports reporters, writers, video producers, former coaches, players, GHSA officials, and sports experts. The voting is Heisman-style, with the following points system:
1st place votes: 5 pts; 2nd: 3 pts; 3rd: 2 pts; 4th: 1 pts; 5th-6th: 0.5 pts

Stockton was the unanimous pick for Player of the Year, taking all 16 first-place votes. Wasn’t even close. His teammate Gibson was second, and 5-star recruit Sammy Brown third. 3-star recruits Lacy and Cannon are there too.