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Athens Banner-Herald
Georgia football's Ryan Puglisi on transfer talk, Jared Curtis, his game
- Story byAthens Banner-Herald
- Georgia football's Ryan Puglisi on transfer talk, Jared Curtis, his game
NEW ORLEANS – The flip of five-star quarterback Jared Curtis from Georgia football to Vanderbilt took away a headliner from the Bulldogs' 2026 recruiting class and caused angst for some Bulldog fans.
It directly affected Georgia backup quarterback Ryan Puglisi, who could be in line to start in 2027 after what's expected to be Gunner Stockton's final college season in 2026.
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Stockton was a backup before being thrust into the starting role as a redshirt sophomore in the Sugar Bowl last season due to an injury to Carson Beck .
Puglisi said on Tuesday, Dec. 30, that he's willing to wait for his chance to be QB1, even if that doesn't come until 2027.
"I'm not transferring," the redshirt freshman told the Athens Banner-Herald at Sugar Bowl media day ahead of Thursday's game against Ole Miss.
Puglisi said those close to him — his high school coach, his parents — get feelers on if the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Paxton, Mass., native who was ranked the No. 10 quarterback in the 2024 class is ready to move.
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"They get it all the time," he said. "That's part of the game now. They're the same way. They love Georgia just like I do."
Puglisi completed 16 of 27 passes for 161 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions this season in seven games.
"Ryan's a self-motivated kid," offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. "He's got a natural competitive instinct, character about him. I think that's what drove him to come to Georgia to play at a place like Georgia. He didn't flinch in who we were recruiting at that time, who we were recruiting after him. He's never flinched. He wants to be here. He wants to develop in this system, and he has developed. He's got a ton of reps this year. …I'm really pleased of where he is as a football player and a possible leader in this program."
Puglisi won't be handed the job in 2027. He'll have to beat out others in the quarterback room, including possibly a transfer quarterback with more experience if Georgia finds one it wants to pursue.
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"There's always going to be people at Georgia that you're going to compete with," Puglisi said.
Nov 1, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) talks with quarterback Ryan Puglisi (12) before a college football game against the Florida Gators at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images
Curtis won't be one of them as the Nashville product is already with the Commodores' program.
"I mean he's a great kid, obviously I hosted him on multiple visits," Puglisi said. "You've got to just not focus on anything that's outside noise, just focus on yourself and focus on the people in the building, your teammates, your coaches and just getting better."
Puglisi feels like he's gotten "a lot better," in practice and he's prepared to keep working on his game and be ready if and when he's called.
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"I'm patient," he said. "Yeah, patient as you can be. I talk to Coach Bobo all the time. You've got to be patient without being patient. Patient in the sense of waiting for your time to start, but not patient in the sense going to work every day and getting better. Treating yourself every day as if you're the starter just preparing and being ready when your number is called."
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: What Georgia QB Ryan Puglisi said about a transfer, Jared Curtis flip
