ATHENS — Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton doesn’t shy away from the Bulldogs potentially adding another quarterback through the transfer portal any more than he frets about more competition.

Stockton, a hard-nosed third-year quarterback who set Georgia high school records for total yards (18,024), passing touchdowns (177) and total touchdowns (254) at Rabun County, sounds on board with his head coach and whatever comes next.

“Coach Smart has always said he wants four quarterbacks — scholarship quarterbacks — on the roster, and I think that’s what it probably should be,” Stockton said at the Tuesday media availability at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall.

“And as a quarterback, why wouldn’t you want to come here? It should be a battle and competition.”

Georgia appeared set to add quarterback Jayden Maiava earlier in the offseason before the UNLV signal-caller flipped to USC.

Stockton didn’t bat an eye then, and he’s not wavering now with an important performance in the G-Day Game at 1 p.m. on Saturday fast approaching.

“I want to show everybody that I can play,” Stockton said of the Bulldogs’ annual spring scrimmage game at Sanford Stadium. “That’s what I tried to do in the Orange Bowl, and I thought I did — take this opportunity and just go play a game, that’s the way I look at it.”

Stockton came on in relief of starter Carson Beck and then-No. 2 Brock Vandagriff in the second half, completing 12 of 19 passes for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns with an interception and rushed 11 times for 74 yards.

Vandagriff, of course, transferred to Kentucky in December and is expected to be the Wildcats’ starting quarterback when Georgia travels to Lexington for a Sept. 14 showdown.

Stockton, meanwhile, continues to see more resistance from the Georgia defense in spring practices than the Seminoles offered in their 63-3 Orange Bowl loss.

Stockton admits he has had his ups and downs in spring drills like most every other player.

It started off really hot, I think it was the first padded practice, I didn’t throw an incompletion, so just going from there and trying to build,” Stockton said.

“I mean, everybody has their bad days, and I’ve had them, but just keep trying to build and finish it the right way.”

The G-Day Game certainly presents and opportunity for Stockton to gain momentum and position himself to be next man up behind starter Carson Beck.

Beck waited until his fourth year in the program to start, as Stockton noted the value if waiting to play for the Bulldogs rather than hop in the NCAA transfer portal.

RELATED: Why Gunner Stockton is a main attraction in the annual G-Day Game

“Carson is the perfect example; he’s shown resilience, and, heck, he’s waited his turn,” Stockton said.

“I mean, heck, at Georgia, you’re going to win, so that’s the biggest part (of staying),” Stockton said. “And, you can go to a lot of different places, but there’s a lot of things that Georgia has that they can’t offer, so that’s probably the biggest part.”

Stockton said winning will be the biggest part for him on Saturday, too.

“At the end of the day, I want my team to win no what side I’m on,” Stockton said. “Red or black, whatever I can attribute to that role of winning would probably make me happy.”