How last year’s College Football Playoff gives Gunner Stockton a leg up this time around

ATHENS — What a difference a year makes for Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton.

This time last year, Stockton was fresh off leading Georgia to a come-from-behind win over the Texas Longhorns in the SEC championship game. He had come off the bench to relieve an injured Carson Beck. He was in the midst of preparing for his first career start, which would end up coming against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff.

Entering this year’s College Football Playoff, Stockton is the only quarterback in the 12-team field who has started a College Football Playoff game.

“I think it was huge for him,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of Stockton. “I think it was really huge for the game, you know, at Tennessee, the game at home. I mean, all the games he played this year, he created value through those experiences. Even the second half of the SEC Championship, man. I mean, he played against — number one, those were huge moments. Those were huge atmospheres."