Nick Saban delivers verdict on Georgia's backup QB Gunner Stockton after Carson Beck gets ruled out for the rest of the season

Nick Saban offered his view on Gunner Stockton on Friday ahead of the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. The quarterback came on for Georgia in place of injured Carson Beck in the SEC Championship Game and he is set to start in the Playoff.

Georgia is scheduled to take on Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. In what will be Stockton’s first start for the Bulldogs, Nick Saban explains what the quarterback offers the team, citing his performance against Texas.

“If you watch the second half of their game against Texas in the SEC Championship Game, they changed nothing,” Saban said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “The first two plays the guy’s in there are passes. The first one is incomplete, the second one a good throw and a completion.

“The one thing he gives them in addition is he is a little better runner. I can’t sit here and say he’s a better thrower, but they did not change their offensive strategy at all in the second half of the Texas game and they actually moved the ball better in the second half than they did in the first."

Stockton stepped in for the second half after Beck sustained an elbow injury to his throwing arm in the closing seconds of the first half. He completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards and one interception. On the ground, Stockton had eight carries for eight yards.

Nick Saban discloses his history with Gunner Stockton

Nick Saban is famed for his recruiting prowess during his time as a college football coach. His Alabama team led the recruitment rankings for many cycles during his tenure in Tuscaloosa.

Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday, Saban made it known that he tried to recruit Gunner Stockton from high school at Alabama. The coach had known the quarterback from a young age and really appreciated his talent in leading the offense.

“Gunner Stockton’s from Rabun County, which if you don’t know where that is, that’s up where they made ‘Deliverance,’ which is the old movie, which is where my lake house is,” Saban said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday.

“So I’ve known this kid since he was eight years old. I’ve watched him all through high school. We recruited him here. He probably always wanted to go to Georgia.”

Stockton obviously has a lot to prove against Notre Dame on New Year's Day. The Fighting Irish boasts one of the best defenses in college football, posing a challenge for the quarterback. With Nick Saban not expecting Georgia to change its offensive strategy, it's to be seen how they take on the game.