He came to Georgia fast but ‘raw.’ Now this cornerback could be a starter

There’s always a split second of fascination when a track athlete displays blazing speed and posts an unfathomable time.

Speed can amaze fans, spectators and even coaches too. For Eric Stokes, a former three-star prospect and a sophomore cornerback at Georgia, it was his ticket to playing at the SEC level.

Stokes received offers from a host of Power 5 programs — and it all started with the stopwatch.

“He was the run-it-again guy,” said Troy Hoff, Stokes’ former head coach at Eastside High School in Covington. “He would run a 4.3 and do it repetitively. He’d have a 4.33, then a 4.32.”

Stokes didn’t always play defensive back. In fact, he only took 10 snaps before moving to the position full-time as a senior. He spent three years as an offensive threat, but the potential seen at the Division I level was on defense.

When Georgia’s staff began its pursuit, the assumption was made that Stokes would be a “raw” prospect, but the Bulldogs took the gamble for one reason.

“He’s fast. Elite fast,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said while praising Stokes in a post-practice news conference.

Hoff recalled a number of moments when Stokes’ speed translated to the football field. He would close on passes that would have been completed if it were a match up with any other cornerback.

In the SEC though, there are many more intricacies to the position, and Stokes showed need for plenty of development as a freshman.

Stokes, to put it bluntly, was a project. His freshman season involved plenty of practice reps and no playing time, so the lanky cornerback knew a redshirt season was in the plans all along. He didn’t sulk in the fact that he wouldn’t contribute, but instead, prepared as if he would.

“He’s a great case of a kid who was raw … fast, but raw,” Smart said. “I thought, ‘Man, I don’t know if this kid’s ever going to be able to develop. He hasn’t played much corner, and it’s not natural for him.’”

With that, Hoff posed a question to Stokes: “You’ve got speed, how do you use it?”

Smart’s doubts didn’t last long after he saw Stokes work with defensive coordinator Mel Tucker in the meeting rooms. Stokes wouldn’t sit and give only half of his attention. Instead, he would take out his pen and take detailed notes.

Then, he would apply them to the practice field. As Georgia begins another season, Stokes’ leap has been drastic. Once not on the Bulldogs’ radar, he now is in contention for a starting role opposite senior Deandre Baker.

Stokes has received first-team reps in the scrimmage, and the former fringe prospect is vying for the spot among the formerly coveted recruits of Tyson Campbell and Mark Webb Jr.

“He has gotten a lot better,” Smart said. “Coach Tucker has done a hell of a job with him, and to his credit, he has carried over what he’s taught. Not all of our corners have done that. He’s a bright kid.”

Stokes has honed his craft and is ready to contribute. But once he steps onto the field, his best ability will be showcased once more.

“If you’re a faster player, you have more room for mistakes,” Smart said. “He’s an elastic player, too, who can bend and contort his body. He’s a great athlete who has had a good camp.”

This story was originally published August 23, 2018 at 11:28 AM.