A few months ago, Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes was asked who he thought was the fastest player on the Bulldog football team.

He didn’t hesitate with his answer.

“Me,” Stokes said.

After him?

“I’d go with Mecole (Hardman), and Jayson (Stanley) third … No, I think me, Jayson, Mecole and DeAndre Baker,” Stokes said. “He can move.”

But four years ago, Stokes likely would have included Nick Chubb on his list.

It was May of 2013 in the Class 4A 100-meter finals, and Stokes – then a freshman at Eastside High – found himself in the lane adjacent to Chubb – the senior football commit to Georgia from Cedartown High.

What happened? Chubb beat Stokes, as they finished 5th and 6th respectively.

“We came out of the blocks and I was running right beside him,” Stokes said. “There were about 15-20 meters left, I was about pass him but he threw his left arm in my lane. He was about to elbow me. I was only 140 pounds my freshman year, and I knew if that elbow hit me, I was going to fall and be out of the race. So I slowed down and he beat me, and I took that little sixth place.”

Stokes said Chubb routinely teases him about the outcome.

“He always brings that up. Whenever he sees me, he says he is 1-0 against me and that he can still beat me in a race and everything," said Stokes, who would in later years add a state title in the 100 and 200 meters.

Despite his phenomenal speed, when Stokes arrived at Georgia years after the race with Chubb, he was asked to redshirt during his freshman season.

Stokes said he was initially surprised when coaches asked him to do so, but understood later.

“I can see why. It was just my second year playing corner and I’m going to a big school, and there’s a lot of things that I still need to know,” he said. “So, after I thought about that, I was totally fine with it. I could see how it would help me later on.”

He says the time paid off.

“Man, I can’t even tell you. Before, I was just relying on straight speed. But eventually, the coaches were able to help me with my press off the line,” Stokes said. “I’ve got to learn a lot with my eyes, so I’ve improved a lot since I got here.”

Will it be enough to get on the field in 2018?

There’s certainly opportunity with the graduation of Malkom Parrish, but he also knows there’s plenty of competition to see who gets on the field next fall alongside Baker, the lone returning starter.

“It’s hard to say because we’ve got a lot of good DBs and after that, we’ve got some who are coming,” Stokes said. “We’ll find out during the spring because we’ve got a lot fighting for the same position.”