NEW ORLEANS – Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser said the Fighting Irish would not underestimate Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton because of his inexperience ahead of Wednesday’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Stockton, a third-year student, had played sparingly for the No. 2 Bulldogs until he was forced into action after starter Carson Beck injured his throwing elbow on the final play of the first half of the SEC championship game on Dec. 7 .

Stockton brought the Bulldogs back in the second half with a 22-19 overtime win over Texas.

“He’s not a veteran, but at the same time he plays at Georgia,” Kiser said. “He’s their starting quarterback. He was a great recruit. I don’t think you can underestimate this guy at all.”

Stockton is expected to make his first career start against the No. 7 Fighting Irish at Caesars Superdome on New Year’s Day (8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+). Beck underwent elbow surgery on Dec. 23 and declared his intention to enter the NFL draft on Saturday.

Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said Beck should join the team in New Orleans this week.

Stockton met with the media for the first time at Sugar Bowl media day on Monday. He didn’t say much other than he was excited to finally get the chance to start at quarterback, even though the stage will be one of the biggest in the sport.

“It’s great,” Stockton said. “I mean, it’s a dream come true. I’m excited and looking forward to the opportunity. It’s a special opportunity and I’m enjoying it.”

Stockton has completed 25 of 32 passes for 206 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in four games this season. Most of his action came in the second half against the Longhorns, where he completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with one interception.

Struggling Irish defensive tackle Howard Cross III said Stockton’s lack of playing time this season has complicated their preparations.

“I mean, we only have a limited number of films,” Cross said. “It’s like having every piece of the puzzle except for one. We don’t really know if he’s a passing quarterback or a running quarterback. We know he’s good, but we don’t know what his tendencies are.”

Stockton was one of the most productive quarterbacks in Georgia high school history during his four years at Rabun County High School, amassing 13,652 passing yards with 177 touchdowns and 4,372 rushing yards with 77 scores. As a senior, he completed 71.3% of his attempts for 4,134 yards with 55 touchdowns and one interception.

Stockton spent the last three seasons at Georgia behind starter Stetson Bennett, who led the Bulldogs to consecutive national championships in 2021 and 2022, and the last two seasons behind Beck.

Smart said he has confidence in Stockton’s performance because of his decision-making ability, accuracy and athleticism as a dual-threat quarterback.

“He grew up playing football,” Smart said. “He’s a coach’s son. All players play harder for him. The thing you want from a quarterback is to make the players around you better. I think he increases the skill level of everyone around him because of who he is. That’s it.” My reason for believing he’s a good quarterback.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said his team used the 86 games Stockton was on the field this season to develop a defensive game plan. He doesn’t expect the Bulldogs to change their identity or game plan because Stockton is in the middle.

“I don’t think they’re going to completely change their offense based on who plays quarterback,” Freeman said. “He does a lot of things well that Carson Beck did well. He can throw. Carson Beck is more athletic than I thought until I started watching the movie.”

“I don’t expect it to be that much different, but it’s also a game of adjustments. We need to be able to see what they’re trying to do and their plan of attack versus our defense.”

Kiser expects Georgia will rely on its running game and experienced offensive line to take the pressure off Stockton, but he won’t underestimate the quarterback either.

“You know, Georgia is Georgia,” Kiser said. “They’re not going to change their offense because of one player. They’ll add different things, the reading series, maybe a few more QB draws. He is a bit more dynamic as an athlete. We just have to be ready for it,” and understand that there are more wrinkles than you might see in any other Georgia game.