ESPN named their most impactful 50 players in the College Football Playoff, and since the Georgia Bulldogs are the No. 3 team in the nation with a first-round bye in the CFP, they were expected to have a lot of players on the list. ESPN ended up including three Bulldogs: wide receiver Zachariah Branch, quarterback Gunner Stockton, and linebacker CJ Allen.
Branch comes in at No. 33 on the list. The USC transfer has been Georgia’s specialist on offense, garnering 744 yards and five touchdowns on an SEC-leading 73 receptions. He’s a screen threat who can hit a home-run on any play. He also holds punt returns and kick returns, so he had many ways he could hurt a defense. Branch wins with quickness and is expected to a be a top 2026 NFL draft pick.
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Stockton enters as the No. 24 player on the list. A year ago, he was ushered into the starting quarterback role after Carson Beck tore his UCL in the SEC championship. Since then, Stockton has transformed into a Heisman candidate and one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC. He totaled 2,691 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions with a 85.8 QBR, ranked sixth in the nation. He earned the seventh-most Heisman votes and has starting experience in the playoff, unlike every other quarterback in the field.
CJ Allen scares opponents the most out of any of Georgia’s players. He is the No. 8 player on the list. Allen is second in the SEC in tackles (85), along with 45 solo tackles, 3 1/2 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He was an On3 first-team All-American and made the All-SEC first team as well. He has the ability to change games, such as his forced goal-line fumble against the Auburn Tigers. Georgia was down 10-0 at that point in that game, and Allen’s fumble started a run where Georgia scored 20 unanswered points to win the game.
Georgia will need contributions from all three talented players in order to advance in the playoff. The Bulldogs’ playoff run will begin on Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. ET in the Sugar Bowl against the winner of the Ole Miss versus Tulane game.
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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Three Georgia Bulldogs on ESPN’s most impactful players list
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