The Back Story

Stetson Bennett walked on as a quarterback for Georgia in 2017. He was the behind the scenes man that season, doing all of the work but getting none of the credit. 

He was in charge of the scout team offense that mirrored Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma for the Rose Bowl and Jalen Hurts and Alabama for the 2018 National Championship.

Although the common fan and the media were not focused on Bennett, his teammates noticed his talent and contribution. 

“Stetson has always been special,” said Bennett’s scout teammate Isaiah Wilson. “He will throw, run. He can do it all really.”

His fellow athletes’ praises were not enough for him. He wanted to play real college football-in a stadium, in front of thousands and thousands of fans. 

Bennett recognized that with Jake Fromm in front of him as the starting quarterback for the next four years he wasn’t going to get that chance at the University of Georgia. So, he transferred ending up at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi. 

He realized what he had given up almost immediately. The facilities were nowhere close to the quality he was used to, the playbook was smaller, practice was shorter and that food at Jones just couldn’t compete with Georgia. 

But there, he was the man.

Bennett “ran the team” and got as much on-field experience as a player can in one season. He led the Bobcats to a 10-2 record while passing for 1,840 yards and 16 touchdowns in the 2018 season. 

After that single season, he decided he would give it another shot on a Division I team. He never would have guess that his former family wanted him back.

On the first morning of this season’s early signing period he woke up to missed calls from head coach Kirby Smart and newly named offensive coordinator James Coley.

He weighed his options and talked the decision over with those close to him but he was coming home to Athens and the team and the Georgia fan base greeted the news with open arms. 

Getting in the Game

Saturday at G-Day, Bennett got the chance to show dawg nation how badly he wants a spot on the Sanford Stadium field. 

He played for both teams, the Red and the Black, and 210 out of the 489 game passing yards were his. That included a 43-yard touchdown pass to Jerimiah Holloman for the Red team. 

His competition for the backup spot is early enrollee D’Wan Mathis who proved Saturday if nothing else that he can roll with the punches. 

He showed his youth taking five sacks for a 31-yard loss. He also showed off his flexibility with a trick play in the third quarter.

Matt Landers got possession of the ball in the backfield where he hit Mathis with a 39-yard pass for a touchdown. 

Jake Fromm even mentioned that he was jealous that the new guy got the cool play. 

Although Mathis got to flex some admirable skills, Bennett was the standout QB. He played the longest. He threw for the most yards. He completed the highest percentage of passes. He came in comfortable and coachable and it showed during the rainy game. 

“Coming out here, I’ve got some little jitters,” Bennett said expressing his excitement after the game.  “But, I just have to know my assignment each play over and over and over so that when I do get out there, then I feel comfortable doing it.”