ATLANTA — Georgia’s quarterback, Stetson Bennett IV, is one of the most intriguing collegiate athletes in the country and the swath of reporters wanting to hear what he had to say during the 2022 SEC Media Days backs that up.
Bennett was accompanied by rising senior Nolan Smith and redshirt sophomore Sedrick van Pran on the podium at the College Football Hall of Fame located in the state’s capital last Wednesday.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound redshirt senior had a lot more members of the media interviewing him than his teammates, even though all three were starters on the 2022 National Championship team.
Many thought he would want to finish out his career in Athens as a national champion, but Bennett explained why he’s returning for his fifth season.
“You play the game to play the game, and you play the game to win and compete against the best players. I am able, secure enough and can look in the mirror,” Bennett said. “I wouldn’t have gotten drafted high last year. So, what was the guarantee that I was going to go start in the NFL last year? Probably really low. For this next year, probably pretty low.”
Bennett’s level-headed viewpoint on his future in the National Football League led to his decision to return to the Bulldogs.
On top of that, Bennett stressed that his love for the University of Georgia also swayed him to stay.
“I think it is the biggest honor in the world to be able to go out there with a G on the side of my helmet, my name on the badge, looking across at my brothers and knowing we are playing for the University of Georgia, the State of Georgia and for Bulldog fans throughout the country,” Bennett said. “So really, it wasn’t that tough of a decision. I love football. I love everything, most everything, about it and I love to compete.”
Over the course of last year’s national championship run, Bennett played in all 14 games and averaged almost 205 passing yards per game. He also threw for 29 total touchdowns and only had seven interceptions on the season.
In addition, Bennett averaged about 19 rushing yards per contest and added a rushing touchdown against Tennessee halfway through the season.
The Nahunta, (not Blackshear), native was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player in both the Capital One Orange Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines and the National Championship game against the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Even though he finished with the third-best QBR in the country last year – only behind Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud – some people still have doubts.
However, Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is not one of those individuals and explained why Bennett is their guy.
“Look, Stetson is one of the least-respected good players there is in this country,” Smart stated. “Guess what, we get to see it every day. The kid is a tremendous athlete. He’s got good arm strength. People keep doubting him, and that’s fine with me.”
With multiple highly-touted recruits waiting in the wings, Bennett focuses on being one of the team’s leaders and bringing enjoyment to practices every day.
To add some fun, Bennett described how players will sometimes call out others to race during conditioning, and how it benefits the team.
“It’s usually just fun and games, racing. I remember running against Travon [Walker] last year though. That was embarrassing to think of. To be my size, I think I’m pretty quick, running. Looking to my right and seeing 6-foot-6-inches, 270 pounds keeping up with me and I think, ‘Good Lord man, who are you?,’” Bennett reminisced. “There are a bunch of guys like that on the team, too. The sprints will make conditioning a little easier. We will point and be like ‘I got you right here, let’s race,’ just to make it a little more competitive and fun.”
Ultimately, “The Mailman” lets his play do the talking, and the results show.
According to the NCAA, Georgia heads into the season opener against Oregon ranked third in the nation.
With multiple weapons coming back on the offensive side, Bennett will look to lead the Bulldogs to another SEC Championship game and a potential College Football Playoff berth.