Former Georgia Bulldogs QB Stetson Bennett "Doesn't Fit the Prototype" of NFL QB
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ATHENS - Executive Director of the Reese's Senior Bowl Jim Nagy said last week that he had spoken with NFL franchises that told him former Georgia Bulldogs QB Stetson Bennett “doesn't fit the prototype”, but that he could be a 5th, 6th or 7th round pick in the NFL Draft later this spring.
“I think a lot of it is physical traits,” Nagy told ESPN’s Paul Fienbaum.” Stetson isn't a very big guy, and you see how picked apart Bryce Young has gotten already. Stetson is the same size (as Young) or smaller. He was a great college quarterback, and that doesn't always carry over (to the NFL).”
Bennett is the only quarterback in the last decade to lead his team as the starting quarterback in back-to-back national title runs. A slew of very good college quarterbacks, including notable ones like Tim Tebow and Johnny Manziel, have failed to have a meaningful impact at the next level.
“He can throw on the run, and he does have a pretty good arm. He is going to run in the 4.5s. There is a lot to like. He is super smart. The Georgia staff will tell you that,” Nagy added.
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UGA lists Bennett at 5-11, 190 pounds - one inch shorter and four pounds lighter than Alabama’s Bryce Young, who is considered one of the top draft prospects this cycle.
“I think it is down to the physical tools part. He doesn't fit the prototype. That doesn't mean he can't play,” Nagy said. “The odds were stacked against him playing in the SEC, and he proved those doubters wrong. Going into the season he was a priority free agent for teams. (By the end of the season) he was creeping into being draftable. It was mostly 6th and 7th (round) - more the 5th to 7th-round range.”
After a successful year at Jones College in Mississippi, he returned to the Bulldogs on a scholarship, but remained an afterthought on the depth chart in 2019. In 2020, he started five of 10 games and was a solid, though unspectacular performer. In 2021, Bennett rose to the occasion and led the Bulldogs to the CFP Championship – earning Offensive MVP honors at both the CFP Semifinal and the CFP Championship. However, the recently completed 2022 season was when Bennett silenced nearly all of the critics, turning in outstanding performances all season long before raising his game to another level in the postseason, leading the Dawgs to the SEC title and another CFP title.
In three postseason games this year (the SEC Championship, CFP Semifinal, and CFP Championship), Bennett completed 64-of-88 (72.8%) passes for 976 yards and 11 touchdowns while also running for three scores and only tallying one interception. For the full season, he was 310-of-454 (68.3%) for 4,127 yards and 27 touchdowns to go with a team-best 10 rushing TDs.
For his career, Bennett passed for 8,428 yards and 66 touchdowns, despite only starting for two full seasons. He ranks in the top five in Georgia history in pass completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, total offense, completion percentage, and average yards per play. Most impressively, he posted a 29-3 record as the Bulldog starting quarterback.
Bennett was arrested last Sunday on a public intoxication charge in Dallas.
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