Stetson Bennett: Certified Bulldog

Every now and then, there comes a player that shakes the world of college football, whether it be their skill, talent, or accolades. Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart happened to find that guy in a JUCO quarterback by the name of Stetson Bennett. He assumed the role of JT Daniels’ backup at Georgia, but when his time came, he answered the call. Now, he’s sitting with two national titles under his belt and a Heisman-like season. With all of that being said, there’s one question left to answer: Is Stetson Bennett an all-time college great?

Stetson Bennett at Jones County Junior College.

Bennett originally tried to walk on at Georgia and would go on to be the scout team quarterback. In 2018, he went to Jones County Junior College in Mississippi to prove he could be a starting caliber player. He would go on to lead the school to a 10-2 record, leading him to get a scholarship to go back to Georgia in 2019. Even after getting a scholarship, he was buried on the depth chart and was just there for depth. Eventually, his time came in 2021, and he answered the call. In an early season game against UAB, Georgia’s starting quarterback JT Daniels went down with an injury, and Bennett stepped up when he was called on to lead the offense. Bennett would finish the game completing 10 out of 12 passes for 288 yards and 5 touchdowns while leading Georgia to a dominant 56-7 win over UAB. He took the job and ran with it as he led Georgia to 10 straight wins after and helped the school to earn a playoff spot. Bennett was in a prime spot to take down Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide powerhouse for the SEC title, but would ultimately lose 41-24, getting outperformed by eventual Heisman winning quarterback Bryce Young. The school was still able to secure the third seed in the playoffs and squared off against the defending champion Crimson Tide once again after steamrolling Michigan in a 34-11 fashion. Two games against the perennial kings of college football in three weeks, both with a title on the line. After previously losing the SEC title to them, how would Bennett and the Bulldogs respond? He was able to bounce back as he went 17 of 26 passing for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns as he exacted revenge in a 33-18 victory. And there it was, Bennett completed the career turnaround and won the Bulldogs their first title in 41 years, helping Kirby Smart beat his former teacher Nick Saban for the first time while taking down the Heisman winner and defending champs. With him becoming the most popular person across the country, would he ride off into the sunset?

Stetson Bennett hoisting the 2022 CFP National Championship trophy after beating Alabama 33-18.

The Bulldog phenom would return for his last year of eligibility at the shocking age of 25 as a sixth year senior. There was question on if Georgia would live up to the previous season with majority of their team going to the 2022 NFL draft. Bennett and the Bulldogs would go on to prove that they weren’t one year wonders with a tremendous 49-3 statement win against the Oregon Ducks to start the season. Georgia would start the season 8-0 and outscored their opponents 334-84. Even with the early success, the Tennessee Volunteers were the number one team in the nation, led by quarterback Hendon Hooker. The two teams faced off with the Volunteers coming off of an impressive victory against Alabama recently, with playoff implications on the line. Bennett would go on to show the nation who the real number one team was, as he went 17 of 25 for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown as Georgia took down Tennessee 27-13 and reclaimed the top spot in the nation. He would then lead the Bulldogs to win out the rest of the season and go undefeated and claimed the first seed in the college football playoffs.

Stetson Bennett (middle) holding up the SEC title trophy after beating LSU 50-30.

The next three games he would play in would determine how his legacy went and if Georgia could prove that they were still dominant. First stop: the SEC title game against the LSU Tigers. This would be one of Bennett’s most impressive games as he went 23 of 29 passing for 274 yards and 4 touchdowns as he helped the Bulldogs cruise past the Tigers in 50-30 fashion to capture what he couldn’t last year: the SEC title. The impressive and improved season had Bennett finish as a Heisman finalist before the playoffs. He would soon face his biggest threat as he squared off against the stout Ohio State Buckeyes and fellow Heisman finalist CJ Stroud in the Peach Bowl to start the playoffs. The Buckeyes had Georgia’s number in the first half as they picked off Bennett and took a 28-24 lead going into halftime. The Georgia quarterback was able to turn it around in the second half as he finished the game with 23 of 34 passing, 398 yards, and 3 touchdowns and even ran for another one. He came in and saved Georgia as they were down 41-35 late in the fourth quarter. Bennett was able to march the offense down field and threw a go ahead touchdown to Adonai Mitchell to win the game 42-41 on New Year’s. And just like that, Georgia punched their ticket to back to back college football championship appearances. They would go on to face the 13-1 TCU Horned Frogs, a team nobody expected to be here. With the Horned Frogs being the underdog, most of the nation cheered for them to complete the Cinderella story. Bennett and the Bulldogs weren’t having any of that going into the game. Bennett started the game with a 21 yard touchdown run on their first drive to put them up 7-0 early. After a Georgia field goal, TCU’s quarterback Maxx Duggan ran in a touchdown to make the game 10-7 Georgia. Just when the nation thought it would be a dog fight, Bennett hushed everyone and started going to work as he led Georgia to a shocking 38-7 halftime lead. His nickname is “The Mailman” and he showed everyone that he delivers on the biggest stage. The Mailman would finish the game with 72% completion, 304 yards, and 4 touchdowns while also rushing for 2 additional touchdowns to finish with 6 total touchdowns…in three quarters of football. With a 52-7 lead in the third quarter, coach Kirby Smart called for Bennett to be benched for the rest of the game, giving him the curtain call and standing ovation he rightfully earned from the Georgia fans as the team would go on to win 65-7. And just like that, Stetson Bennett goes out as a hero, winning back to back championships for the Georgia Bulldogs.

The Mailman has just become the most beloved man in Georgia and has an impressive resume for the ages. But how exactly does his accolades and career compare to some of the other all time college greats? Below is a list of his accomplishments and achievements at Georgia.

Stetson Bennett’s Career Achievements

Stetson Bennett kissing the 2023 CFP National Championship trophy after defeating TCU 65-7.

• 31-3 record as a starter (incl. playoffs)

• 2 national titles (4th QB to do so)

• 2 CFP National Championship MVPs (’22 & ’23, first to win back to back)

• 1 SEC title

• 1x Heisman finalist

• 1x All-SEC

• 4th QB to win back to back championships

• 1st QB to win back to back championships since AJ McCarron (’12, ’13)

• 4th in career passing yards at Georgia (8,428)

• 5th in career passing touchdowns at Georgia (66)

• 4th in career total yards at Georgia (8,958)

• 2nd in career total touchdowns at Georgia (80)

• 1st Georgia player to pass for 4,000 yards in a season (4,127/single season school record)

• 4th and 5th most passing touchdowns in a season at Georgia (27 & 29)

• 1st in total offensive yards in a season at Georgia (4,332)

• T-2nd for total touchdowns in a season at Georgia (37)

• T-1st for passing touchdowns in a game at Georgia (5)

• T-1st for touchdowns responsible for in national title game (6, also tied Georgia school record)

With a resume this impressive, it’s hard to say that Stetson Bennett was a product of his environment. Yes he had a great supporting cast, but he still had to come in and do his job, especially since he was originally the backup. When his time came to be the guy and leader on the offense, The Mailman delivered. Some might try to overlook what he did at Georgia for now, but in the long run, people will look back at his career and he will be in the conversation for the greatest college quarterback ever. After all, he at the very least earned a spot at the table with some of the other college football greats.