Georgia backup quarterback is contemplating transfer: 'We hope to keep him here'
Georgia third-string quarterback Stetson Bennett is still deciding whether to transfer or not from the football program.
Bennett spent his first year at Georgia as the third-string quarterback. He walked on to Georgia after passing on a few smaller-school options during his recruitment.
“He’s looking at some different options,” head coach Kirby Smart said Monday. “Stetson has done a tremendous job for us. We’re really excited what he has done for us. We’re exhausting every option to try to keep Stetson with us. We think he’s a very talented young man. I’ve spoke on behalf of that multiple times. We hope we keep him here. He has not made that decision yet.”
Smart said it is a “possibility” that Bennett could earn a scholarship if he stays with the program.
Bennett was considered a two-star recruit in the 247Sports.com composite rankings out of high school, but mostly due to his stature. At 6-foot and 171 pounds, Bennett’s size was the primary reason why major college programs didn’t look at him as a quarterback.
Bennett held football offers from Georgia Southern, Middle Tennessee State, Mercer and Columbia.
Despite being passed over by the bigger schools, Bennett caught the eye of the Georgia coaching staff early last preseason. Due to his arm strength and agility, Bennett was Georgia’s scout-team quarterback in most games, and did a great job at giving the first-team a look at the upcoming defense.
During the postseason, Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker was complimentary of Bennett’s ability to challenge his unit on a daily basis.
"Stetson Bennett is a beast, man," Tucker said. "Stetson Bennett puts a lot of pressure on our defense because he is extremely quick, he's fast and he can throw. He can throw in the pocket and he can throw on the run, and he's very, very competitive."
If Bennett decides to leave Georgia, the Bulldogs will have two quarterbacks it feels comfortable with in game situations with Jake Fromm and Justin Fields.
From a depth perspective, and with what Smart has seen in practice, he is hoping to keep Bennett on the roster.
“We need to keep Stetson there and help us,” Smart said. “We don’t really have many other guys to be honest. We have two young quarterbacks who will be walk-ons, who we think are good players. But we’ve invested a lot in Stetson with the development he took this spring, and with what he did in bowl practices. I’m excited to see what he can do. We’re encouraging him to stay so he gets that opportunity.
“I certainly respect what he has done this far for the University of Georgia and he’s a really good student as well. We’re selling him on the University of Georgia education.”
This story was originally published May 21, 2018 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Georgia backup quarterback is contemplating transfer: 'We hope to keep him here'."