Georgia backup quarterback's decision is in regarding potential transfer
Third-string quarterback Stetson Bennett has decided to transfer from the Georgia football program.
Bennett, who walked on to Georgia last year, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an interview that he plans to attend a junior college so that he can earn playing time on the football field.
“The dream is to play,” Bennett told the AJC. “It was cool being at Georgia. I loved sharing those moments at Georgia last year but the dream is to play. It just wasn’t the same growing up a boy who wanted to play at Georgia if you are not out there. That’s the thing. It was cool. I would love to be the starting quarterback at the University of Georgia. But just being there and being on the team. That’s not good enough for me.”
Bennett, nicknamed "The Mailman," elected to walk on at Georgia instead of accept a scholarship at a smaller FBS or FCS institution. With Bennett playing behind quarterbacks Jake Fromm and Justin Fields, he decided it was best for him to move on to further his ability to play on the field.
Having success against the first-team defense as the scout-team quarterback last season helped give Bennett the confidence to move forward in his pursuit of playing time elsewhere.
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 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."
Former Georgia outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter, who was recently drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft, said Bennett was tough to handle at times in practice.
"He's a quick guy," Carter said. "He can outrun a lot of people. He's made Roquan (Smith) look silly, he's made me look silly. He's made a lot of people look silly. You just have to practice like we're playing the game, and Stetson does a good job at that."
This story was originally published May 26, 2018 at 7:38 PM with the headline "Georgia backup quarterback's decision is in regarding potential transfer."