Georgia starting quarterback Stetson Bennett IV will return to the Bulldogs for his final year of eligibility, the senior announced on Wednesday. Bennett posted a story to his Instagram account with a Georgia graphic that said “One More Year.”
Bennett led the Bulldogs to their first national championship since the 1980 season after throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns in the College Football Playoff National Championship against Alabama. A lifelong Georgia fan and former walk-on, Bennett threw for 2,862 yards and 29 touchdowns on 10.0 yards per attempt in 2021 after earning the starting job midway through the season.
The decision was made public shortly after Week 1 starter JT Daniels entered the transfer portal following a two-year stint with the program. Daniels, a former five-star recruit, transferred to UGA in 2020 after starting one season at USC. However, Daniels dealt with injuries throughout his career, opening the door for Bennett to win the starting job.
Bennett is able to return for a fifth year thanks to a blanket ruling by the NCAA granting every player a free season due to complications from the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what Bennett’s decision means for the Bulldogs in 2022.
Veteran leadership
Georgia loses some key production on both sides of the ball, but getting its starting quarterback back for another year brings some much-needed stability as the Bulldogs head into a transitional year. For all the talk of being a game-manager, Bennett had a tremendous regular season to set up UGA’s championship run.
Bennett completed more than 64% of his passes in 2021 and averaged 10.0 yards per pass attempt, which trailed only Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud among Power Five quarterbacks. Stroud had the benefit of…
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