NFL News: Bulldogs QB Stetson Bennett kicks off NFL journey at NFL Combine

NFL Combine: Georgia national championship QB Stetson Bennett at the podium

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett will participate in the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, on Saturday for drill work and on-field testing. Bennett spoke in the NFL Combine press conference Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Indiana Convention Center to share his perspective on what’s next for him in his football career.

Bennett was present in the conference alongside the projected NFL first-round quarterbacks — Alabama’s Bryce Young, Kentucky’s Will Levis, Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud — who gained more attention as potential future franchise quarterbacks.

Bennett is not expected to be among the top picks despite his achievements of winning back-to-back College Football Playoff national championships and defeating both Young and Stroud in the playoffs in the past two years. Instead, he is projected to be selected on Day 3 and may even go as a late-round pick or undrafted free agent.

However, Bennett’s head-to-head victories against other highly-touted quarterbacks make him a significant talking point at the NFL Combine and NFL Draft.

“I’ve got confidence in my abilities. There’s so much more to playing quarterback than people know. There’s different offenses, different checks, different motions. Whatever you’re asked to do that’s all you can do in the offense, right?”

Stetson Bennett, Georgia Bulldogs quarterback

On Thursday, Georgia began field drills with a solid performance from Nolan Smith on the field and a heartfelt message to uplift the program’s image.

NFL

2023-03-02 21:32

41.5″ vertical 😳 Nolan Smith got hops. @SmithNoland2 @GeorgiaFootball 📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork 📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/Qb8NqQ0mZN

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Now, the time has come for Bennett to show off his skills. During the conference, he expressed his readiness to face the challenges ahead with determination and focus.

Bennett’s record

Just over a year ago, Bennett earned the title of Offensive MVP when Georgia defeated Alabama by a score of 33-18 in the CFP Championship Game in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Bennett’s skills include executing designed quarterback runs and extending plays outside the pocket. Last season, he ran for 10 touchdowns and his ability to evade danger contributed to Georgia allowing just nine quarterback sacks. Bennett also set a Georgia single-season record by throwing for 4,127 yards and had 27 touchdown passes along with seven interceptions.

NFL Rookie Watch

2023-02-16 23:25

Stetson Bennett putting some serious ZIP on the ball 😳 The Georgia QB is back to preparing for the NFL Combine in Dallas, TX. Bennett is currently training with Landry Klann, who has trained the likes of Ben DiNucci and Cooper Rush. https://t.co/izU89AFECs

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Bennett was an exceptional college quarterback and will likely be remembered as one of the greatest Bulldogs ever. He had a remarkable record of 29-3 as a Georgia starter and was named MVP in the program’s most significant games — both national championship games and the Orange and Peach Bowl semifinals. Moreover, he was a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Despite being smaller than other top QB prospects, such as Levis and Richardson — who are 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-4, respectively, and weigh over 200 pounds — Bennett doesn’t see his size as a disadvantage.

He acknowledged that some teams might be concerned about his size since he stands at 5-foot-11 and weighs 190 pounds. However, he asserted that playing the position effectively requires more than just physical attributes.

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“You have your physical ability. (But), especially at the quarterback position, there’s the mental acuity and how you can handle certain situations,” Bennett said.

Bennett will turn 26 next fall after having six college seasons. He led the Bulldogs to a 65-7 victory over TCU on January 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with six touchdowns. He ended his college career as a two-time CFP Championship game MVP.