Stetson Bennett wrapped up his collegiate career on the highest of high notes.
After helping Georgia win its first national championship in over four decades in his first season as starting quarterback, Bennett took it to the next level in his swan song in Athens. The signal-caller was a Heisman Trophy finalist in his final year of college eligibility and the Bulldogs put together a perfect 2022 season that concluded with Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game win over TCU.
Kirby Smart now will be tasked with finding a new QB1 at Georgia. But before that process started, the Bulldogs head coach had to console his son, who was upset about Bennett leaving the university. And as Smart pointed out at SoFi Stadium, Bennett is exiting the college ranks a bit later than the typical player.
“I walked in (to my office) and my 10-year-old son, Andrew, is bawling,” Smart told reporters, per a clip shared by FOX. “And I was like oh no, somebody’s hurt his feelings, somebody’s thrown him down, somebody’s done something to him. I said, ‘Why are you crying? You’re gonna ruin my moment.’ He said, ‘Stetson’s leaving. Stetson’s gone.’ I said he’s 25 years old, he’s gotta go. He’s gotta leave.”
To put Bennett’s age into perspective, he’s older than five of the 14 starting QBs set to play in the 2022 NFL playoffs: Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts.
Bennett’s football career very might be over, as he’s not expected to be an NFL mainstay. But if Monday night was it for the Georgia native, what a way to go out.
