Is Stetson Bennett the GOAT of Georgia Quarterbacks?
Stetson Bennett etched his name into not only Georgia football history, but college football history on Monday night. Ending a team's 41-year national title drought is definitely something to be commemorated for, but where does Stetson Bennett rank in the pantheon of Georgia quarterbacks?
For starters, not only did he manage to win Georgia a natty, but he helped the Bulldogs get over the Bama hurdle as well, something no Georgia quarterback or player has been able to do since 2007. Along with that, Bennett also became the only Georgia quarterback to ever throw for a touchdown in a national title win.
Granted the last Georgia quarterback to win a national title was Buck Belue who had Herschel Walker as a teammate, one of the greatest college football players of all time, so passing wasn't exactly needed of Belue. Still, being the only one to throw for a touchdown on the biggest stage in the sport is definitely worth something.
To answer this question of who ranks at the top of the pedestal for Georgia QBs, the question of "how do you measure greatness?" must first be answered.
For some, it might be on account of production. How many yards did they throw for, how many touchdowns, did they win games, etc. If that's the case then the answer is probably going to be a guy like Aaron Murray who broke multiple SEC and school passing records during his time in Athens.
Others might say it's about efficiency and winning football games. If that's the case then David Greene is probably the answer considering he's the program's winningest quarterback to ever play.
Some might consider "the greatest of all time" to be a metric of sheer talent, which one would have a hard time arguing for anyone other than Matthew Stafford in that circumstance.
Edit by @dawghousecentral on InstaGram
Then there are those who measure greatness by the legacy a player left behind, and that is where Stetson Bennett comes into play. Having the story of being a walk-on, leaving and coming back, being told by his own staff that there was not a realistic shot at him getting any playing time, winning the job not just once but twice, and then capping it off with a national title.
That is the greatest legacy of all time.
The argument could also be made that Bennett not only has the legacy but the production and efficiency to go along with it. This season, Bennett recorded the highest QBR of any Georgia quarterback, currently has a record of 14-3 as the starter, and after just two seasons he ranks 8th in passing yards and 6th in touchdowns amongst all Georgia quarterbacks.
All in all, to answer the question of where Stetson ranks in the pantheon of Georgia quarterbacks it all boils down to how greatness is measured. While Bennett may not hold all of the records or have the most flashy career stat line he does have one thing that a lot of the others don't. A national championship. Bennett may not be the most popular choice in this discussion but the argument is definitely there and because of what he accomplished during the 2021 season, his name will remain in that discussion until the end of time.
You Might Also Like:
- Scouting Notebook: What We Learned About UGAs Future at All-American Bowl
- Georgia Offense Key to Success is Spreading The Wealth
- Todd Hartley Recognized as Tight End Coach of the Year
Join the community
Follow Brooks Austin on Twitter: @BrooksAustinSI
Subscribe to our YouTube Page HERE
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @BulldogsSI.
