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Kirby Smart Highlights the Differences he Sees in Stetson Bennett this Year

Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart talks about the differences he sees in Stetson Bennett's game heading into the 2022 college football season at SEC media day.

Any time head coach Kirby Smart has a microphone in front of his face, you can bet your bottom dollar that a question or comment about quarterback Stetson Bennett is going to be made, and rightfully so. One of the more unique stories in college football and one that includes a former walk-on being chosen as the team's starter in the middle of the season and wounds up leading his team to a national championship. 

Now heading into the 2022 season, there have been questions about what will be different about Stetson's play and what will be different this year compared to last year for the Bulldog's starting quarterback. Needless to say, head coach Kirby Smart had a lot to say about the differences he sees in Bennett compared to previous years. 

"I think now he has a little more, what's the right word, support, because he is the guy. You know, it's hard for players around you to have conviction, you're the guy if you're not the starter. And he wasn't the starter at this time last year, at this time two years ago. He started intermittently throughout two years ago and then once he won the job, I think he's created a little bit of momentum with our players, our skilled players, because there's not a doubt there, you know, they understand he knows the system, he can get them the ball, he can throw the ball vertically down the field, he can throw deep comebacks, he can scramble around and make a play with his feet. And I think they value that, that's given him a little more credibility, which credibility to me is earned. Right. He earned that by the way he played at the end of the year and most of the season. And he continues to do that the way he leads out there and seven on sevens and practices and things."

Despite entering his fourth straight season with the Bulldogs and fifth overall, this is the first offseason in which Bennett has been QB1 heading into a new season which has allowed him to get reps with the 1s at practice and obtain a lot more reps. With that comes growth in connection with other players, confidence, and the belief from Bennett's supporting cast that he is more than capable of leading this football team. 

In many cases, players who have been in college football for as long as Bennett has would be tapped out as far as development and growth go. Especially for someone who is entering their sixth season as a collegiate athlete. However, that is not the case for Bennett as his head coach clearly believes there are differences in Bennett's game heading into the upcoming season and the Georgia quarterback will have the opportunity to continue to build off of the momentum he created last season. 

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