College Football National Championship QB Spotlight: Max Duggan and Stetson Bennett
Both quarterbacks taking the field Monday have inspiring stories filled with adversity that have led them to the position that each of them is in. Duggan faced a health scare in 2020 and lost his starting job out of camp in September. Bennett, who helped lead Georgia to a national title last season, had to transfer to a junior college to find playing time after walking on at Georgia in his freshman season in 2017.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) warms up before the Peach Bowl NCAA college football semifinal playoff game, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
2022 was the second year that Bennett was the full-time starter for the Bulldogs. Bennett threw for a career-highs 3,823 passing yards and a completion percentage of 67.9 percent. However, his yards per attempt dropped 10.0 in 2021 to 8.9 in 2022, while also throwing four fewer touchdowns this season.
Bennett was also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2022 along with Duggan, finishing fourth in the voting.
At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Bennett’s size has also been part of the adversity that he’s battled to get to this point in his career. Bennett is also 25 years old, making him older than nine starting quarter backs in the NFL including Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts.
Duggan and Bennett play different styles of quarterback. Both quarterbacks throw the ball well in the pocket. However, Bennett does not rush nearly as much as Duggan, only rushing for 166 yards to Duggan’s 461 in 2022. Bennett can extend plays though and did so against Oregon in Georgia’s season opener for one of the more impressive plays on the season.
Bennett is coming off his Peach Bowl performance against Ohio State where he threw for 398 yards and three touchdowns. Bennett also scored a rushing touchdown and threw an interception.
Duggan threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns while also scoring twice on the ground against Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl. It was also the first time all season that Duggan turned the ball over multiple times in a game, throwing two interceptions.
TCU quarterback Max Duggan (15) during the first half of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football semifinal playoff game against Michigan, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The two Heisman Trophy Finalists will take the field Monday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles looking to claim the national title.
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