Dawgs QB Great: Stetson Bennett Return Gives Georgia 'Hope' for 2022
DJ Shockley joined fellow former Georgia quarterback Buck Belue on Atlanta’s 680 the Fan to talk about current fellow quarterback, Stetson Bennett.
Despite helping the Bulldogs win their first national title since 1980, Bennett remains squarely in the warpath of uncomfortable Georgia fans who doubt his abilities.
Shockley got a close look at Bennett’s success as the Dawgs’ sideline radio reporter.
When it came to the Georgia QB competition between Bennett and JT Daniels, the obvious difference was Bennett’s mobility.
Shockley acknowledged how important this differentiator was for Bennett’s and Georgia’s success during their championship run, which saw ‘the Mailman’ deliver 29 passing touchdowns (7 INT) with 2,862 yards through the air.
The Georgia QB also carried the ball for 259 yards and a score on 56 attempts.
“That’s the part of the game that showed he could lead his team,” Shockley told The Buck Belue Show. “His ability to move around, run, pick up first downs, move outside of the pocket… Ultimately, it was a big part of his success.”
Shockley knows exactly how useful that mobility can be. In four seasons at Georgia, the 2005 SEC Championship MVP passed for 3,555 yards with 34 touchdowns, while rushing for 643 yards and seven scores.
Not only does Bennett’s athleticism serve him well. Shockley told Belue that one under-appreciated part of Bennett’s game kept him firmly in the Dawgs’ quarterback catbird seat.
“A lot of people don’t understand what he does at the line of scrimmage,” Shockley said. “There are things that people will never know that he does [before the snap].”
Current Georgia QB room told Shockley what to look for
Shockley credited conversations with backup Georgia QB options Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff for specific context about Stetson Bennett’s pre-snap checks and adjustments.
Beck and Vandagriff detailed what would have gone wrong, based on specific defensive alignments and what Georgia would have run into them.
“If he doesn’t make them, Georgia is in a bad place,” Shockley told Belue. “Stetson did stuff like that all year long.”
The Recipe for a Repeat?
No matter how you feel about Stetson Bennett’s potential in his return for a super senior season, facts are facts:
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A Georgia National Championship repeat is as likely as finding a table at Mama’s Boy in Athens on a Sunday morning during Parents’ Weekend.
Only USC (2002, 2003) and Alabama (2011, 2012) repeated in the BCS era. A program is yet to repeat in the CFP era. Still, Shockley likes what Bennett’s experience in big games could mean down the road.
“I think the one thing that gives you a little hope is that this guy has done it. You don’t ever want to take a step back. Stetson could have taken the opportunity to bask in his National Championship and walked away,” Shockley said.
The most impressive performances came at the end of the season, according to Shockley. CFP wins over Michigan (20/30 passing, 313 yds. 3 TD) and Alabama (17/26, 224 yds. 2 TD) were the real deal.
“Those two ball games, Stetson showed exactly who he was.”
So even if the supporting cast that returns for Georgia in 2022 doesn’t look quite as stout on paper as a loaded, hungry Alabama team, Shockley still expects Kirby Smart and the Dawgs to fight for every inch toward those elusive back-to-back banners.
“Obviously there were a lot of guys who played this year that were underclassmen.”
Shockley says the players at key groups like the defensive and offensive lines, as well as wide receiver and running back, will be “expected to be major contributors” in 2022.
“That new crop of Dawgs are definitely ready to go.”
An exciting point of emphasis on the future from my former podcast co-host, and a Dawg who would know.
Forgive me if I’m not quite ready to start thinking about all that beyond this article, though. My wife is still finding red, black and white confetti in our laundry.
