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Kirby Smart: Five years ago Stetson Bennett was making plays against Georgia's scout team

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner01/11/22

Jonathan Wagner

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Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Stetson Bennett threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns in Georgia’s victory in the national championship on Monday night. Bennett’s career has truly come full circle with the Bulldogs. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart reflected on Bennett’s journey, noting that five years ago, he was making plays on the Bulldogs’ scout team. Now, he is the starting quarterback on a championship-winning football team.

Smart was asked after the win about Bennett’s journey and whether if Smart would have believed it if he was told five years ago that Bennett would lead the Bulldogs to a national title.

“I’d have thought, hell yeah we won a National Championship,” Smart said Tuesday morning. “I’d have been pumped. Five years ago he was delivering passes like Baker Mayfield against the scout team. There’s a lot of guys that saw him on that scout team make plays with his feet, his arm whip and decision making, and we were very impressed.

“But again, to think that it would come this far from that National Championship he was a part of there to this one, man, what a story.”

Smart: Bennett isn’t the only Georgia player with an impressive journey

Bennett wasn’t even Georgia’s starting quarterback when the season got underway. Instead, he sat behind JT Daniels, who transferred to Georgia ahead of last season after playing at USC. But after an injury put Daniels on the shelf, Bennett got his opportunity to start once again. And he didn’t let that chance go by without capitalizing on it.

Even once Daniels was able to return, Smart stuck with Bennett as Georgia’s quarterback. In addition to Bennett, many other players on Georgia’s roster completed long journeys to becoming national champions.

“There’s so many guys on this team that – I want to single them out. William Poole, guys, this guy made a lot of plays tonight on the ball and he was not even playing three, four weeks ago. Jalen Carter, there’s a lot of guys – A.D. Mitchell, a lot of guys made plays. That’s what this team has been, a collective group of people stepping up when they’re needed.”

Smart specifically pointed out Adonai Mitchell, who made an incredibly difficult contested catch in the end zone. Mitchell caught two passes for 50 yards and a touchdown, and his score held up as the game winner on Monday night.