Stetson Bennett explains how his big-game experience in college will help in the NFL

There aren’t many quarterbacks that will go into the 2023 NFL Draft with quite as much meaningful playing experience as Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett.

Bennett has played in College Football Playoff games, a pair of SEC title games and a pair of national title games. He believes that experience preps him pretty well for the NFL.

“Yeah, 1000%. I think once you’re in that situation you know what the situation is,” Bennett said. “You understand everything that comes with it, you can handle it, you know how to prepare.”

The Georgia quarterback explained outright what those experiences have meant to him.

“For me it was always the unknown. What is this championship?” Bennett said. “Now like it’s a game and you’ve got to play well in it. All the lights in the world don’t matter if you don’t win, so just win the game.”

But the one thing that isn’t necessarily guaranteed to Bennett is that he’ll step in as a starter in the NFL. He may well end up having to play his way into that role depending on where he lands.

Stetson Bennett is confident he can do that, though.

“As far as my job, my obligation is to the team that I’m drafted to to be the best player for that, to learn, to play football,” he said. “At the end of the day I’ve never been a wave calls or anything like that, I keep my head down, I play ball. So whatever’s asked of me is asked of me. My job when I get there regardless is you’ve got to be the best player to play. I know there’s more to that probably (in the NFL), but at the end of the day that’s all you can control. So that’s what I’ll do.”

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassmen were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.