Paul Finebaum: Stetson Bennett, starting quarterback chatter not stopping anytime soon

Stetson Bennett is preparing for another season as the Georgia starting quarterback and longtime ESPN SEC guru Paul Finebaum doesn’t think the rumblings around the Bulldogs’ signal caller are going to die down anytime soon.

“I think the Bennett conversation is going to go on and on and on,” Finebaum said while joining McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. “Regardless of what Kirby Smart says, I think there is still going to be the chatter. It may not be legitimate chatter, but it is still chatter. I would advise Kirby Smart to quit trying to defend Stetson Bennett. He’s made it clear he is the quarterback and whether the fans buy into that or not is a different question.”

There was plenty of hype surrounding backup quarterback Carson Beck coming out of the Georgia spring game and it won’t be a surprise to hear his name mentioned this season. Still — while Beck is undoubtedly the future — it’s impossible to ignore the experience and production Bennett brings to the table in 2022.

Stetson Bennett reveals the difference for him this spring vs. last spring

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett just went through a different experience with spring practice — one where’s he’s for sure the starter. After having to compete for the job over the past few seasons, Bennett will be the guy for head coach Kirby Smart going into the 2022 season.

After the spring game, Bennett discussed what was different for him this go-round compared to last year’s spring practice. Bennett said while he feels a little bit more relaxed because there is not anyone breathing down his neck from a competition standpoint, he still feels the pressure of being Georgia’s starting quarterback.

CLICK HERE to get 30% OFF your Georgia Bulldogs National Championship apparel

“I guess it’s relaxed in that way but it’s less relaxed in the sense that I’m going to be running the offense for the Univesity of Georgia,” Bennett said. “Kind of got to understand the severity of that and how are we going to be the best that we can be? More relaxed in one, less in the other.”

Answering a follow-up question, Stetson Bennett expanded on why he still feels pressure for the upcoming season. He compared it to owning a brand new car, wanting to keep everything in tip-top shape.

“It just feels different,” said Bennett. “You’re just in charge. You got a brand new car and you own it and you want to make sure that the engine is clean and you change the oil and get gas in it, make sure the breaks are checked. Just making sure everything is running properly.”

Bennett will be looking to defend his national championship but will be doing so with a different set of position players around him. With how Georgia has been recruiting, the car analogy still works in this scenario as the Bulldogs will still pump out some of the best players in the country.

While many might feel as if the pressure is off for Georgia, Stetson Bennett feels the opposite. He wants to carry over the success to 2022 and have another season of winning.