Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett is back in Athens for one more year after leading the Bulldogs to their first national championship in 41 years.
Despite Bennett accomplishing something that no other FBS quarterback was able to last year, he still faces the same criticism heading into the 2022 season.
Pro Football Focus recently released their top-50 FBS quarterbacks for next season, and Bennett checked in at No. 34 — not terribly fitting for the reigning champ.
If we break that list down to just the Southeastern Conference, Bennett ranks No. 9 in the SEC.
JT Daniels, who transferred from Georgia to West Virginia this offseason, ranks a few spots below Bennett at No. 40.
From the minute Georgia was crowned national champions, Kirby Smart made it well known he wanted his starting quarterback to return. Still, not all Georgia fans were convinced that this was the best-case scenario.
Bennett threw for 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions in 12 starts in 2021. He was named Offensive MVP of the national championship game against Alabama.
The top-five quarterbacks are:
- Bryce Young, Alabama
- Caleb Williams, USC
- Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
- CJ Stroud, Ohio State
- Sam Hartman, Wake Forest