As college quarterbacks approach the start of their NFL careers, they’re often compared to those we have already seen. Stetson Bennett is no exception.
Stetson Bennett just wrapped up one of the greatest careers ever seen by a college quarterback—an unbeaten season, 17 straight wins with back-to-back national titles, just to name a few of his accomplishments.
With all of that playing into the legacy that he is leaving behind at the University of Georgia, the age-old question has to be asked: Who does Stetson Bennett compare to?
This is a question so often asked throughout football media, with analysts/critics (from both the college and NFL sides of the industry) giving their takes on who collegiate stars resemble as they look to begin their professional chapters—and I want to play along.
Now first things first, I am far from an analyst, and I do not wish to convince anyone that I am one. I have no expertise that makes my understanding of the game any better than the next guy’s. However, me nonetheless making my connection shows just how obvious the similarities are between Bennett and the former college/NFL quarterback that I am about to name.
With all of that said, the QB that Stetson Bennett reminds me the most of is Alex Smith. This is a comparison that I have not seen anyone else make, and I feel that is because most would try to make it solely about playstyle. Instead, I have made it about something else: comfort.
To be frank, Alex Smith and Stetson Bennett both had very comfortable college careers, though they were so in different ways. That is not to say that their success means any less. Rather, it provides context as to why someone like Smith, whose professional career is already finished, was not the timeless talent in the NFL that he was at Utah.
How comfortable was Alex Smith in college?
When remembering Smith’s time as a Ute, the 2004-05 season is the first thing that comes to mind, as it was not only an iconic run for Smith, but also for the Utah football program as a whole.
That season saw the Utes go unbeaten en route to a Fiesta Bowl appearance that made them college football’s first “BCS buster.” They went on to win the bowl over the 8-win Pittsburgh Panthers 35-7. The stretch of success was so dominant that it led to Smith eventually being selected with the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Since that astonishing run, something that has been widely praised is the coaching staff that Utah had at the time. The staff was not only led by head coach Urban Meyer but also saw Kyle Whittingham as defensive coordinator and Dan Mullen as the quarterbacks coach. That elite of coaching talent being sprinkled along the sideline made the Utes all the more capable of a team on both sides of the ball, especially with them primarily facing Mountain West competition.
But while the overpowered staff was easily the most impactful factor in Smith’s relatively comfortable college experience (and what were ultimately unrealistic expectations for him to meet in the league), the reasoning behind Bennett’s goes far beyond that.
Just how good has Bennett had it?
Along with having Kirby Smart—one of college football’s top coaches today—at the helm, Bennett also saw much stronger talent on the roster, as Georgia has a reputation for being an “NFL factory” (especially nowadays). But hey, you can’t fault the man for the players that surround him if he’s doing his part of looking great while using them. That is, if you are actually looking great.
This last season, Bennett was named one of the four Heisman finalists, and the announcement left many perplexed. Not only was he the worst of the four from a statistical standpoint, but he was also shown up by multiple quarterbacks who were not finalists, such as Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and UNC’s Drake Maye. Those two both outshined Bennett by the numbers despite working with worse overall teams and coaching.
Now I’m sure the first response to a statement like that would be to bring up Bennett having to play in the SEC, which is a level of competition so tough that one couldn’t possibly have it “easy.” That is exactly where Bennett ended up having it the easiest, though, as he was fortunate enough to still face relatively little adversity.
Think about it: Regardless of what all Georgia has been up to as of late, Alabama has consistently been the most prominent name in the SEC over the past 15 years. So, if you’re going to succeed in the SEC and beyond, you’re going to have to succeed against Bama, right? Well, if you’re Stetson Bennett, not necessarily.
Over the course of Bennett’s entire college career, he faced the Crimson Tide three times, going 1-2 against them. The first time was a 41-24 loss in the 2020 regular season, while the second time was a 41-24 loss in the 2021 SEC title game. That second one is really crucial, as losing a conference championship by three scores would kick most teams out of playoff contention, but Georgia made it anyway.
The Bulldogs went on to face Bama a third time in the national title game just weeks later, winning 33-18. But, while Bennett deserves credit for helping bring home the crown, it was a late pick-six that put the game away. As for this last season, he didn’t face Bama at all, as 2022 treated the Tide even worse than 2021.
And while his final college game was a historic 65-7 blowout over TCU, he and his Dawgs had to rely on a missed field goal to survive Ohio State just a week prior.
Again, the goal here is not to take anything away from the legacy that Stetson Bennett has established for himself. Instead, it is to merely state that circumstances like his—unspectacular stats despite elite talent and/or coaching—have been known to set misguided standards. But said circumstances have applied to many promising players over the years, so what is it about Alex Smith in particular that makes him stand out?
How Bennett favors Smith in particular
Simply put, Bennett’s combination of surroundings and performance screams what some would call a “game manager,” especially by NFL standards. A game manager is a quarterback that can give his team some good runs when he is comfortable (sound familiar?), but is unable to consistently lead his guys when the going gets tough. For the vast majority of his professional career, Alex Smith was seen as a game manager for a couple of franchises.
His first team, the San Francisco 49ers, were terrible in his first several seasons, and he was being labeled by many as a “bust” until Jim Harbaugh took over as head coach. Suddenly, Smith was quarterbacking an NFC contender.
Later on in Kansas City, Smith had some strong performances with head coach Andy Reid and offensive weapons like Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. They were a promising team entering the playoffs, but never got out of the AFC. Both SF and KC hit higher peaks after moving off of Smith. All that followed those stints was a decent start in Washington and an infamous leg injury that derailed his career.
So while Smith had a storied run in the NFL, he will be remembered as a game manager at his best. He could give you a good season if he had the right array of coaching and pieces, but he was never able to get over the hump or consistently stand out as the star of his offense. Stetson Bennett gives off that exact vibe when he finishes the 2022-23 season at sixth in passing yards and tied for 18th in passing touchdowns as the QB at Georgia—the school that has cemented itself as the current king of college football in every way possible.
I can’t predict the future, and I wish the absolute best for Bennett’s career. But nonetheless, the title of “game manager” is not a compliment, especially when you just finished your college days on the best note that one can.
At least one NFL team will take a chance on Bennett, and hopefully he will stand out when such a time comes. But, until then, the questionability of where his own limits lie will raise many concerns around what the future holds for him.