Um, about that whole competition at Georgia thing:
After the season, Bennett was told he’d be able to compete for Georgia’s backup quarterback job in 2018. That’s not what happened, though. Georgia signed Justin Fields out of Harrison and Bennett felt the coveted 5-star signee was thrust ahead of him on the depth chart without backing it up with his play on the practice field.
All that came to a head in the 2018 G-Day Game. Fields indeed filled the role as No. 2 quarterback and looked good doing it as he passed for 207 yards and a touchdown against the No. 2 defense and other backups. Bennett went third and completed 5-of-9 for 73 yards against the No. 1 defense.
Bennett got the message and decided he’d be better off trying to make his way elsewhere.
“He thought he’d have a legitimate shot for the back-up role, but when Justin came there he didn’t really get that chance,” Pender said. “Justin was put right in front of him, and Stet decided ‘maybe Georgia’s not the place for me.’”
Look, I’m not blaming the staff for making that particular choice. (And, to be fair, Bennett’s perspective on whether Fields backed it up on the practice field may be different from his coaches’.) But the risk you run when you make a huge deal out of competition being the crucible that forges the depth chart is fallout like that.
Still, he’s back when they need him. It’s fortunate for Smart that Bennett’s a damned good Dawg.