Stetson Bennett: The Mailman Who Delivered Two National Titles

Early life and family

Stetson Bennett was born on October 28, 1998, in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the son of Denise and Stetson Bennett III, who own three pharmacies in the area. He has a younger sister named Taylor.

Stetson grew up in Nahunta and Blackshear, Georgia, where he played football at Pierce County High School. He was a two-star quarterback who led his team to three consecutive state playoff appearances. He threw for 3,724 yards, ran for 500 more, and scored 40 total touchdowns as a senior

Stetson did not receive many scholarship offers from FBS schools, as he was considered too short and too light—he was 5 feet 9.5 inches (1.765 m) and 185 pounds (84 kg) at the time

College career

Stetson was a walk-on at Georgia his freshman season ⁶ He did not take a snap the whole season. After five-star high school quarterback Justin Fields committed to Georgia in 2018, Stetson decided to transfer to Jones College

At Jones College, Stetson played in 12 games and threw for 16 touchdowns and 1,840 yards in his sophomore season. He was a three-star prospect heading into his transfer. He was about to join the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, but he ended up returning to Georgia The Bulldogs were in need of a backup quarterback after Fields transferred to Ohio State. Georgia offered Stetson a scholarship. He accepted and became Georgia’s second-string quarterback.

As Jake Fromm’s backup, Stetson had two touchdowns and one interception on the season as a junior. He also had one rushing touchdown ¹⁵ He most notably appeared in the SEC Championship Game when Fromm went down with an injury.

Stetson became the starter for Georgia in his senior season after Fromm declared for the NFL draft and Jamie Newman opted out due to COVID-19 concerns. Stetson led the Bulldogs to a 10-2 record and an SEC title, throwing for 2,862 yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also ran for 259 yards and a touchdown. He was named the second-team All-SEC quarterback and the winner of the Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on. He also finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Stetson cemented his legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks in Georgia history by leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. In both title games against TCU, he threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, earning the offensive MVP honors. He became only the third quarterback in NCAA history to win consecutive national championships, joining A.J. McCarron and Tommie Frazier.

Girlfriend

Stetson has been dating Cameron Liss since college. She is also a Georgia native and a lifelong fan of the Bulldogs. She studied biology and psychology at Georgia, with a minor in Spanish. She aspires to be a physician and has volunteered at various health centers and clinics. She also participated in a medical mission trip to Guatemala during her sophomore year.

Stetson often posts pictures of Cameron on his Instagram account, where he has over 100k followers. He celebrated her birthday in February 2021 with a sweet tribute and a string of adorable snaps of the pair.

“Happy birthday sweetheart! This past year has been a roller coaster for both of us and I thank God that we were by each other’s side through it all. Now let’s go grab some good food and celebrate,” he wrote.

Cameron is also on Instagram with nearly 7k followers, but her profile is set to private.

NFL draft

Stetson declared for the NFL draft after his senior season at Georgia. He participated in the NFL combine in Indianapolis, where he impressed scouts with his arm strength, accuracy, and mobility. He measured at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) and 192 pounds (87 kg), with 10-inch hands.

He was projected to be a mid-round pick by most analysts, who praised his leadership, toughness, and intangibles, but questioned his size, consistency, and decision-making.

He was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round with the 128th overall pick, becoming the first Georgia quarterback drafted since Matthew Stafford in 2009.

He signed a four-year contract with the Rams worth $4.2 million, with a $740k signing bonus.

NFL debut

Stetson made his NFL debut in the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers on August 13, 2023. He entered the game early in the second quarter and played until the end. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. He also led three scoring drives for the Rams, who lost 34-17.

He threw his first NFL touchdown pass to fellow rookie Puka Nacua, an 11-yard strike in the second quarter. He also connected with Nacua for a 17-yard gain on his first completion.

He had a few passes that were nearly intercepted, but he bounced back and showed resilience and poise. He received praise from his coaches and teammates for his performance.

He also faced his former college rival Max Duggan, who was the quarterback for TCU in the national championship games. Duggan played for the Chargers and threw only three passes, mostly handing off.

Stetson will continue to compete for the backup quarterback job behind Matthew Stafford, who was traded to the Rams from the Detroit Lions in the offseason.

News

Stetson has been making headlines since his college days, but especially after his remarkable senior season and his NFL draft selection. Here are some of the recent news stories about him: