Why Two-Time National Champion QB Stetson Bennett Will Not Be in College Football Hall of Fame

By Brian Jones

Stetson Bennett just finished up a memorable college football career as he led Georgia Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships. He was also a Heisman Trophy Award finalist and won the Manning Award which is given to the nation's top quarterback. His resume screams College Football Hall of Fame material, but the problem is that will never happen. 

According to the National Football Foundation rules, Bennett is ineligible for the Hall of Fame because he was never a first-team All-American. In fact, Bennett was never a first-team All-SEC selection because he never put up big-time numbers like Bryce Young of Alabama or Hendon Hooker of Tennessee. But should the NFF make an exception for Bennett since all he did was win during his time at UGA? 

Archie Manning, the chairman of the NFF, recently said the idea "has been kicked around" to let Bennett be eligible but didn't offer additional details. Bennett is part of college football history because he's one of four quarterbacks to lead their teams to back-to-back national championships. The other three QBs are Nebraska's Tommie Frazier (1994-1995), Southern California's Matt Leinart (2003-2004, the 2004 title was later vacated) and Alabama's A.J. McCarron (2012-2013). Frazier and Leinart are in the College Football Hall of Fame, and McCarron will be in there soon since he's eligible for being an All-All-American.

Bennett finished the 2022 season with a 15-0 record with 4,127 passing yards, and 37 total touchdowns (27 rushing and 10 passing). And not only did Bennett lead the Bulldogs to two national titles, but he was also named offensive MVP of both national title games. Additionally, Bennett was named Offensive  MVP of the 2021 Orange Bowl, the 2022 Peach Bowl and the 2022 SEC Championship. 

Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is making the case for Bennett being in the Hall of Fame, saying "He's the greatest dawg of all time, in my opinion," when speaking to ESPN (per Sports Illustrated) after this year's national game. And during the postgame press conference, Smart said. "Stetson speaks for himself, the way he leads and prepares. His mental makeup is such of a quarterback that believes he can make every throw and what he did tonight was truly amazing. Probably had his best game of his career, in my opinion, with some of the checks he made, some of the decisions he made, just really elite."

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