ESPN makes an interesting choice for Georgia football’s biggest loss to replace

Georgia has several key players to trade, and the Bulldogs will use spring practice to determine who is best prepared to do so.

After last week’s NFL combine, it’s very clear that Georgia has several elite players to replace. In addition to Nolan Smith and Darnell Washington, there are All-Americans Chris Smith and Jalen Carter.

But along ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren, Georgia’s toughest player to replace is starting quarterback Stetson Bennett.

– This could very well have been a defensive game Jalen Carter or one of the backs leaves, but Bennett guided Georgia’s offense to two national championships and was a Heisman finalist who threw for 4,127 yards and 27 touchdowns — while running for 10 more — in 2022,” VanHaaren wrote.

Bennett had a standout performance at the NFL combine, which greatly helped his NFL stock. As so often, he was at his best when he absolutely had to be. Bennett made clutch plays in Georgia’s biggest games against Ohio State, Tennessee and Oregon.

“I don’t know if Stetson knows this, but I walked in, my 10-year-old son Andrew yells. I’m like, oh no, someone has hurt her feelings; someone threw him down or did something to him,” Smart said after the championship game. “I said, why are you crying? You’re going to ruin my moment. He said, ‘(crying) Stetson is leaving. He’s going to go.

“I said, ‘He’s 25 years old.’ He has to go. He has to go. But he screams about Stetson’s absence, and most of our team comes back. We’re losing some really talented guys.”

Georgia brings back three quarterbacks in Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton. No one has started a game for Georgia, but Smart is confident in all three options. Beck is the most experienced of the bunch, but he has only thrown 58 passes in his career.

Related: Carson Beck ready to prove value in Georgia football: ‘I’ve continued to grow’

In addition to a new quarterback, Georgia has a new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Todd Monken becomes Mike Bobo, who is now the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.

Bennett spoke highly of Bobo at the NFL combine.

“I think he helped with some things upstairs, but I didn’t really interact,” Bennett said. “I love him as a person, but I didn’t talk to him about coaching and things like that.”

Georgia takes to the practice field on Tuesday for the first of 15 spring practices. The Bulldogs wrap things up on April 15 with G-Day. Bennett will attend Georgia’s Pro Day on March 15 as he continues to prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft. Mel Kiper Jr. sees Bennett as a fourth-round pick.

Stetson Bennett talks Georgia football at the 2023 NFL Combine

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