Georgia HC Kirby Smart: Stetson Bennett 'Deserves an Opportunity' to Play in NFL

After senior quarterback Stetson Bennett led the Georgia Bulldogs to a second straight national championship on Monday night, he received a glowing endorsement from head coach Kirby Smart, who believes he's proven he's good enough to play in the NFL.

"People have slept on Stetson Bennett for too long. He deserves an opportunity to play at the next level," Smart told reporters after the game.

Bennett put forth one of the best performances of his six-year college career in Monday's 65-7 victory over TCU, tying a national title game record with six total touchdowns (four passing, two rushing). He was named offensive MVP for the second straight year for his stellar showing and will go down as one of the best quarterbacks in program history.

A former walk-on, Bennett isn't a typical NFL draft prospect. However, he's proven to have the ability to compete at a high level and could be worth a look by teams willing to give him time to develop.

"He's an NFL guy," an NFL scout recently told Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde. "He's a backup. He will get drafted. Obviously very instinctive, a good athlete that runs well, has enough arm. The guy makes impressive throws and has big balls. He's absolutely getting taken; I say sixth round."

When asked what he'd want NFL teams to know about him, Bennett responded, "I don't know. I've been here long enough for sure, so there's game tape. … Hard worker, pretty good at football. Smart."

A team that takes a chance on Bennett will be getting a reliable signal-caller who has ample experience delivering in big moments.