REACTION: Stetson Bennett Returns, Daniels Departs

Georgia’s quarterback room is decided, Stetson Bennett will return, while JT Daniels will enter the transfer portal.

Georgia’s quarterback room will look different heading into the 2022 season following a Wednesday evening news dump that answered both of the remaining question marks in Georgia’s quarterback room. Days after reports dropped from several outlets that Georgia quarterback JT Daniels was expected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, the news officially broke after a report from Seth Emerson of The Athletic.

This comes after Daniels started in only three games this season. A preseason Heisman favorite saw his redshirt junior year derailed by two injuries early on into the year. Daniels suffered an oblique injury that caused him to miss the UAB game a week after opening the season versus Clemson. After starting versus both South Carolina and Vanderbilt, the former University of Southern California transfer wouldn’t play a single significant snap the rest of the way.

The California native has yet to put out a statement regarding his departure from Athens but will not be able to depart until he graduates. Since Daniels transferred from USC following the 2019 season and gained immediate eligibility for the 2020 season with Georgia, he already used his one-time waiver, meaning in order to play immediately, he’ll need to graduate and leave as a “graduate transfer.”

Daniels totaled just seven starts at Georgia after missing six games in the 2020 season, recovering from his ACL tear a year earlier while playing for USC. Since then, injuries have continued to derail the former five-star product, but that will not shorten the list of potential suitors for the former USC starting quarterback.

Daniels’ departure presumably leaves the room to now national championship-winning quarterback Stetson Bennett. Bennett announced his intentions to return to Georgia for a sixth season at the collegiate on his Instagram Story shortly after the news of Daniels broke.

Bennett received the opportunity of a lifetime due to the injuries of Daniels, the Blackshear, Georgia, native started in 12 games, holding onto his job after a streak of impressive ranked wins versus Arkansas, Auburn, and Kentucky.

The former walk-on quarterback would win Offensive MVP Awards in both of Georgia’s playoff victories, bringing back a national championship in the process. Bennett proved instrumental to Georgia’s offensive success this season, throwing for 2,862 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions.

With arguably Bennett’s biggest competition for his starting job off the roster, it does not mean everyone else won’t get a fair look. Georgia will welcome true freshman Gunnar Stockton to the room while welcoming Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff.

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