How does Georgia Football QB Stetson Bennett compare to Jake Fromm

Georgia football quarterback Stetson Bennett has faced a myriad of naysayers and negativity during his time in Athens from the media and fans alike.

All it took was winning a national championship for some noise to subside. Still, Bennett does not seem to be viewed or respected as a quality starting quarterback in the SEC.

While his journey to be the starting signal caller at Georgia was somewhat unorthodox, it doesn’t diminish what he’s been able to accomplish.

Bennett’s initial experience as a starter in 2020 was quite shaky, completing just 55.5% of his passes for 1,179 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions. Similar to the 2021 season, though, Bennett did not enter the season as the starter. D’Wan Mathis started game one that year against Arkansas, completing 8-of-17 passes for 55 yards and an interception before being replaced by Bennett.

2022 is the first season that Bennett will progress through fall camp and begin the season as the starting quarterback, but this context seems to get lost when considering his play.

Would you take the current Georgia football starting quarterback Stetson Bennett or Jake Fromm?

Fans still seem to view him as if he hasn’t improved since his 2020 season, but taking a look at his production and accomplishments alongside another recent Georgia quarterback is eye-opening.

Jake Fromm had three solid seasons at quarterback for the Dawgs. After stepping in as a freshman for injured starter Jacob Eason, Fromm took the reins and never looked back. His game wasn’t flashy, but he was smart with the football and had an elite stable of running backs behind him to help lead Georgia to a national championship appearance.

That season was the beginning of a new era of Georgia football, which brought elevated expectations. The Dawgs never got back to the national championship with Fromm, though, and that is where the debate gets interesting.

As a sophomore, he led Georgia back to the SEC title game before ultimately falling to Alabama in another heartbreaker. Following that up with a loss to Texas in the Sugar Bowl left many questioning Fromm and the team as a whole moving forward.

This was only amplified after inexcusably losing to a mediocre South Carolina team the following season. The Dawgs salvaged its season as they made it to another SEC title game but got heavily outmatched by the juggernaut LSU team that ended up winning it all.

Fromm never was able to help Georgia achieve the pinnacle of success in college football like Bennett did, and many fans would choose Bennett solely because of this.

To further improve Bennett’s case, his 2021 season was arguably statistically better than any season Fromm had at Georgia.

Bennett completed 64.5% of his passes for 2,862 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Fromm had his best season statistically as a sophomore, completing 67.3% of his passes for 2,749 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions.

While Fromm completed passes at a more efficient rate, Bennett moved the ball more efficiently as he accounted for over 100 more yards on 19 fewer attempts. Bennett also piled up 259 rushing yards while Fromm finished with -27 rushing yards. Sacks count against quarterback rushing totals in college, so this number simply conveys how little Fromm ran.

Fromm’s efficiency dropped significantly in his final season at Georgia, and this is where some extra context should come into play.

Todd Monken is the best offensive coordinator that Georgia has had in quite some time, and Fromm never had a chance to play under his guidance. His drop in efficiency as a junior correlates with hiring a different offensive coordinator than the one he spent time with in his first two seasons.

Fromm wasn’t necessarily the most athletically gifted quarterback out there, but his skillset ‘between the ears’ set him apart and can be attributed to his success. Pairing his knowledge of the game with Monken’s system would have been fun to watch.

Bennett’s legs were a key factor in being chosen to start over JT Daniels, though, so Fromm’s limited mobility might have lessened the overall effectiveness of the scheme.

The ability Bennett has to extend plays and freelance when necessary is what separates him from Fromm. That freelancing can get him in trouble when trying to force things that aren’t there, but it also contributes to many big plays.

The success of Bennett does not diminish Fromm’s legacy as a Dawg but rather puts Bennett’s success and production into context for how impressive he is.

Bennett better fits the mold of a modern quarterback with his running ability, and the chip on his shoulder seems to be a driving force for him to improve. He may not have the pedigree of a modern starting quarterback in the best conference in college football, but it’s about time for him to get the respect he deserves.

He has one last season to cement his Georgia legacy and prove his worth to a steadily shrinking pool of doubters. We think this Georgia football quarterback will break some records and solidify that legacy in 2022.