stetson NFL combine

INDIANAPOLIS — Stetson Bennett will open a new chapter in his storybook football career at the NFL Combine on Friday.

Bennett is scheduled to meet with media at 10:30 a.m. today, at which point the outgoing Georgia quarterback will provide some insight into the attitude he will take moving forward.

Other Bulldogs meeting with the media today are Darnell Washington and Kearis Jackson, while Kelee Ringo and Christopher Smith will take part in combine drills at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Georgia got off to a fast start in field drills on Thursday with Nolan Smith delivering an inspiring performance on the field, and then working to elevate the program’s image with a heartfelt message on Thursday.

Now it’s Bennett’s turn to take the stage.

Bennett is not among the projected first-round quarterbacks that are also appearing today. Bryce Young, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson and C.J. Stroud figure to be more prominently discussed as future franchise quarterbacks.

Bennett, projected as a late-round pick, still figures to be one of the more talked about players at the NFL Combine and the NFL Draft, having beat all of those quarterbacks in head-to-head action.

Bennett closed his career as a two-time CFP Championship Game MVP with a six-touchdown performance in the Bulldogs’ 65-7 win over TCU on Jan. 9.

Since then, however, Georgia’s “Mailman” has not delivered the most optimal headlines. Most recentluy, a Jan. 29 arrest in Dallas on public intoxication charges has led some to question his future.

Jake Fromm, one of Bennett’s friends and a former teammate, put the reality of the past and future into perspective in a recent DawgNation Daily appearance.

“It’s not a great look for him going into the draft process, (because) this is a time where teams and personnel look and analyze everything,” Fromm said. “I would love to see him ace this thing (NFL combine) and go after it hard.”

Bennett will surely be ready to give his all -- he appeared ripped and ready in a training video released from the “QB Country” Camp in Texas, where he was training.

Bennett’s attitude in team interviews could prove just as important as his throwing and combine drills performance on Saturday

“There will be hard questions, the combine now, the pro day, he made it more difficult for himself, there’s no doubt,” said former NFL scout Jim Nagy, who’s now the Senior Bowl executive director.

“He’s got to get himself in a headspace where he can answer those questions and be the backup the NFL wants. They want steady, dependable guys in that quarterback room.”

Bennett’s winning ways are well-documented, but NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah explained the talent evaluation process is much more complex than won-loss record.

“He’s shown the ability to make a lot of different throws, (but) he is just to me streaky as a thrower,” Jeremiah said on a conference call last week. “He has some bad misses where you’ll see -- you’ll see worm burners on low flat routes and swing routes. Like, what was that?

“Then you’ll see him squeeze the ball in tight windows later on in that same game. He is just a little bit streaky, a little inconsistent there. Obviously, really undersized guy.”

Bennett has thrived in the underdog role before, so he’s not likely to be fazed by the doubt some will cast and the questions media and NFL teams put before him.

If anything, the NFL might seen a version of Bennett that’s more motivated and focused than ever before, as the ultimate football challenge is now before him.