Ohio State football braces for Stetson Bennett IV, the best 2-star, Juco transfer walk-on of all time

COLUMBUS, Ohio — All the things about Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV is opposite to the Ohio State soccer quarterback plan.

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day has constructed his program on looking each nook of America for elite quarterback expertise, bringing these gamers to Columbus and growing them into Heisman Trophy finalists. He inherited Dwayne Haskins, pulled Justin Fields in by the switch portal and bought in on the bottom ground of C.J. Stroud.

Followers now count on five-star prospects or close to misses beneath middle. Thus far, Day’s meeting line retains turning them out.

So there may be some irony that the quarterback getting ready to beat OSU in Saturday’s Peach Bowl traveled such a remarkably totally different path. Bennett got here out of Blackshear (Ga.) Pierce County Excessive Faculty as a two-star prospect. He turned down gives from Center Tennessee State and a few FCS applications to attend Jones County Neighborhood School. His foot within the door with Georgia got here as a most popular walk-on.

But he takes the sphere in Mercedes-Benz Stadium with an id no Day quarterback can declare: Nationwide champion. Whereas the 5-11, 190-pound Bennett doesn’t look the half, not less than by OSU requirements, the Buckeye defenders say the outcomes on movie converse for themselves.

“You’ll be able to see how good he’s when you’re watching movie,” OSU cornerback Cam Brown stated. “He doesn’t make plenty of errors, which is hard as a result of as a protection you’re banking on him to make errors so you may get a turnover or regardless of the case could also be.

“Inside their offense he matches completely, so it’s undoubtedly gonna be a problem.”

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Bennett joined Stroud as a Heisman Trophy finalist largely on his standing because the returning beginning quarterback of the still-undefeated defending nationwide champions. Ohio State linebacker Steele Chambers rejected any notion of Bennett as a “recreation supervisor,” although. The Buckeyes see a playmaker on movie.

Bennett’s 20 landing passes had been simply the least of the 4 Heisman finalists and rank exterior the nationwide high 40. But his 68.1% completion share and eight.7 yards per try each rank thirteenth nationally. His adjusted completion share, which doesn’t penalize QBs for his or her receivers’ drops, really tops Stroud’s, 76.2-71.9.

Professional Soccer Focus tracks huge time throws, outlined as “a go with glorious ball location and timing, usually thrown additional down the sphere and/or right into a tighter window.” Bennett’s 5.4% trails Stroud’s 6.2%, however nonetheless ranks a good twenty sixth nationally.

A viral tweet forward of the Heisman announcement famous that 2016 winner Lamar Jackson and Bennett had been each born in 1995. An oddity, to make certain. But Bennett does play with a sure savvy that comes from intensive expertise.

“He’s a little bit bit older than the fellows that he’s taking part in with, so he has that edge on a few of his opponents,” OSU security Ronnie Hickman stated. “Any time you’re coping with a quarterback who has expertise, they’ll learn issues a little bit bit higher. They’ll learn the protection faster. So that you’ve simply bought to be in your toes and be detailed in preparation.”

What issues OSU probably the most is Bennett’s escapability. The Bulldogs stay so maddeningly environment friendly partly as a result of they so seldom are knocked off schedule. Ohio State has an ideal offensive sack charge, permitting solely eight on 376 makes an attempt. Georgia is even higher, permitting one fewer on 54 extra makes an attempt.

Bennett will not be a high-volume runner, nor does he pile up speeding yards. Solely twice has he rushed for greater than 25 yards in a recreation this season. One was a three-carry, 36-yard effort in opposition to South Carolina. The opposite got here when he broke off a 64-yard run in opposition to Auburn.

Efficiently creating strain and forcing Bennett out of the pocket doesn’t all the time lead the place defenses hope it can. Different cellular quarterbacks have squirmed free from OSU this season. Bennett forces opponents to each harass and include.

Defensive deal with Mike Corridor Jr. known as it “caging the pocket” — limiting the working lanes Bennett would possibly use as an escape route.

“Oh yeah, you may see he can lengthen performs,” linebacker Tommy Eichenberg stated. “Scramble throw, scramble run — throughout can lengthen performs. It makes a quarterback fairly harmful.”

Bennett and Ohio State are additionally linked in one other approach, type of.

When Georgia coach Kirby Sensible picked Jake Fromme over Justin Fields in 2018, it prompted Fields to hunt a switch and find yourself at Ohio State. In every of the subsequent two seasons, the Bulldogs completed barely exterior of the playoff image. Quarterback play seemed to be holding again an in any other case strong assortment of expertise, if one believes the recruiting rankings.

Then once more, these recruiting rankings didn’t suppose a lot of Stetson Bennett. Of all of the names which have cycled by the quarterback room since Fromme and Fields, Bennett all the time appeared the least more likely to lead the breakthrough. Until OSU has a greater reply for him than most opponents, he may be a part of an unique record of two-time nationwide championship quarterbacks.

When you or a cherished one has questions and wishes to speak to knowledgeable about playing, name the Ohio Drawback Playing Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the Nationwide Council on Program Playing Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700.