Georgia QBs JT Daniels, Stetson Bennett Will Share Time for Rest of Season, Says HC | Bleacher Report
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Georgia quarterbacks JT Daniels and Stetson Bennett will share time for the remainder of the 2021 season, provided the former is healthy, Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart said Thursday, according to ESPN’s Chris Low.
Bennett has started Georgia’s past three games as Daniels has been sidelined with a sprained lat muscle.
“I’m not sure we know who the better one is based on which game plan we have,” Smart said. “There are teams we play that we have to be able to use the quarterback in the run game. Well, that’s Stetson. There are teams we play that you have to get the ball out quickly and be really accurate. That’s JT. But the first thing with JT is that he’s got to be healthy.”
Daniels’ injury was revealed following Georgia’s 62-0 win over Vanderbilt on Sept. 25. He also missed a Sept. 11 matchup against UAB with an oblique injury. The 21-year-old entered the 2021 season as Georgia’s starting quarterback, but his injuries have allowed Bennett the opportunity to prove he can be QB1.
Bennett has been impressive this season, too. In six games (four starts), he has completed 69.5% of his passes for 996 yards and 11 touchdowns against two interceptions. He has also rushed for 148 yards.
Daniels, meanwhile, has completed 76.1% of his passes for 567 yards and five touchdowns against two interceptions in three games. Although Daniels is completing more of his passes, Bennett is averaging more yards per attempt at 12.1 compared to Daniels’ 8.0.
If the Bulldogs deploy both quarterbacks through the remainder of the season, they could have a chance to become the first since Florida’s 2006 national title-winning team to claim a championship while rotating signal-callers. The Gators used Chris Leak as their starter that season, but Tim Tebow also ended up playing a significant role in the offense.
Georgia is currently the top-ranked team in the nation with a 7-0 record, including wins over unranked Clemson, No. 15 Kentucky and No. 18 Auburn. The Bulldogs have a fairly easy record the rest of the way, too, with matchups against unranked opponents in their final five games of the regular season.