Stetson Bennett IV has been a pleasant surprise for Georgia. The former walk-on was originally set to see little to no playing time in 2020, but since the 2nd quarter of the Bulldogs’ win over Arkansas, he’s been the team’s go-to-option at quarterback.

Bennett has helped his team to a 3-0 start ahead of a visit to No. 2 Alabama on Saturday, and according to Kirby Smart, the junior hasn’t changed who he is.

“He doesn’t try to artificially lead or fake it,” Smart said. “He never did that while he was trying to compete for the job and he hasn’t done it since he got the job. Stetson is who he is, and I think the skill players on offense, the offensive line, they all trust him and rally around him because they know he understands what we’re trying to do offensively and he can put them in good situations.”

With Bennett having won his offense’s trust, his defense continues to recognize his qualities, even though he isn’t the loudest voice on the field.

“The defensive players have all seen him play and see what Stetson’s about, so he does it his own way, which is doing very little in terms of trying to vocally lead,” Smart said. “He leads by example and he encourages guys and helps guys a lot.”

Will he be able to lead the Bulldogs to a huge win at Alabama? We’ll find out on Saturday night.