Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett is still looking for his first regular-season start, but he seems to have won a major competition in camp. The Los Angeles Rams announced him as the starting quarterback for Week 1 of the preseason, according to Nate Atkins, who covers the Rams for The Athletic. The Rams will play the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
This could be significant. Bennett has been battling with Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson for the second-string spot in the Rams' training camp behind starter Matthew Stafford, another former Georgia Bulldog. The Rams selected Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, even with Bennett in the quarterback room.
With the draft capital the Rams spent on Simpson and with Stafford turning 39 next February, they are probably expecting him to be the quarterback of the future. That could've left Bennett as the third stringer, making him expendable if the Rams only wanted to keep two quarterbacks or draft another one.
Instead, it seems like Bennett could be in the lead for the second-string job. At the very least, he's earned the first crack at it. Bennett, drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, has started a few games in the preseason over the years, but still hasn't earned any regular-season snaps.
Bennett's college numbers dwarf Simpson's, who spent just one season as Alabama's starter. Bennett totaled 8,429 yards, 66 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions in 924 attempts in his NCAA career. He was the starter for both the 2021 and 2022 national championship teams at Georgia, and in 2022, his 4,127 yards set a Georgia record for most in a single season, surpassing Aaron Murray.
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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Rams make Stetson Bennett decision for preseason Week 1