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With Stetson Bennett transferring, who will be Georgia’s No. 3 QB?

Georgia quarterbacks (in black) work out during spring practice in 2018.
Steffenie Burns/UGA
Cy Brown
Cy Brown

Welcome to Good Day, UGA, your one-stop shop for Georgia football news and takes. Check us out every weekday morning for everything you need to know about Georgia football, recruiting, basketball and more.

Next man up at QB

If you haven’t heard, third-string quarterback Stetson Bennett announced his intentions to transfer from Georgia, leaving the Dawgs in a precarious situation at the position.

Despite being a walk-on never expected to play meaningful snaps, Bennett filled a key role for the Dawgs. Jake Fromm and Justin Fields may be two of the most talented QBs to ever roll through Athens, but the depth chart is incredibly thin after that. Bennett was a safety net. You don’t think you’ll ever have to use him, but it makes you feel a lot better just knowing he was there.

On top of that, his work as scout team quarterback was integral to the defense’s game preparations last season. Throughout the year, he was tasked with mimicking opponents such as Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham, Missouri’s Drew Lock and Alabama’s Jalen Hurts, a role he apparently transcended. Toward the end of the season, plaudits for Bennett poured in from teammates and coaches. Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker called him a “beast” and Roquan Smith, a first-round pick of the Chicago Bears, called him “phenomenal.”

Ultimately, this is why Bennett chose to transfer. Although he’d likely never sniff the first team at Georgia with Fromm and Fields in front of him, his work last season proved he can be a successful quarterback somewhere for some school. He wants to test himself, continue his playing career and do more than just prepare his teammates for Saturdays. You can’t begrudge him for that.

Even with Bennett, Georgia was considered shorthanded at quarterback. Without him, the situation is starting to look dire. Coach Kirby Smart needs to find a new safety net, and he needs to do it fast. Here are a few options:

  • John Seter: Seter, a rising sophomore, is the only option that was on the team last fall, making him the de facto favorite for the time being. | Highlights
  • Christian Kerut: Although he hasn’t been with the team for more than a year like Seter, Kerut, a freshman from New Orleans, went through spring practice with the team. | Highlights
  • Matthew Downing: A freshman from Alpharetta, Ga., Downing spurned offers from Football Championship Subdivision programs Montana State and Southern Illinois to walk on at Georgia. | Highlights
  • A Mystery Man: You can bet that Smart and his staff are doing their due diligence and checking high and low for any unsigned recruit, junior college player or graduate transfer willing to — and capable of — filling the void left by Bennett.

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UGA headed to Women’s College World Series

Georgia softball only needed two games of a three-game super regional series with rival Tennessee to qualify for the Women’s College World Series, the fourth WCWS appearance in program history and first since 2016.

The return to college softball’s biggest stage is part of a fantastic turnaround from last season for the Bulldogs. In 2017, Georgia went 35-23 and didn’t even make it past the regional stage of the NCAA Tournament. A year later, the team is 48-11 and poised to battle for the first softball national title in UGA history.

“For the team, the transformation comes from within,” Georgia coach Lu Harris-Champer said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the team and their desire and dedication and determination to turn it around, and they certainly did that through their hard work and trust and the culture that’s been built from within. You just can’t say enough.”

The WCWS begins Thursday in Oklahoma City.

UGA baseball selected to host NCAA regional

Postseason baseball is returning to Athens.

UGA was selected as one of 16 hosts sites for the regional round of the NCAA Tournament. It will be the first time a regional has been held at Foley Field since 2008, when the Diamond Dogs went all the way to the College World Series.

“We are excited to be in the NCAA Tournament and having an opportunity to host is a credit to how the team has performed this year along with the support of our fans and administration,” Georgia coach Scott Stricklin said. “We look forward to playing again at Foley Field in front of our fans, as they’ve done an outstanding job cheering us on all season.”

NCAA regional tournaments will be played Friday through Monday, if necessary. Georgia’s opponents for the opening round of the tournament will be revealed on a selection show scheduled to air Monday noon ET on ESPNU.

DB Tray Bishop arrested on felony charge

Redshirt freshman defensive back Tray Bishop was arrested and booked into Athens-Clarke County Jail last week on charges of felony eavesdropping/surveillance as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred last fall.

The arrest stems from an investigation by UGA Police following a complaint from a woman who told authorities in April that Bishop recorded a sex act without her permission on Nov. 5, 2017. From a police report obtained by Chip Towers of DawgNation:

“The complainant wished to report that there was a student going around showing people a sex tape of her … without her consent,” the police report said. “… A subsequent investigation into this incident led us into determining that the crime of unlawful eavesdropping occurred on [Nov. 5]. The investigation showed that Detravion Bishop had recorded [victim’s name] inside his dorm room without her permission and without her knowledge.”

Georgia coach Kirby Smart released a statement on the arrest through a team spokesperson Friday.

“Certainly it’s disappointing when a player or any other young person under our charge is arrested, and we don’t condone any illegal or improper behavior,” Smart said. “That being said, university policies are being followed. We are investigating the matter and it’s important that we gather all information relevant to the situation before we determine what policies may come into play. Then, we can take appropriate action if necessary.”

Odds & Ends

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NEXT In-state DB Quinton Newsome plans to be back at UGA soon
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