Stetson Bennett back in underdog role with NFL combine approaching, Urban Meyer and Jim Donnan weigh in

ATHENS — Stetson Bennett won’t exactly be back to square one when he takes part in the NFL Combine, but it will be familiar ground in more ways than one.

The sites, sounds and likely chilly temperatures of Indianapolis will hold a degree of nostalgia for Bennett and the 11 other two-time championship Georgia players expected at the combine Feb. 28-March 4.

• Stetson Bennett

• Robert Beal

• Jalen Carter

• Kearis Jackson

• Broderick Jones

• Kenny McIntosh

• Warren McClendon

• Jack Podlesny

• Kelee Ringo

• Nolan Smith

• Christopher Smith

• Darnell Washington

Only Alabama, with 13 players invited, will have more players than Georgia at the NFL Combine this year.

Bennett, as a two-time MVP of the CFP Championship Game and Heisman Trophy finalist, could be in demand as much as any player there because of his unique story.

There has never been a player in college football like Bennett before, and the odds are against any future college football walk-on matching his accomplishments ever again.

Stetson memory

It was just more than a year ago in Lucas Oil Stadium that Bennett stepped up with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter while the UGA defense held possible No. 1 pick Bryce Young to one TD in a 33-18 win over Alabama in thee CFP Championship Game.

Bennett followed up with another championship this season and two more postseason MVP trophies, raising his NFL stock as high as the third round, according to ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.

Bennett’s back-to-back CFP Championship Game MVP honors led former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer to proclaim Bennett “the most underrated player, I think, that has ever played the game,” during the All Things Covered podcast.

“I can’t believe how small that guy was ... but he’s a monster, his leadership, his toughness, incredible.”

Of course, the NFL Combine is a different game with different rules, and Bennett -- listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds -- has been in training in Texas to adjust.

Combine challenge

Bennett, who has indeed officially accepted his NFL Combine invite per sources, knows there will be challenges.

The medical examination portion is just as important as any of the on-field drills, just as the weigh-ins and measurements could discriminate against him.

Bennett appeared to play through a mild shoulder injury for a few games this season, but by December he looked as good as ever. Bennett passed for 976 yards and 11 TDs in postseason wins over LSU (50-30), Ohio State (42-41) and TCU (65-7).

As for Bennett falling short on prototypical NFL height and weight charts, it’s worth noting Alabama’s Young is of similar stature. Further, the proliferation of offenses featuring mobile quarterbacks and spread formations should provide more opportunities for smaller, fleet-footed signal callers like Bennett.

If there’s a quarterback to watch in the 40-yard dash, it’s Bennett, who could run a number in the 4.4-second range.

Still, one wonders if Bennett might be tempted to dust off the U.S. Postal Service cap he once wore at high school camps to gain attention and build his brand.

It was an ingenuous approach back then, even if it didn’t lead to a scholarship offer from a Power 5 school. In hindsight, it’s all the better, as Bennett’s walk-on tale has been well-documented to the extent many believe it might one day be a movie.

Stetson saga

Like many Hollywood scripts, Bennett’s story also contains some drama, the most recent of which NFL teams would have preferred the Georgia quarterback do without.

Bennett put himself in an underdog position once again with his Jan. 29 arrest and release after public intoxication charges in Dallas.

There’s never a good time for a public figure of Bennett’s stature to get arrested, but the fact it happened on the day when other NFL quarterback hopefuls were arriving in Mobile for the Senior Bowl amplified things.

Many, including SEC Network star Paul Finebaum, made clear they felt Bennett should have played in the all-star event alongside his former Georgia teammates Kenny McIntosh, Chris Smith, Jack Podlesny and Warren McClendon.

Head coach perspective

Georgia coach Kirby Smart has not made any public comments since the CFP celebration on Jan. 14, but the man who coached up Smart after Ray Goff signed him made his thoughts known.

WATCH: Kirby Smart shares laugh with Ray Goff on DawgNation On The Beat Show

Former Georgia head coach and College Football Hall of Famer Jim Donnan noted on a podcast earlier this month the 25-year-old’s arrest will be noted by the NFL teams going through the draft evaluation process.

“As far as Stetson, just dumbass, first of all not going to the Senior Bowl, I don’t know why he didn’t do that,” Donnan said on the UGASports.com podcast.

“I love Stetson, I’ve been his biggest supporter and people make mistakes that’s for sure, but you’ve just got to bite the bullet here and understand that you’re starting over and these people that are going to be investing in you are going to base it on what they see as far as from here forward.”

Donnan said he thinks “it will work out okay,” but it puts Bennett back into an underdog role of sorts as he looks to continue to football career.

Bennett has never been one to see himself that way, and his resiliency and persistence speaks for itself as he heads into the future with the NFL combine two weeks away.

Mike Griffith explains reasons why Stetson Bennett carries NFL value