ATLANTA — Former University of Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was arrested on Sunday for public intoxication in Dallas, Texas just weeks after leading the Bulldogs to their second national championship.
The 25-year-old, who previously said he was in the area training for the NFL Draft combine, was taken into custody when Dallas Police received reports of a man banging on doors along Tribeca Way in Old East Dallas. Police arrived on scene just before 6 a.m. and placed him under arrest.
So will the arrest impact his draft status? According to Former Dallas Cowboys scout Glenn Smith, his shot at the NFL may be slimmer. Smith, who spoke to our sister station WFAA, said Bennett already had the odds against him.
“He’s a 5'10" guy so you're gonna have NFL scouts start knocking him, he’s not tall enough, now he's out in Dallas drinking till the world looks flat,” Smith said.
Prior to the arrest, Bennett opted out of the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl. The all-star game features the best college football athletes, who have the opportunity to be coached and seen by NFL staff.
Jarvis Davis, an executive producer for Locked On Sports Atlanta, believes Bennett’s decision to opt out of that game hurt his chances even further in light of his recent arrest.
“I think [Bennett] lost out on an opportunity to prove [himself] again,” Davis said.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports reporter Gabriel Burns also weighed in on Bennett's situation.
“He’s a day-three guy, he needs to do everything he can to even marginally improve his stock, and [the arrest] was a hit,” Burns said.
His time at Georgia includes two national championships, a perfect 2022 season, an SEC championship, four total College Football Playoff Offensive Player of the Game awards, a trip to the Heisman Trophy ceremony as a finalist, and the most passing yards in a single season in program history (4,127 in 2022).
While there’s some doubt surrounding Bennett's chance at a professional football career, he should not be completely ruled out. Draft experts who spoke with WFAA believe Bennett will be picked somewhere around the fourth round.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Smith said. “Someone will take a shot on this young man.”
Bennett was released from jail about four hours after being taken into custody. He was escorted out of the city detention center by law enforcement and got into a car without making comment.