ATHENS, Ga. — The Dawgs are on top (again) of the college football world, and a comprehensive survey of the landscape by one of the sport's closest trackers confirms their superiority.
Still, there may be some nits to pick for Dawgs fans - particularly regarding Stetson Bennett.
PFF, known for its grading system that rates the quality of players across the NFL and college football spectrum, released its list of top 101 college players from the 2022 season on Friday. The Dawgs register eight players, more than any other program.
But Bennett, the underdog architect of the team's back-to-back titles over whom fans are fiercely protective, doesn't rank where UGA backers would probably want to see him.
Here's the breakdown:
- 3 - DT Jalen Carter
- 13 - TE Brock Bowers
- 22 - QB Stetson Bennett
- 67 - S Chris Smith
- 84 - OT Broderick Jones
- 88 - TE Darnell Washington
- 94 - CB Javon Bullard
- 101 - WR Ladd McConkey
The write-up on Carter describes him as "one of the top defensive tackles we've ever seen in the PFF era," and mock drafts are suggesting he could go No. 1.
Also, great news for the Dawgs - of those eight who made the list, almost half (three) are coming back next season: Bowers, Bullard and McConkey.
Bennett, meanwhile, is the eight-best rated quarterback, behind not only well-known names such as Alabama's Bryce Young but also names including Florida State's Jordan Travis (16) and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. (19).
Here's the quarterback breakdown:
- 1 - Caleb Williams, USC
- 5 - Bryce Young, Alabama
- 7 - C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
- 10 - Drake Maye, North Carolina
- 15 - Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
- 16 - Jordan Travis, Florida State
- 19 - Michael Penix Jr., Washington
- 22 - Stetson Bennett, Georgia
More fodder for the debate about Bennett's legacy - for the full PFF 101 list, click here.