What happened during Stetson Bennett's 'Georgia Gap Year'?

Stetson Bennett has taken the first steps in his return to the NFL after missing his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams due to undisclosed personal reasons.

This isn't the first time Bennett has had a year in between places, though it happened in a much different way last time.

Bennett's career timeline almost seems like something of a potential movie script, with the way he went from a two-star recruit who walked on at Georgia to a player who overtook a former Heisman Trophy candidate who was once touted as the best high school quarterback in the nation and led his team to a pair of consecutive national titles.

But many seem to forget that Bennett did not have just one stint at Georgia. There were two of them.

So, what exactly happened there?

The one year Bennett spent at Jones College in the small town of Ellisville, Mississippi is not widely talked about, but may have made a much larger impact than meets the eye on what he was able to accomplish in Athens.

When Bennett entered Georgia as a walk-on in 2017, declining his only FBS scholarship offer from Middle Tennessee. It was a bold move by the player dubbed "The Mailman" for the way he used to wear a US Postal Service hat to recruiting showcases back in high school to help him catch attention because of his slight frame.

Unsurprisingly, Bennett was buried in the depth chart behind the more highly touted Jake Fromm and Justin Fields in his first year with the Bulldogs. He did not take a snap during his freshman season.

Bennett opted for a change of scenery -- and a larger chance for development -- in 2018 when he transferred to Jones College.

There, Bennett rose from a player on the bench who looked like he'd never see the field to the man in charge in the starting position.

He had plenty of success with the Bobcats, leading the team to a 10-2 record, south division championship, the MACJC Championship game and a Mississippi Bowl win over Eastern Arizona.

Bennett finished out that season with 1,840 passing yards (12th, NJCAA) and 16 touchdowns. He added 148 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

His best performance for head coach Steve Buckley's team came against Northwest Mississippi in the MACJC Semifinals when he threw for a career-high 314 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Bennett had at least three passing touchdowns in three games there.

He would return to Georgia the following year and the rest is history as he'd officially be named the starter for the long haul in 2021. But throughout his career, he's taken time to look back at his time in small-town Mississippi and how it affected him.

“When I left I thought it was deuces out forever from UGA,” Bennett said in 2023. “I didn’t think I was coming back. I kind’ve knew when I pulled the trigger that I’m not just here at Georgia to hang out and be on the team and have some footballs in 30 years."

It served as a major learning experience and helped Bennett establish confidence in the path he was on.

"I want to play ball, I want to do what I think I can do," Bennett said. "Went over there and figured out that I think I’m right. To go be in that position where you are the starter, it comes down to you in certain situations. That taught me a lot.”

Bennett's coming off of another gap year of a different type now, appearing to be on a steady path as he's back training in Dallas. 

His immediate future remains uncertain, but what he's able to do at the NFL level after defying the odds in college will be nothing short of something to watch.