Stetson Bennett may or may not win the Heisman Trophy when it’s announced Saturday night on ESPN.

However, that’s not keeping Georgia’s quarterback from enjoying his time in The Big Apple. Bennett, along with his entire family, arrived in New York City Friday morning, and almost immediately was ushered into a series of interviews and photo ops with fellow finalists Max Duggan of TCU, Caleb Williams of Southern Cal, and C.J. Stroud of Ohio State.

It was during his session with reporters that Bennett revealed, as retold by the Associated Press, that being a candidate for the Heisman Trophy never crossed his mind.

However, Buster Faulkner, Georgia’s quality control coach for the offense, did plant a bug in Bennett’s year, stating if the offense worked like he thought it would, being in New York might be a possibility.

“I just heard it and said what does that mean, right?” Bennett told the AP. “But shoot, he was a little bit right.”

Haters be damned.

Bennett become the program’s first Heisman finalist since Garrison Hearst in 1992. His inclusion was met with detractors, but he most certainly belonged to be in New York City for the event.

No, Bennett did not throw for as many touchdowns (20) as Williams, Stroud, and Duggan. However, his 3,425 yards passing actually ranks second, behind Williams (4,058), who has attempted 53 more passes than the Bulldog quarterback.

Williams has rushed for 10 touchdowns, compared to seven for Bennett, but for folks determined to point fingers at the 20 touchdown passes, consider this.

As a team, Georgia has rushed for more touchdowns (37), compared to TCU (33), USC (29), and Ohio State (29)

“The offense so far has been more explosive, and there has been more asked of me this year, which has been fun for me, and I’ve enjoyed it a lot,” Bennett said. “But I think that comes from me earning it, me being good enough to do that. I don’t think I necessarily was last year. Some spots, but not all the time.”

Against five teams actually ranked in the final regular season College Football Playoff Top 25, Bennett excelled.

...Overall grade - 91.0

...Passing grade - 90.5

...Yards per game - 298

...Total touchdowns - 17 (13 passing, four rushing).

...Adjusted completion rate - 79 percent.

“I think I’m as good a quarterback as anybody, but I don’t think about it as, like, I’m the best quarterback,” Bennett said. “There’s so many variables and different offenses and things that you’re asked to do, who you have around you.”

Notre Dame’s “Rudy” has absolutely nothing on the Georgia version.

Yes, there will be a movie made someday.

It’s a story worth telling again.

Bennett walked on at Georgia prior to 2017 where he quickly earned the respect of teammates and coaches. But it was not until the Bulldog’s trip to Los Angeles for the Rose Bowl that Bennett’s name became a familiar one outside of UGASports' message boards.

Bennett’s job was to play the role of Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield.

Bennett played the role with such aplomb that former Bulldog defensive coordinator Mel Tucker called the freshman “a beast” for the job he did helping the Bulldogs prepare.

He’d ultimately be honored with one of the program’s four scout team awards at the season’s end.

However, Bennett was not content with just being a scout team QB.

So, the following year, he transferred to Jones College in Mississippi, where he led that program to a 10-2 record, including a victory in the Mississippi Bowl.

Bennett completed 145 passes for 1,840 yards and 16 touchdowns that year, catching the attention of several non-Power Five schools. Kent State was interested, and so was Louisiana and current Florida head coach Billy Napier.

The former Pierce County standout was all set to sign with Napier until Georgia came knocking – this time with a scholarship offer in hand.

For the lifelong Bulldog fan, this was an opportunity he was not about to pass up.

Bennett would play in five of 14 games in 2019, completing 20 of 27 passes, before starting five of Georgia’s 10 games in the Covid-shortened 2020 campaign, throwing for 1,179 yards and eight touchdowns.

However, when the 2021 season began, Bennett was back at the bottom of the depth chart. The starter job belonged to JT Daniels, and after a strong spring by Carson Beck, Bennett was the team’s No. 3 quarterback when the Bulldogs kicked off the season against Clemson in Charlotte.

But after an injury to Daniels, Bennett received the call in the second half of the team’s Week 4 game against Vanderbilt.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Bennett quarterbacked the Bulldogs to their first national championship in 41 years, with Daniels, ultimately transferring to West Virginia (before going into the portal a second time).

However, instead of riding off a champion, Bennett decided his work was not done. It turned out to be the right call.

Not only did he quarterback Georgia to its first SEC title since 2017, but he and the Bulldogs are back in the College Football Playoffs and just two victories away from another national crown.