UGASports is counting down the days until the Bulldogs’ 2024 season opener. For each day in our countdown, we will reveal our opinion of the best player in Georgia history to wear that particular jersey number.

We select Billy Bennett as the best Georgia player to wear jersey number 30.

Position: Placekicker

Hometown (High School): Athens, Georgia (Athens Academy)

Height/Weight: 5-8, 165

Lettered: 2000-2003

Stats: 87-for-110 field goals (79.1%), 148-for-151 extra points (98.0%), 409 total points

Career: There were several standout running backs and defensive backs to consider for Georgia's top No. 30. However, in the end, we decided on a placekicker in Billy Bennett. Bennett was a successful football and soccer player at Athens Academy before walking on at the University of Georgia. He soon received a scholarship and became the Bulldogs' primary placekicker three games into his freshman season of 2000. He ended up making 13-of-14 field goals that season and was named Freshman All-American by multiple outlets. As a sophomore in 2001, Bennett increased his field goal total to 17 and, as a junior, increased it to 26. It was his senior season of 2003 that Bennett set several records. Thanks to a good offense (but one that didn't have the best luck in the red zone), Bennett not only set a Georgia record and a SEC record, but his 31 field goals made is still a single-season NCAA record. For his Georgia career, Bennett made most of his big kicks. In 2001 against Georgia Tech, he connected on 6-of-6 field goals, setting a school single-game record while helping snap Georgia's three-game losing streak to its state rival. Bennett's 87 career field goals made was once an NCAA record and still remains a school record.

#30 Honorable Mention: Keith Henderson, Bruce Kemp, Scott Williams, Daijun Edwards, Will Muschamp, Kelin Johnson