ATLANTA - On his last swing, Stetson Bennett hit a home run.

The Georgia quarterback strode off the Foley Field diamond after a satisfying conclusion to batting practice on Feb. 18. Later that evening, he threw out the first pitch before Georgia's season-opening contest against Albany.

Batting practice is just one example of Bennett's fame, a phenomenon that has exploded since he led the Bulldogs to the national title in January. He has flown with the Blue Angels. He has advised fans on wildlife purchases. Anywhere you look associated with the Georgia program, Bennett isn't too far behind.

Bennett is now preparing to take his last swing at college football as the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs this fall. He's doing so as the unquestioned leader of a team looking to repeat the glory of 2021.

On that February afternoon at Foley, Bennett had one goal in mind.

He told reporters on Wednesday at SEC Media Days that he misses playing baseball. He had already been asked to throw the first pitch, but he requested a round of batting practice as well.

"I was trying to (hit a homer) the whole time," Bennett said. "It was the last one. I just walked off and I was like, ‘Yeah, I could play baseball.’"

A couple months later, Bennett found himself among the clouds.

The mother of his former college roommate Nate McBride reached out to Bennett's mother asking if her son would be interested in flying with the Blue Angels. Bennett agreed, with the date set for the Vidalia Onion Festival.

"I was nervous about passing out or throwing up. I didn’t want to embarrass myself," Bennett said. "We flew for 45 minutes. Toward the end we looked in the back and heard him on the intercom and he’s, alright, we’re going to hit as many Gs as this plane can pull and get as close to the speed of sound as we can. So we hit it, we hit 7.4 Gs. He’s in the back, he’s like, ‘What do you think that was?’ I was like, ‘7.4, that’s what you told me.’ He gave out a whoop like he was excited. I was fired up. I’ve never felt anything like it."

Bennett then deadpanned that he immediately went home and watched Top Gun.

But Bennett's life is different on the field as well. Head coach Kirby Smart noted that when he took the main stage in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Smart said Bennett's firm hold on the starting job has given him more "support" among the offense. The other Bulldogs know without a doubt Bennett will be the one leading the offense when healthy.

"That's given him a little bit more credibility, which credibility to me is earned, right?" Smart said. "He earned that by the way he played at the end of the year and most of the season. He continues to do that the way he leads out there on seven-on-sevens, practices and things."

Bennett feels that comfort as well. At this time last year, he didn't feel right directing receivers to run routes certain ways, because he wouldn't be the one throwing the ball when it came to game time.

Now, Bennett doesn't feel that he's "stepping on toes" by offering pointers to the receivers. The feedback goes both ways, as Bennett listens to his pass-catchers about why they run routes certain ways.

As another perk of being a national champion, Bennett honed the mental side of his game at the Manning Passing Academy in June. He spoke with both Peyton and Eli Manning, as well as college quarterbacks from around the country.

"That was a really cool part, too, because you don’t really know them (other college quarterbacks), especially me because I wasn’t a part of any of the all-star games, Army games," Bennett said. "So just getting to know them, not just seeing them underneath a helmet, learning their personality and getting to throw the ball with them and kind of judge yourself against them and figuring that out. Yeah, just a ton of mental things, mainly. There was some footwork stuff, but I think it was mainly just how to think about it which was what I was trying to get in and get."

But even coming off a championship, there are still some who feel Bennett doesn't get the respect he deserves.

Preseason quarterback rankings and Heisman odds often omit Bennett's name. Signal callers such as CJ Stroud, Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, and others get more national publicity than the guy who lifted the trophy at the end of last season.

"Stetson is one of the least respected good players there is in this country," Smart said. "Guess what, we get to see it every day. The kid is a tremendous athlete, he's got good arm strength. People keep doubting him, and that's fine with me."

Bennett didn't let the noise get to him last season. As he prepares for his last swing at college football, he's trying to keep the same mindset.

"I care more about being good than people thinking that I’m good," Bennett said. "Am I competitive, do I want to be the best in the country? Yeah, but not because people say I’m not. Just because that’s who I am, that’s it."